1. Create a New Revenue Stream

Let's talk money.

Depending on your market and the facility, teaching a regular group fitness class might earn you somewhere between $25 and $40 per class. That's been my experience. I've always been paid a flat rate. Some clubs have given raises, while others seem to expect instructors to teach at the same rate indefinitely.

Pop-ups offer an opportunity to create an additional revenue stream.

Rather than accepting a fixed instructor fee, you can negotiate an event rate, often through a revenue-sharing arrangement with the host facility.

For example, a 60/40 split means you receive 60% of the event revenue while the host receives 40%. Some facilities may offer a 70/30 split in the instructor's favor. At unconventional venues, compensation can look entirely different.

Here are four payment arrangements I've personally experienced:

Vino + Vinyasa: A local bar allowed me to keep 100% of ticket sales. They offered participants a discount on their first drink, and many stayed afterward to order additional drinks and food. The bar benefited from bringing in customers during the early afternoon, when business was typically slow.
Barre + Brunch: An upscale private tennis club paid me a flat event fee that was eight times what I would have earned teaching the same class at my local studio! The club sold premium-priced tickets to members for a barre class followed by brunch.
Corporate Yoga: A company paid me $50 per hour to teach yoga to employees. What started as an event became a steady monthly teaching opportunity.
Barre + Bubbles: I handled registration and ticket sales, then paid the bar $5 per participant to cover an included drink. I factored that expense into the ticket price so I could earn my desired instructor rate while offering participants a complete experience. Many stayed afterward to order additional food and drinks.

As you can see, there's no single formula for pricing a pop-up. The arrangement depends on the venue, the experience you're offering, and what each partner contributes.

To illustrate the earning potential, let's look at a pop-up priced at $25 per participant with a 60/40 revenue split.

Of course, earning more than your regular class rate doesn't automatically make an event profitable. Consider your preparation time, marketing, expenses, and what the host facility needs to earn.

Before scheduling a pop-up, agree on a minimum number of paid registrations that makes the event worthwhile for both parties. A small studio may be comfortable with just a few participants, while a larger facility may require higher enrollment.

The goal isn't necessarily to fill every spot. It's to create value for everyone involved.

2. Build Your Brand and Expand Your Audience

One of the biggest challenges for new instructors is getting people to discover them. You might teach an amazing class, but if nobody knows who you are, how will they find you?

Pop-ups give you something specific to promote and a reason for people to pay attention.

Instead of simply posting, "Come take my class," you're inviting people to a special experience with a theme, date, and location.

Recently, I partnered with a newly opened yoga studio to offer a Totally '80s Yoga + Barre Fusion pop-up. The event introduced my teaching style to a new community while giving the studio an opportunity to offer something different from its regular schedule.

Here's what I love about that arrangement: both of us have an incentive to promote it.

I share the event with my social media followers, email subscribers, and existing students. The studio shares it with its own community. That cross-promotion introduces each of us to people we might never have reached independently.

For newer instructors without an established audience, this can be especially valuable. Early in my teaching career, I recognized the benefit of working with parks and recreation departments that could promote my classes to hundreds of residents. I didn't have that kind of reach on my own.

Social media extends that visibility even further. When I promote a pop-up, prospective participants can explore my profile and get a feel for my teaching style, music, and overall class experience. Even if they don't register, they might follow, save, share, or repost my content.

Pop-ups can also bring attention to your other offerings, from regular classes to online content and future events.

Think of every pop-up as both a class and a marketing opportunity. Its value extends well beyond the people who actually attend.

3. Build Relationships Without Long-Term Commitments

As an experienced instructor, I'm selective about adding recurring classes to my schedule. A weekly commitment affects my time, travel, and availability for other opportunities.

Pop-ups allow you to collaborate with a facility without committing to a permanent spot on its schedule.

And that flexibility benefits the host, too.

Consider a yoga studio that has never offered barre classes. The owner might be interested in expanding the schedule but hesitant to introduce a new format without knowing whether there's demand.

A pop-up allows both parties to test the concept. Will the studio's community respond to the format? Do they enjoy your teaching style? Is there enough interest to support future classes?

For newer instructors, pop-ups can also serve as a kind of paid audition.

Rather than approaching a studio and asking for an opportunity to audition or join its schedule, you can arrive with a fully developed class concept and propose a special event.

You're not simply asking for a job. You're offering something of value while valuing your own time, too.

If the event goes well and the relationship feels like a good fit, it might lead to subbing opportunities, recurring classes, additional pop-ups, workshops, or other collaborations.

Think of it as a try-before-you-commit arrangement for both parties. Whether you're looking for a regular teaching position or prefer the freedom of occasional events, a pop-up gives you the flexibility to explore opportunities without strings attached.

