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’.