For almost 15 years, Gymkit UK has been the UK distributor for Peak Pilates, supplying premium reformer equipment to studios, health clubs and operators across the UK and Ireland.
When founder Howard Braband opened the first R3FORM studio in the village of Castor, just outside Peterborough, the vision was about far more than opening another boutique Pilates studio.
The studio was designed as a live working showroom where prospective customers could experience Peak Pilates equipment exactly as it was intended to be used—not in a showroom, but in real classes, with real members, experienced instructors and an authentic studio atmosphere.
It also became Gymkit UK's UK education centre, delivering FitCore™ and other Peak Pilates education programmes led by Peak Pilates Master Trainer Christie Braband.
What Howard and the team didn't anticipate was just how successful the studio itself would become.
Members kept returning. The community grew quickly. Before long it became clear they hadn't just built a demonstration facility—they'd built a premium Pilates business that could be replicated.
"We built R3FORM to show what a well-run Pilates studio could look like. We didn't expect it to grow this quickly, but when something works, you back it."
A second studio opened in Cambridge, where Area Manager Katie Summers took responsibility for the day-to-day operation, allowing Howard to focus on the wider growth of the business. A third location soon followed, with a fourth studio due to open in Leeds and a fifth already in development.
Today, R3FORM is one of the UK's fastest-growing premium reformer Pilates businesses.
As R3FORM expanded beyond its first studio, the operational demands naturally became more complex.
The business originally used Mindbody, which had served them well in the early stages. However, as the company evolved into a multi-site operation, Howard and the team wanted a more integrated platform that could simplify processes, improve the member experience and support future growth.
Managing marketing, communications, reporting and day-to-day administration across multiple locations using several different systems was becoming increasingly inefficient.
Katie experienced those challenges first-hand.
"It sometimes felt like we were working around the software rather than the software working for us. As we grew, we wanted something that was simpler, more integrated and easier for the whole team to use."
Howard knew they needed a platform that could grow alongside the business.
"We weren't just looking for another booking system. We wanted one platform that would support the way we wanted to operate for years to come."
After reviewing the options, R3FORM selected Momence. What immediately appealed was its integrated approach.
Marketing automation, member communications, bookings, payments, reporting and the branded member app all sat within a single platform, removing the need for multiple third-party systems.
Katie had already experienced Momence herself as a customer at another studio, giving her confidence in the member experience before R3FORM had even begun the migration.
Although changing software can feel like a significant step for any business, the implementation proved to be smooth and well supported.
"It was a real leap of faith because once you switch systems there's no going back. The onboarding team were excellent throughout the whole process, and the migration went as well as we could have hoped."
Today, Momence underpins the day-to-day operation across every R3FORM location.
Whether it's reporting, launching promotions, communicating with members or managing bookings, everything sits within a single platform that the whole team can access.
"One of the things I value most is that I don't get any dramas when I ask the team to do something. Whether it's pulling reports or setting up a new promotion, it's simply 'No problem.' That's a real sign of how intuitive the platform is."
The benefits were noticeable almost immediately. Members quickly adopted in-app messaging, significantly reducing incoming phone calls while giving the team a faster and more convenient way to communicate.
The biggest long-term impact, however, has been automation. Member journeys, follow-up communications, win-back campaigns and marketing sequences now run consistently in the background, freeing the team to spend more time delivering exceptional customer experiences rather than repetitive administration.
"The amount of time automation saves is enormous. More importantly, it means every member receives a consistent experience without relying on someone remembering to send an email or make a call."
For Katie, having reliable reporting and consistent data across multiple sites has transformed operational decision-making.
"Managing multiple studios becomes much easier when everyone is working from the same information. We can make decisions much more quickly because everything we need is right there."
R3FORM continues to grow, but the wider vision extends beyond opening more studios.
As Gymkit UK's live Peak Pilates showroom and education centre, R3FORM enables prospective operators to experience premium reformer Pilates in a real commercial environment, while supporting instructor development through FitCore™ and other Peak Pilates education programmes.
For Howard, the objective has always been to raise standards across the industry—not simply by supplying equipment, but by helping operators build successful, sustainable Pilates businesses.
With further expansion planned, having the right operational platform behind the business provides the confidence to continue growing without compromising the premium member experience that defines the R3FORM brand.
"Technology should make great businesses even better. Momence gives us the confidence that our systems can grow alongside our ambitions."