One of the most common challenges in CRM implementations is how systems handle updates. By default, when a property such as last visit, membership status, or recent activity is updated, the previous value disappears.
Some businesses try to preserve history by creating new records in Deals, Tickets, or Custom Objects for every interaction. While this works for low-frequency interactions, in high-volume industries it quickly becomes unmanageable. For gyms, where a single member may attend multiple sessions a week, the record count grows unsustainably, making reporting difficult and automation inefficient.
For Function Well, a high-performance health club in Queensland, the challenge was clear: they needed to retain every interaction in a scalable way, without sacrificing usability inside their CRM.
Function Well relied on multiple platforms to manage memberships and bookings. While each system worked well in isolation, the lack of integration created data silos and prevented a unified view of the member journey.
We designed a solution to bring this data into HubSpot, giving Function Well a centralised, actionable dataset that their team could use across marketing, sales, and operations.
But a problem remained: HubSpot properties only store the most recent value. Without a different approach, Function Well would still lose valuable historical context.
To solve this, we leveraged HubSpot’s Timeline Events API. Instead of overwriting a property with each update, Timeline Events log every interaction as a timestamped entry on the contact record.
This approach created a true historical view of member engagement—preserving context while avoiding the clutter of thousands of object records.
Could the same outcome be built using custom objects or tickets? Technically, yes. But in high-frequency use cases, this becomes unscalable very quickly. Creating object records for every class, consultation, or booking leads to system bloat and makes it harder to analyse trends.
imeline Events strike the right balance:
Not just a property (which overwrites)
Not a full object (which bloats)
Purpose-built for recurring, non-overwriting interactions
This isn’t just about fitness. The same principle applies to industries like consulting, legal, or healthcare, where professionals meet with clients multiple times. Timeline Events provide a clean way to see patterns in activity without losing historical fidelity.
With Timeline Events in place, Function Well can:
Track patterns and trends in member behaviour
Segment members based on activity frequency or type
Trigger workflows from behavioural milestones
Practical applications include:
Automated re-engagement campaigns after inactivity
Rewards or perks for loyalty milestones
Reconnecting with members who return after cancellation
Because Timeline Events are fully integrated into HubSpot’s lists, workflows, and reporting tools, they unlock insights and automations that aren’t possible with standard properties.
For Function Well, this solution turned HubSpot into more than a marketing platform—it became the central nervous system of the business. Every member interaction now feeds into one system, powering smarter decisions and personalised engagement.
For any organisation with frequent customer activity—whether classes, sessions, or consultations—Timeline Events provide the most scalable, technically elegant way to preserve history, unlock automation, and enable actionable reporting.