Augie In Action! Augie In Action! - Ihrsa

Around the World with IHRSA
Global meetings bring industry leaders together
While IHRSA’s annual International
Convention and Trade Show is the largest
gathering of the global club industry, it’s not
the only opportunity that the association offers
for industry leaders to come together and
network with colleagues. During the coming
year, IHRSA will stage several events across
three continents—all aimed at helping members
get away from day-to-day operations, obtain
a new perspective on their businesses, and
make connections with other leaders
As a preview of what’s to come… let’s
explore some of the exciting events that took
place last fall:
IHRSA Europe Council debuts at European Congress
Last November, nearly 400 industry professionals attended the
7th Annual IHRSA European Congress in Paris, where the first
meeting of the newly formed IHRSA Europe Council was
conducted and IHRSA’s new European director, Hans Muench,
was introduced.
The council was formed to guide the association in
crafting its European development plans. The consensus of the
group, which includes club company CEOs, federation heads,
and other fitness industry leaders, was that IHRSA should
continue to strengthen and enhance its traditional program
offerings in Europe.
Another highlight of the event was a “Public Policy Discussion,”
which brought together 40 representatives from clubs,
federations, and other industry organizations to initiate a dialogue
designed to lead to the creation of an industry-wide
strategic plan, and to identify priorities to promote physical
activity and fitness participation at the European-Union (EU)
and nation-states levels. IHRSA invited APCO Worldwide, its
public policy advisors, to outline the context and dynamics of
EU sport and health EU policies, and to describe current and
future opportunities for the industry.
Networking at European Congress
IHRSA Walk for Diabetes, Paris
| IHRSA Report | International
The international roster
of distinguished speakers
included: Henri Giscard
d’Estaing, president,
Club Mediterranee, who
presented “Leadership;”
Jack Groppel, human
performance expert, LGE IHRSA Congress-people
Performance Systems,
who discussed “The Making of a Corporate Athlete;”
John McCarthy, IHRSA’s executive director emeritus, who
considered “Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and the Future of
the Industry” (sponsored by Cybex International, Inc.); Mark
Leonard, executive director, European Council on Foreign
Relations, who explained “Why Europe Will Run the 21st
Century” (sponsored by Technogym); Phillip Mills, founder and
president, Les Mills International, Inc., who addressed the topic
of “Healthy People, Healthy Profits, Healthy Planet;” Frank
Napolitano, president and CEO, GlobalFit, on “From One
Small Club to a Global Network: Lessons Learned Along the
Way;” and Jason Fulton, head of consumer insight, Nike, who
presented “Women and Fitness—How to Engage Her for Life.”
The Congress was sponsored this year by the American
Council on Exercise (ACE), Cybex, Deloitte, FHRSA, Les Mills
International, Matrix Fitness Systems/Johnson Health Tech,
miha International, Nautilus, Precor, Qualitop, SPRI, Star Trac,
and Technogym.
Preparation yields results in Latin America
More than 10,000 attendees gathered in São Paulo, Brazil, last
October, for the 8th Annual IHRSA/Fitness Brasil Latin
American Conference & Trade Show—the largest and most
comprehensive Latin American event for the industry. Over
100 exhibitors showcased new and innovative products in the
160,000-square-foot exhibition area. The convention and
trade show were sponsored by Adidas, Biofenac, Gatorade,
and Santaconstancia.
www.ihrsa.org | MARCH 2008 | Club Business International 173