Kristen Walsh rounds up the news from IHRSA’s 32nd Annual International Convention & Trade Show, which took place in Las Vegas last month

Well over 12,000 people from around 80 countries came together for IHRSA 2013, which took place last month at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, US.

More than 350 exhibitors welcomed attendees to the two-day trade show, while a range of seminars and conference sessions offered insights from leaders from within and outside of the fitness industry. The following are some of the event’s highlights...

On show
The sold-out show floor was packed full of new equipment, fitness apparel, flooring, software, toiletries, nutritional products – and even some celebrities. Tra Thomas, a three-time pro bowler with the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles, spent some time at the Technogym booth.

Tennis legend Andre Agassi – whose combination of power, agility and speed during his career allowed him to get to the ball and make shots that many of his opponents could not – also put in an appearance. Agassi never gave any insights into his training regime with coach Gil Reyes, for fear of losing his competitive advantage. However, a few years after he retired, he decided share the secrets. And BILT by Agassi & Reyes – a line of ergonomically-designed fitness machines modelled after the customised machines built and honed by Agassi and Reyes over two decades – was born. BILT was showcased at IHRSA.

Keeping active
Attendees had plenty of opportunities to stay in shape during the week. In an IHRSA convention first, Xercise Lab held a well-attended evening session: an H20 Lab class in the Mandalay Bay outdoor pool.

Other classes held on-site included Todd Durkin’s I.M.P.A.C.T. Workout, Insanity, PILOXING, MMA-style conditioning, and ZEN-GA Mindful Movement.

Education and motivation
During his general session entitled Optimism Can Take You Anywhere, Bert Jacobs – co-founder of Life is good – threw frisbees into the crowd while he explained how simplicity, humility and a sense of humour are three keys to his company’s incredible success. “I’m not an optimist because good things have happened to me. Good things have happened to me because I’m an optimist,” he said.

The following day, Nicholas Christakis, MD, PhD, MPH showed the audience scientific proof that obesity – and fitness – are contagious, during Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks & How They Shape Our Lives. “Our influence doesn’t stop with people we directly interact with. It spreads through our networks,” Christakis said. “‘Pay it forward’ is real.”

Chip Conley was the third general session speaker with his talk entitled PEAK: How Great Companies Get Their Mojo From Maslow. The founder of Joie de Vivre – California’s largest independent hotel company and America’s second largest boutique hotelier – Conley understands the importance of keeping customers happy. He has applied psychologist Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy Of Needs pyramid to his business, and it has flourished as a result.

Almost three-quarters of a company’s customers will readily leave if all you are doing is satisfying them, Conley told the audience. It’s when you meet their unrecognised needs – the ones they are not even aware of – that they are happy. This happened for his company at one hotel in the San Francisco business district. Conley decided, with no statistics or customer requests to support the decision, to put a yoga studio where a penthouse room could have been. Soon after, there was a waiting list for the daily morning classes. “We connected with our customers on a personal basis, not a demographic basis,” said Conley.

On the final day of the convention, Peter Sheahan presented FL!P: Creative Strategies for Turning Challenge into Opportunity, and Change into Competitive Advantage. Sheahan is an author and the founder & CEO of ChangeLabs in Australia. During his session, he described five strategies for ‘going from why to how’. Sheahan urged attendees to make manageable bets when it comes to their business and their career. Start small, take controlled bets and then scale according to the success, he advised. “Don’t judge your decision by the amount of money it makes but by how quickly you learn how to make money,” he said.

Positive futures
The audience at the 17th Annual Financial Panel was a who’s who of the industry. Taking place every year at IHRSA, this is a must-attend session for CEOs, CFOs, club owners, GMs, investors, suppliers, press and all who are interested in the current economic conditions affecting the worldwide health club market.

Each of the presenters who made up this year’s panel has been involved in a major club transaction within the past six months, and provided a unique viewpoint on the financial factors that influence our industry.

The panellists included:
* Jon Canarick, MD, North Castle Partners
* Doug Lehrman, CEO, Pulse Equity
* Kayvan Heravi, partner, LNK Partners
* Diego Cordoba, MD, Teka Capital
“The past year has seen several major club deals in the US,” reported moderator Rick Caro. “There are more buyers than in the past, which is exciting for us. Most people think 2013 will be slightly better for our industry.”

Charity fundraisers
Two of IHRSA 2013’s most memorable events served to bring attention – and much-needed funds – to the search for a cure for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In 2005, Augie Nieto, co-founder and former president of Life Fitness and the current chairman of Octane Fitness, was diagnosed with ALS – a severely progressive disease of the motor neurons that can become life-threatening in only a few years following diagnosis. Since then, he and his wife Lynne have partnered with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) to form Augie’s Quest (augiesquest.org), which supports fast-track, innovative research, seeking effective treatments and, ultimately, a cure for ALS. Since 2006, Augie’s Quest has raised nearly US$37m for this purpose.

This year’s IHRSA saw Zumba founder Alberto ‘Beto’ Perez lead a Zumbathon charity event, which raised US$200,000 for Augie’s Quest. The following evening, the eighth Annual BASH for Augie’s Quest was attended by over 700 people and raised an impressive US$1.6m for ALS research.

The John McCarthy Industry Visionary Award – presented to an individual or company that has made a unique contribution to the advancement of the club industry as a whole – was also awarded to Zumba. Founded in 2001, the company is now the largest branded fitness programme in the world, with 14 million people taking classes on a weekly basis in over 140,000 locations across more than 180 countries.

Community service
IHRSA’s Award for Outstanding Community Service is given to an individual or group who has made a longstanding commitment to making a difference in, and beyond, their community. This year’s award was given to Ron and Sandy Franco, owners of Franco’s Athletic Club in Mandeville, Louisiana, US.

When it comes to working with charities and causes, the Francos have a simple rule: to never say ‘no’. Over the past 25 years, the club has raised over US$1.5m for charitable organisations. In addition to donating memberships and services to school fundraisers, for the past 20 years the club has donated swimming pool services and free swimming lessons to children with special needs, providing them with mental and physical stimulation therapy.

Franco’s Athletic Club is also a leader in providing employment to those with disabilities, and discounted memberships to public service employees such as police, firemen, coast guards and military personnel. For the six months following the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, the club was a host site for the National Guard and housed volunteers helping with recovery efforts.