This year’s IHRSA Annual Convention & Trade Show was a showcase of fitness innovation and leadership. Kristen Walsh reports

Over 11,000 industry professionals from over 80 countries attended this year’s IHRSA Annual Convention, which took place in San Diego, California, US on 12–15 March. With a broad offering encompassing educational and motivational seminars, group workouts, a trade show spanning 16,720sq m (180,000sq ft) with 372 companies representing all aspects of the health club industry, and networking and social events, IHRSA’s 33rd Annual International Convention & Trade Show was a high-energy event that celebrated fitness industry success, product and service innovation, and the sector’s commitment to increasing physical activity levels.

New product launches
The opportunity to ‘kick the tyres’ of a wide range of new products and service offerings is one of the many factors that makes the IHRSA trade show so appealing. Dozens of product launches took place during the two-day event.

Technogym, for example, introduced Wellness on the Go – what it refers to as a complete ecosystem. It includes: the mywellness cloud computing platform that connects consumers, operators and trainers; Unity, the company’s Android 4-based console that features swipe-screen touch technology, virtual training, log-in access to personalised content, and a wide variety of entertainment options; the mywellness app that allows operators to stay in touch with their members inside and outside the club; the Prescribe App that’s designed for trainers; and the Artis and Excite equipment ranges.

Precor also announced a new innovation – an update to its Preva networked fitness system which now features Video On Demand, a menu of curated music and entertainment content. Users can select a genre-specific music video type, a workout intensity level, and a 30- or 45-minute time period, with the system then providing a constant stream of their chosen entertainment that lasts for the duration of their workout.

Cybex International unveiled its new 12-piece Eagle selectorised strength line that provides improved biomechanics and a modern aesthetic. The Eagle’s patented Dual Axis technology allows users to train in either predetermined or user-defined patterns of motion. Independent arm motion encourages symmetrical strength and development, while converging and diverging movements afford natural movement.

TRX celebrated its 10th year in business by introducing its TRX CORE membership programme, a package of products and services for TRX-certified trainers that’s designed to help them build their businesses.

World-class speakers
Each day of IHRSA 2014 offered an inspiring keynote presentation. Sally Hogshead kicked off the convention with a high-energy session. In her presentation entitled ‘How to Fascinate: From First Impressions to Lasting Value’, she pointed out that, in this highly distracted world, we have a mere nine seconds to fascinate others and connect with them. With humour, flair and research to back up her assertions, Hogshead also pointed out that it’s important to know the kind of personality ‘archetype’ we have, and how it draws others to us and makes us irreplaceable.

Best-selling author Dan Heath gave some sage advice about decision-making in his talk, ‘Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work’. He said we often fall into a number of predictable traps, and that the best way to avoid them is to devise a better decision-making process, which may involve asking what advice we would give our best friend. “Then, once you’ve made your decision, mark it on your calendar and review it in six months.”

In his presentation, ‘The Thank You Economy’, social media maven Gary Vaynerchuck emphasised how social media provides valuable word-of-mouth advertising and marketing for club brands; if clubs don’t embrace it, they’ll be quickly left behind as they won’t be able to attract younger members.

And Luke Williams gave attendees plenty to think about when – in his keynote talk, ‘Disrupt: Sparking Business Transformation with Innovation’ – he spoke about how the fitness industry is ripe for disruption.

Educational seminars
Convention attendees also benefited from the many ideas and best practices offered at the educational sessions, workshops and special presentations. “There were so many great ideas for sales commissions, campaign ideas, new types of trial memberships, new ideas on leadership, as well as new ways of marketing,” says Anna Rounaja, owner of Liikuntakeskus Hukka in Oulu, Finland. “I will definitely be attending again next year.”

Audio (MP3) and video recordings from dozens of IHRSA 2014 sessions are available for purchase at www.ihrsa.org/store. Titles include ‘8 Critical Steps to Selling Memberships’ with Justin Tamsett; ‘How the Health Club Industry Can Save the Affordable Care Act’ with Walter Bortz; and ‘Driving Membership Sales & Retention by Embracing Mobile Technology & Trends’ with Bryan O’Rourke, to name a few.

