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IHRSA update: European Union
Kristen Walsh looks forward to the IHRSA European Congress, which takes place in Marseille, France, in October
More than 500 health club industry professionals from around the world will convene in France this October for the 15th Annual IHRSA European Congress.
The event will feature presentations delivered by executives from inside and outside the industry, providing thought-provoking commentary on trends shaping business and the fitness industry. Meanwhile networking events, focus group discussions, and evening and lunch receptions will provide opportunities to build relationships with colleagues from across Europe.
Changing behaviours
Getting people to join clubs and retain their membership are two of the biggest challenges facing nearly all health clubs. The two keynote speakers at the European Congress will approach these topics with new perspectives aimed at helping delegates think “outside the box”.
Consumer and shopper behaviouralist Ken Hughes, CEO of Ireland’s Glacier Consulting, will present ‘The digital native advance: a new DNA for shoppers’. As the ‘digital natives’ (those born in the 1980s) are now entering their 30s, we’re set to witness a major shift in global consumer behaviour. What does this generation expect from life, relationships, brands and retailers? And most importantly, how must we prepare to meet these needs? Hughes will answer these questions and more.
Bryan Williams, chief service officer of B Williams Enterprises in the US, will present ‘Creating a culture of empowerment and ownership’. Getting your staff to exceed customer expectations, which in turn inspires members to renew, starts at the top. Williams, who received a standing ovation for his session on service excellence at IHRSA 2015 in Los Angeles, will share the knowledge and tools required to empower your workforce.
Other speakers will include Diogo Vidigal, in a session entitled ‘Prepare your brand for the future fitness market’; Niki Dean on ‘Thrive or survive: the seven secrets of a high-performance fitness business’; Casey Conrad on how to ‘Create an extraordinary sales team’; and Phillip Mills on ‘Global fitness trends – challenges and opportunities’.
The full speaker list and event agenda is available at ihrsa.org/congress and on the free IHRSA app under ‘Events’.
IHRSA CALENDAR
17–19 September 2015
IHRSA / Fitness Brasil Latin American Conference – São Paulo, Brazil
22–24 October 2015
2nd Annual IHRSA / Mercado Fitness Mexico City Conference & Trade Show –
Santa Fe, Mexico
10–13 November 2015
ChinaFit / IHRSA China Management Forum – Zhengzhou, China
21–24 March 2016
IHRSA 2016 – Orlando, Florida, US
Visit ihrsa.org/meetings for more details
About the venue
The Palais du Pharo, where the Congress will be held, is located in the heart of Marseille – at the entrance to the Vieux Port (Old Port) – with several hotels nearby. Temperatures in October average highs of 23ºC during the day and 14ºC in the evening, making outdoor excursions pleasant.
Founded in around 600BC, Marseille is one of the oldest cities in Europe. Located in southern France, this port city is a melting pot of different cultures. Rich in history, Marseille was named European Capital of Culture in 2013 and boasts many attractions, such as the ancient port.
With 15,000 shops, visitors also have plenty of retail options to choose from, including the Centre Bourse shopping centre in the heart of the city and a large entertainment and retail complex around the Vélodrome Stadium, where the European Football Championship will be held next year.
Exhibitors & club tour
Attendees will have the opportunity to meet one-to-one with leading suppliers of fitness equipment and services. They are also invited to tour some of Marseille’s leading health clubs on 22 October.
Recognising excellence
The 2015 European Club Leadership Award will be presented during the European Congress. The award recognises the European club leader who has done the most to advance his or her company and the industry through strong leadership and performance. The recipient of last year’s award was Olav Thorstad, CEO of Health & Fitness Nordic.
Embracing inclusivity
The full-day UFit event – which will focus on how operators can better cater for people with disabilities – will take place alongside the IHRSA European Congress.
Taking place on Monday 19 October, attendance is complimentary to all IHRSA Congress delegates who register before 26 August.
Why attend UFit?
Disabled people represent over 15 per cent of the global population, but at present this group remains a largely untapped market when it comes to health and fitness provision – even though health club staff already have many of the necessary competencies to work with people with disabilities in their clubs and fitness facilities.
With this in mind, speakers at UFit will focus on innovative marketing, programming, training and more to enable health and fitness clubs to attract and retain this important population group. The UFit programme, training and resources will also be launched at the UFit conference.
Join the movement to make fitness more inclusive: #LetsInclusiviseFitness!
To register for UFit, simply tick the appropriate box on the European Congress registration form.
Want to attend?
Event: 15th Annual IHRSA
European Congress
Dates: 19–22 October 2015
Venue: Marseille, France
For more information: View the full agenda and speaker list or download the event brochure – ihrsa.org/congress
Register now: Visit ihrsa.org/congress, call +1 (617) 951 0055, or email
[email protected]
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