Equinox, SoulCycle Develop Talent Management Practice for Its Fitness Professionals

Equinox Holdings Inc., New York, and its subsidiary company SoulCycle are developing a talent management practice to represent the top fitness trainers and personalities across both brands, the companies announced last week. Beverly Hills-based talent agency William Morris Endeavor (WME) will advise the undertaking.

“If we’ve learned one thing in our 27 years of innovation and leadership, it’s that our people define our experience—and our excellence," Harvey Spevak, Equinox executive chairman and managing partner, said in a July 18 media release. "While we have always been recognized for the impact that our talent has on our community, our fitness experts will become exponentially more influential with the creation of our talent agency. We are now poised to offer our star employees an exclusive, monumental opportunity. With our support, guidance and representation, our top talent can meaningfully grow their personal brands, develop key partnerships and ultimately generate additional income.”

The yet-to-be-named management agency is operating in a pilot stage and will be fully implemented in several phases throughout 2018 and 2019, according to the release. The agency's mission is to provide Equinox and SoulCycle's group exercise instructors and personal trainers with the tools and support necessary for developing their personal brands, maximizing their online exposure and fostering partnership and sponsorship opportunities.

“SoulCycle was founded on human connection, and community spirit is at the core of our experience and our brand,” SoulCycle CEO Melanie Whelan said in the release. “Our instructors are the heartbeat of our tribe. They act as motivational coaches, and the strong bonds they develop with our riders create transformational energy inside our studios. We look forward to supporting our world-class talent both personally and professionally with this new initiative.”

The concept was partially conceived as a response to SoulCycle clients' requests to spend more time with their trainers, the release said. It is also an extension of PROJECT by Equinox, a talent-incubating project recently launched by the brand.

In June, SoulCycle announced the launch of its new in-house media division. The division, led by a team of media industry veterans, will produce content “and experiences using a variety of mediums, including music, video, audio and experiential events,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

 Equinox is currently in the process of developing hotels in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.