During the 18th Annual IHRSA Financial Panel, moderator Rick Caro, president of New York-based consultancy Management Vision, gave his signature financial headlines, pointing out that, while same-store sales and net memberships rose slightly in 2013, non-dues revenues were flat. EBIDTA margins (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation), which have increased slightly from 2009–2011, have not yet achieved the levels they reached in 2006–2007.

Meanwhile David Logan, co-founder and senior partner at Los Angeles consulting firm CultureSync, gave a presentation on Tribal Leadership for the Global Leadership Summit, based on his book by the same name.

Logan defines a tribe as a group of between 20 and 150 people. Noting that the quality of our tribes determines how much work gets done, he said that 75 per cent of tribes in the work setting are dysfunctional.

He identified five stages of tribes:
Stage 1: Life Sucks
Stage 2:  My Life Sucks
Stage 3:  I’m Great
Stage 4:  We’re Great
Stage 5:  Life’s Great

Twenty-six per cent of tribes are stuck in the first two stages, he said, with 49 per cent in stage three, 24 per cent in stage four, and just 2 per cent in stage five. He identified a series of steps we can take to move tribes from stage four to five, including:

- Find every person’s values, using a range of open-ended questions.

- Speak in terms of shared values, as when George Washington said: “We all want freedom and independence.”

- Build triads: three-person relationships where each individual is responsible for the quality of the relationship between the other two.

Logan commented that Phil Jackson, legendary former coach of the Chicago Bulls, attributed the team’s consecutive championship wins to their journey from thinking “I’m great” to thinking “we’re great”.

The same day, Debra Siena, president of Midtown Health Club, and Amy Morin, a psychotherapist, hosted the fifth Annual Women’s Leadership Summit. Its theme was ‘13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do’, based on a list created by Morin which went viral after being shared on Forbes.com.

“Having good habits is not always enough,” Morin told those in attendance at the summit. “You need to look at how your bad habits hold you back. Once you’re aware of your bad habits, you need to make a plan (to change them), and put it on paper and figure out how to implement it. You have to commit to it every day and be patient with yourself.”

Recognising successes
Three industry leaders were recognised during IHRSA 2014 for their commitment to serving the industry, and their local communities.

The Outstanding Community Service Award was presented to Kim Austin Kenyon and her team at Gold’s Gym Dutchess County. The reach of Gold’s Gym Dutchess County extends far beyond the walls of the two clubs, touching the lives of people in the community as a regular supporter of organisations like the American Heart Association, American Diabetes Association and The Renegades’ Pitch for Kids – a local foundation that focuses on strengthening children and families.

The Julie Main Scholarship was presented to Patsy McLean of Canada’s Adelaide Club. Like Julie Main, Patsy also faced the adversity of a cancer diagnosis. Now a melanoma survivor, she launched a Cancer Specific Exercise programme at the Adelaide Club, and leads wellness seminars where she shares her message that life’s challenges can be overcome through healthy living. In all aspects of her work, her warm, caring and motivating approach is helping more people to get active and live healthier, happier lives.

The Associate Member of the Year Award was presented to ABC Financial. An IHRSA member since 1986, ABC Financial was selected for its decades of outstanding achievement, innovation and support of the health and fitness industry, its continued investment in leading-edge technology, marketing programmes and software solutions, and its unwavering support of IHRSA and its members.

For the ninth consecutive year, IHRSA proudly hosted The BASH for Augie’s Quest, an aggressive cure-driven ALS research initiative established by fitness industry pioneer Augie Nieto. The highlight of the evening was when Nieto, who has been fighting ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig’s disease) since 2005, displayed his strength gains by walking (with assistance) across the stage, to the delight of the over 1,000 Bash attendees. The 2014 Bash raised over US$1.7m. Since 2006, Augie’s Quest, in conjunction with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), has raised over US$41m.