From scaling smart to cutting acquisition costs, here’s what we took away from the UK’s biggest event for kids’ activity providers.
This year’s Club Hub Event 2025 in Birmingham exceeded expectations. What was set up as a friendly networking and awards gathering turned into something more: a powerful moment of reflection, connection, and forward-thinking strategy for the entire children’s activity industry.
Whether you’re running dance classes in your local community or leading a growing franchise with international ambitions, the message was clear — this sector is maturing fast.
And with that comes a need for sharper tools, smarter decisions, and scalable systems.
Let’s unpack some of the key themes from the event, connect them with practical tips, and share how this all relates to the work we’re doing at Zooza.
🎯 Growth Comes from the Ground Up (Literally)
One of the most talked-about insights?
You don’t scale a children’s activity business from your laptop — you scale it from where your clients already are.
Workshops and talks reinforced the idea that successful businesses build visibility and trust in real-life spaces:
– Schools
– Nurseries
– Community halls
– Even local photographers or birthday party suppliers
This echoes what we recently wrote about in our blog:
👉 “The course is great, but if only it were closer to us…”
The truth is, you might offer a fantastic program. But if your clients can’t find it nearby — or don’t even know it exists — you’re already losing the game.
📊 Tiny Funnel Fixes = Big Bottom Line Shifts
Another standout moment from the event was the reminder that you don’t need to rebuild your entire sales funnel.
Sometimes, a small improvement can lead to major results.
That might mean:
– Showing availability more clearly
– Automating follow-up after a trial class
– Adding reporting that tells you where you’re losing people
We covered this in more depth in this piece:
👉 Zooza in the UK: The powerhouse integration that feels like it was built just for you
It’s not about more tools — it’s about better use of the right ones. Especially if you’re managing multiple locations or franchisees, visibility matters more than ever.
📦 Distribution is the Quiet Game-Changer
You hear it all the time: “We need to lower customer acquisition costs.”
So most people jump straight to pricing, discounting, or referral programs.
But one of the most refreshing discussions at Club Hub was about distribution — the least sexy, but often most powerful part of your marketing mix.
If your sessions aren’t seen by the right people at the right time in the right places, it doesn’t matter how great your offer is.
We dug into this idea in our article:
👉 The One “P” That Can Slash Your Acquisition Costs (Hint: It’s Not Price)
If you’re serious about scaling, it’s not just about better content. It’s about better placement.
🧩 What Growth-Minded Franchises Are Asking Themselves
Throughout the day, we heard many of the same questions — asked in different ways by different people:
- “How do I grow without losing control?”
- “How can I reduce admin across multiple branches?”
- “How do I keep quality high across franchisees?”
- “How do I stop spending so much on ads with poor return?”
These are exactly the questions we built Zooza to answer.
We’re seeing more and more brands in this space move toward international growth — and with it, the need for better infrastructure:
✔️ Unified reporting across locations
✔️ Localised offerings under one brand
✔️ Seamless registration and payment journeys
✔️ Process automation for scale without stress
If you’re a franchise or multi-site provider exploring the next stage of growth, you might find this useful:
👉 Scale efficiently with Zooza
🏆 The Winners Who Left a Mark
And of course — congratulations to all the finalists and winners at this year’s awards.
You didn’t just walk away with trophies. You left a lasting impression.
We walked away inspired — and a little more focused on what matters.
Because at the end of the day, this industry isn’t just about filling spots.
It’s about creating opportunities.
For children. For families. For the people building the programs.
Here’s to raising the bar — together.
Related reading:
📍 Why “location” still matters more than we think
📊 How smart reporting transforms your sales funnel
📦 Why distribution — not price — saves your marketing budget
