BOULDER, Colo., Oct. 29, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Club Industry Conference and Exposition, the premier independent fitness industry event, wrapped up its 28th year at Chicago's McCormick Place Lakeside Center, October 23-25, 2013. The positive energy of this event was palpable as leaders of fitness facilities from around the country as well as fitness equipment and technology vendors networked with their community and broadened their business potential.
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The show drew 4,000 engaged participants from top facilities, such as Gold's Gym, Life Time Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, Crunch, Chicago Athletic Clubs, XSport and Fitness Formula Clubs. Exhibit hall attendees viewed live fitness demonstrations and the newest fitness products and trends from returning vendors such as Star Trac, TechnoGym, Life Fitness and Octane as well as first-timers.
"Club Industry is the only forum in the fitness industry for us to garner exposure to a wide range of attendees," said Paul Toback, CEO of Sproing Fitness, a first time exhibitor launching at the show, 'We met with big gym chains, personal trainers, new concept fitness facilitates, YMCAs, JCCs and even police and fire fitness directors – literally in a ten hour window."
The Club LIVE stage showcased the latest group fitness workouts, featuring sessions from Les Mills GRIT: Plyo, Timbuk African Dance, Werq Dance Fitness, BODYCOMBAT and Sh'Bam. Club RESISTANCE was held in the Versaflexx Truck, featuring its resistance bands with interactive demonstrations by top trainers.
"The mission of Club Industry is to deliver the opportunity for fitness professionals from a variety of markets to come together and build relationships with other fitness professionals, as well as to view the latest equipment and technology from vendors," said Pamela Kufahl, editor-in-chief of Club Industry magazine. "The conference sessions allow professionals to learn, share their knowledge and network with others. They also provide a valuable opportunity for personal trainers to earn CEUs and CECs. And the exhibit hall, which was busy both days of the show, was a great place for these professionals to see some of the newest products, technologies and group programming to consider taking back to their clubs."
Keynote Speaker Bridget Brennan discussed the idiosyncrasies of female buying power and how the fitness industry (owners, operators, marketers, trainers) can capitalize on female buying patterns to meet their high expectations and grow their fitness businesses.
The third annual CEO Summit, which drew 60 owners and CEOs from the largest fitness facilities in the country, remains the only opportunity for this group of industry leaders to exchange ideas, network and learn from each other in a private environment. The event was sponsored by Motionsoft.
Several leaders in the fitness industry were recognized at Club Industry:
- The 2014 PFP Trainer of the Year award was given to Dan Ritchie, owner and founder of Miracles Fitness in West Lafayette, IN, He was recognized as a standout trainer who embodies the spirit of health and fitness.
- Daniel Levin, founder and CEO of Chicago's East Bank Athletic Club, was recognized with the Club Industry Lifetime Achievement Award for building a world-class facility in what had been a depressed area of Chicago and turning it into one of the top revenue-generating facilities in the country. The facility now attracts the cream of the crop Chicago, including people such as Oprah Winfrey and Barack Obama.
- Fitness facilities that made Club Industry's annual Top 100 Clubs list were recognized for their revenue achievements at an evening reception that included a special presentation by former Chicago Bear football player Dennis McKinnon, who spoke about the SD44 fund, a group that is raising awareness about suicide prevention.
Club Industry 2014 will return to Chicago, October 22-24, 2014, at McCormick Place.
About Club Industry Conference and Exhibition
Club Industry Conference and Exhibition, produced by Penton, is the premier annual independent fitness industry event focusing on for-profit and not-for-profit facilities. The combination of unmatched professional development, strategic business solutions and industry networking make Club Industry a must-attend event for the fitness business professional.
About Penton
For millions of business owners and decision-makers, Penton makes the difference every day. We engage our professional users by providing actionable ideas and insights, data and workflow tools, community and networking, both in person and virtually, all with deep relevance to their specific industries. We then activate this engagement by connecting users with tens of thousands of targeted providers of products and services to help drive business growth. Learn more about our company at www.penton.com.
Penton is a privately held company owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP.
CLUB INDUSTRY MEDIA CONTACT
Heather Smith
Club Industry Show
Penton
Phone: (303) 998-9232
Email: [email protected]
PENTON MEDIA CONTACT
Kate Spellman
SVP, Marketing
Penton
Phone: (212) 204-4351
Email: [email protected]
SOURCE Club Industry
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