If you’re listing industries known for corporate fitness and wellness programs, the gaming industry may not be top of mind. But at Big Fish Games, Inc., a Seattle-based developer of electronic games, you’ll find employees who don’t feel guilty about taking an hour out of their workdays for a fitness boot camp or pickup basketball game.
Big Fish Games partners with Corporate Fitness Works (CFW), a St. Petersburg, Florida-based company, to build engaging wellness and fitness programs that go beyond tracking meals and steps. The result: a healthier employee culture and proof that thoughtfully-executed wellness programs can work in any industry.
This is especially powerful in Seattle, a vibrant metro area where the unemployment rate is extremely low (3.9 percent in July) and companies are battling to recruit and retain top talent.
Big Fish Games, a world-class developer of a wide array of game franchises, including Big Fish Casino, Gummy Drop!, Fairway Solitaire, Jackpot Magic Slots and Cooking Craze, recently added a modern fitness center at its newly-redesigned space inside Seattle’s iconic Maritime Building. As part of the process, Big Fish worked with CFW to design the 3,000-square-foot fitness center while heavily incorporating feedback from all employees who work onsite.
“We asked employees what’s important in bringing work-life balance into the workday as we planned the new fitness space,” said Evan Cottingham, Director of Real Estate and Facilities at Big Fish. “It was clear they wanted fun, innovative wellness initiatives that match their busy lives.”
Big Fish’s new fitness center, which opened in mid-July, had hundreds of excited employees at its open house. And growth in membership has been spectacular: At its previous facility, roughly 25 percent of Big Fish’s employees were gym members, but under CFW’s management, the new fitness center already has attracted 40 percent of the Big Fish team as members.
Beyond having quality fitness classes and equipment at the fitness center, CFW also raises awareness throughout the company with activities such as 10-minute desk stretch breaks and employee soccer games.
CFW serves more than 80 companies, from investment firms to car manufacturers, across more than 100 sites around the United States. Its services encompass four core areas: health and wellness programming, fitness center design, equipment procurement and fitness center management.
“CFW really sets itself apart in a sense that they’re here for total corporate well-being versus only fitness center management,” Cottingham said. “They creatively use the entire building as the extension of the fitness center.”
About Corporate Fitness Works
Since 1988, Corporate Fitness Works has been a pioneer of the corporate wellness industry, offering fitness center management and design, health and wellness programs and consulting services to more than 80 companies nationwide. Based in St. Petersburg, Florida, the certified women-owned company serves nearly every industry. Its trusted professionals help clients gain a competitive advantage, maximize their investment and inspire healthy, active corporate and residential community cultures. For more information, visit www.corporatefitnessworks.com.
About Big Fish Games
Founded in 2002, Big Fish Games serves millions of players every day and is dedicated to creating games that allow players to play, connect and compete, anywhere, on any device. We’re inspired by people who create and play games! The company is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with a regional office in Oakland, California, and is part of Aristocrat Leisure Limited.
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