Create a Pop-Up That People Want to Attend

A great pop-up starts with a creative concept. You don't need to reinvent your class format. Sometimes, all it takes is a theme, an unexpected location, or a collaboration with another business to turn an ordinary workout into a special experience.

Think beyond the workout! I've seen some incredibly creative pop-ups, from Silent Disco Yoga, Puppies + Pilates, and Goat Yoga to pumpkin-inspired strength classes and fitness events featuring local vendors and shopping.

Need inspiration? Consider building your pop-up around a music decade, holiday, or season. Create a friendly music battle featuring two iconic artists or genres. Pair a class with happy hour, brunch, or a wine tasting. Or combine movement with an educational workshop or shopping experience.

The key is knowing your target audience. Choose a concept that reflects your teaching strengths and appeals to the people you want to attract. Your theme, music, class format, and marketing should all work together to create an experience they'll want to attend.

Once you've landed on an idea, develop your class programming and create reusable promotional materials. You'll be ready to approach potential partners with a complete concept rather than just an idea.

And the best part? You can adapt that concept for different venues, audiences, and occasions without starting from scratch.

Where Can You Host a Pop-Up?

You might be surprised by how many potential venues are available in your own community. And don't limit yourself to places that already offer fitness classes!

Start by looking close to home. Consider locations that align with your target audience and the experience you want to create.

Here are some places worth exploring:

Fitness & Wellness Facilities

Athletic clubs and gyms
Yoga, Pilates, barre, and boutique fitness studios
Dance studios
Wellness centers

Community & Public Facilities

Parks and recreation departments
Community centers
Libraries
Senior and active-aging centers
Colleges and continuing education programs

Corporate & Workplace Settings

Corporate fitness centers
Office buildings with multipurpose rooms
Employee wellness programs
Coworking spaces
Apartment complex fitness centers

Unconventional Locations

Restaurants, cafés, breweries, and bars
Wineries and tasting rooms
Farms and outdoor gardens
Retail boutiques
Art galleries and event spaces
Hotels and resorts

For unconventional venues, think about how your event could benefit the business. A restaurant might welcome a morning fitness class before its regular opening hours. A winery could host an outdoor yoga experience followed by a tasting. A boutique might collaborate on a fitness and shopping event.

The best partnerships create value for both sides.

Before approaching a venue, consider whether it has adequate space, whether the environment is suitable for your class, and whether you have the necessary insurance and permissions.

You should also review any existing employment agreements for restrictions on teaching at other facilities.

Once you've identified a few promising locations, you're ready to start making connections.

How to Pitch Your Pop-Up

Ready to give it a try? Once you've developed your concept, here's how to turn it into an opportunity.

Step 1: Prepare Your Pop-Up Press Kit

Have your class programming, playlist, event description, and promotional graphics ready before approaching potential hosts. Create a reusable marketing template so you can easily swap out the date, location, price, registration link, and host logo.

Step 2: Research Potential Partners

Start a spreadsheet of venues in your area, including the facility name, website, decision-maker, contact information, and notes. Focus on locations that align with your target audience and are convenient for you.

Step 3: Make Your Pitch

Reach out with a short, professional email introducing yourself and your pop-up concept. Explain why you think it would be a good fit for their community and what you can bring to the partnership. Let them know you've already developed the class and promotional materials, and invite them to discuss potential dates and a revenue-sharing arrangement.

Step 4: Work Out the Details

Once a venue expresses interest, discuss what the partnership would look like. Who will handle registration and collect payments? How will revenue be split? What ticket price and minimum enrollment make the event worthwhile for both parties?

Clarify marketing responsibilities, too. You can provide ready-to-share promotional materials, but ideally, your host will help distribute them through its social media channels, email list, and existing community.

Finally, agree on a registration deadline, cancellation policy, and who's responsible for communicating with participants and issuing refunds if necessary. Get the details in writing so everyone knows what to expect.

Once you've established a process, you can adapt the same concept and promotional materials for future events.

Here's something that doesn't get discussed enough: Not every pop-up will meet its minimum registration.

I'd estimate that roughly 30% of the events I've promoted over the years have been canceled due to low enrollment. But that doesn't mean the effort was wasted.

Even when an event doesn't move forward, you've introduced your name, teaching style, and offerings to a new audience. People may have visited your profile, watched your videos, followed your account, or discovered other classes you teach.

There's a lesson in every cancellation. Was the timing inconvenient? Was the audience a good fit? Would a different date, venue, or marketing approach work better? Sometimes, it's worth rescheduling and trying again.

A successful pop-up isn't measured by ticket sales alone. Even if an event doesn't take place, you can still expand your audience, build professional relationships, and create opportunities for future collaborations.

So pick a theme, find a potential partner, and make your pitch. You never know where one pop-up might lead!

The Power of Pop-Ups