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FIBO & EHFF Preview: FIBO & EHFF 2017
More exhibitors, new trends – here’s what to expect at FIBO 2017
FIBO with its reputation for educating, motivating and shaking up the health and fitness sector, is set to be bigger than ever in 2017. The leading international trade show for fitness, wellness and health is expected to attract approximately 1,000 exhibitors and 150,000 attendees from around the world when it takes place in Cologne, Germany from 6–9 April 2017.
FIBO 2017 will focus on competence and practical knowledge. “We’ve put together a packed yet to-the-point programme,” says FIBO director Ralph Scholz. “Everything revolves around continuing education, networking and inspiration for the entire fitness industry.”
This is possible thanks to FIBO’s extensive network, which includes such organisations as FISAF International, the European Register of Exercise Professionals (EREPS), the International Fitness Academy IFAA and European industry association EuropeActive.
Group fitness
The question of how to strengthen group identity and prevent churn will be explored in the new Group Fitness World in Hall 4.1. Two centrally located stages will provide information for decision-makers on which new classes to add to their club’s offering.
For an efficient overview of what’s new and popular in the industry, visitors are advised to attend the FIBO Innovation and Trend Show.
In 60 minutes, studio operators and trainers will get a compact, in-depth look at innovative concepts, presented by product and service providers in short, live demonstrations.
European Convention
The first-ever FIBO European Convention provides a further opportunity for skill development. Powered by FISAF International and supported by EuropeActive and EREPS, it takes place on 8 and 9 April in Hall 5.1. Leading European instructors – including Gil Lopes, Katia Vasilenko, Claudio Melamed and Guillermo G Vega – will be teaching exclusive masterclasses.
Also set to be explored at the convention is aqua fitness, with the first pool stage in FIBO’s history featuring a programme that includes cycling and cross-training in the water. Dutch Zumba star Jaromir Cremers will demonstrate the Aqua Zumba Wet’N’Wild workout he created by fusing Latin American dance workouts with aqua training.
In the supporting programme, seminars will focus on how trainers can develop their own brand, how to successfully deploy social media, and how to motivate themselves and others to perform at the highest level.
The number of participants at the convention is limited to 3,000, so early registration is recommended.
Smart training
A wide array of equipment will be on show at the event, with leading providers – such as Life Fitness, Technogym, Matrix (Johnson Health Tech), Precor, Star Trac, SportsArt, gym80, Hoist, eGym, milon and Keiser – presenting their latest health and fitness developments.
It’s clear that tech is still a top trend. Les Mills will introduce an app that makes it easier for new members to start exercising at a gym; Life Fitness has combined a bicycle ergometer with a virtual reality game to keep people engaged during cardio workouts; and Augletics’ new rowing ergometer, which digitally enables group training, will celebrate its world premiere at FIBO.
eGym and milon will be among the exhibitors showcasing networked training areas at FIBO, with eGym’s star attraction being enhanced connectivity: gym members can log in to all connected devices, across a variety of brands.
milon will introduce the Connected Training System (CTS). This links fitness studios with a partner network whose members include healthcare suppliers like cardioscan, easySolution, InBody and Polar. This collaboration facilitates holistic health counselling and EKG-based cardio and stress tests.
A new way to network
FIBO 2017 will introduce a targeted online matchmaking tool to match exhibitors and trade visitors before the show starts. “FIBO is getting larger and larger, and more international”, says Scholz. “That’s why it’s important to make finding and meeting contacts straightforward, especially for our trade visitors.”
The new tool allows you to filter participants by country, topic or trade show and set up meetings. The use of the tool will be automatically enabled for all exhibitors and registered visitors.
Each participant will receive an email with his or her personal schedule on the Friday before the show opens, ensuring effective time management for both exhibitors and visitors.
Camp out
For the first time, affordable accommodation is being offered to all trade visitors. The FIBO Convention Camp features camping facilities, chill-out zones, catering and drinks, and provides a great place to meet other attendees. Packages are available from €121 – for more information, visit www.fibocamp.de
FIBO 2017 IN NUMBERS
• 10 halls
• 160,000sq m
• 1,000 exhibitors
• 150,000 visitors
WANT TO ATTEND FIBO?
Dates: 6–9 April 2017
Opening hours: Daily from 9.00am – 6.00pm
Venue: Exhibition Centre Cologne (Köln Messe), Messeplatz 1, 50679 Cologne, Germany
Tickets: www.fibo.com
• Trade visitor day ticket Thursday or Friday €34.00 (€40.00 on-site)
• Trade visitor day ticket Saturday or Sunday €28.00 (€36.00 on-site)
• Trade visitors will receive a discount on two-day or four-day-tickets
EHFF 2017
The fourth European Health and Fitness Forum will tackle the topic of customer engagement
Kicking off the programme on 5 April will be the fourth European Health & Fitness Forum, which focuses this year on the theme of customer engagement. Organised jointly by FIBO and EuropeActive, the event will be attended by 400 leading representatives of the European fitness sector.
Customer engagement is a highly topical issue in the fitness industry. Many fitness operators and personal trainers focus on acquiring new customers, but a sustainable business must be built around retaining those customers.
Leading business and industry experts – including management guru Luis Maria Huete, Fitness First strategist Christophe Collinet and Equinox fitness director Emma Barry – will explain how studio operators can use emotional marketing to gain long-term customer loyalty.
The programme
Insightful presentations will cover a variety of topics, including:
* Karsten Hollasch will present the latest European health and fitness market study by Deloitte and EuropeActive. EHFF participants will be the first to find out which countries led the European fitness market in 2016 – and where there’s still potential for growth. The study also reveals upcoming trends and this year’s corporate winners.
* Luis Maria Huete knows how to turn customers into loyal members. He has developed the theory of ‘clienting’, which describes how companies can create emotional ties with customers without annoying them – using skilful marketing, optimal service, as well as a good dose of restraint.
* Christophe Collinet will share his first-hand, best-practice expertise on customer loyalty and will explain how a combination of specialisation and diversification leads to success. A fitness economist, Collinet works as the marketing and strategy director of Fitness First Germany.
* Emma Barry, fitness director of Equinox and SoulCycle, will explain how to turn fitness training into a 360-degree lifestyle experience. Equinox is known for its luxury fitness centres in the US, Toronto and London. The company sees itself not as a gym operator but as a lifestyle brand; as its slogan proclaims, “It’s not fitness. It’s life.”
Recommended reading
Right on time for EHFF 2017, EuropeActive will publish a reference book on the subject of customer engagement. Customer engagement and experience in the fitness sector is a collection of the extensive professional knowledge of industry experts such as Ray Algar, Herman Rutgers and Jan Middelkamp. The authors present their views on other industries, highlighting the lessons the fitness industry can take from successful companies such as media conglomerate Disney or transportation company Uber.
EHFF 2017 - One ticket, three events
In addition to access to the EHFF itself, delegates at the fourth annual European Health & Fitness Forum will also receive the following:
• Two-day ticket to FIBO international trade show, including FIBO EXPERT, FIBO PASSION and FIBO POWER
• Networking reception
• Lunch
• Coffee breaks
• Networking dinner
For more information and to register, please visit: www.europeactive.eu/events/ehff2017
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