The headline for this blog probably seems obvious to people in the fitness business. Of course health clubs are essential to health and mental wellness. We’ve all seen studies that show just that.
But for too many people (many of them policymakers), this headline is not obvious. They see health clubs as dirty places filled with vain people looking at themselves in the mirror and taking selfies to post on social media. And we all know how that misperception put the fitness industry in peril during this COVID-19 pandemic.
How we change that perception and show our communities and our policymakers that health clubs are essential, how they can help with mental wellness and how they can collaborate with healthcare are the topics of many of the general sessions at the Club Industry Executive Summit. We invite you to be there to participate in these discussions by registering today.
To kick off the event, we have a fireside chat with IHRSA CEO Liz Clark and Gale Landers, CEO of Fitness Formula Clubs who is also a member of the National Health & Fitness Alliance (NHFA). Debra Strougo, who founded Row House and is also part of the NHFA, will facilitate the discussion on what IHRSA, the trade association for commercial clubs, and its NHFA group is doing to elevate the industry and get relief for health clubs—and how not-for-profits will benefit from this effort.
The other sessions are as follows:
Your Path to More Revenue Starts with Making Fitness Accessible to Everyone
Keynoter: Selina Tobaccowala
The health club industry has not yet cracked the code for reaching the 80 percent of Americans who do not belong to a health club. But the disruption caused by COVID-19 has offered a glimpse of how the industry could reach more people by making fitness more accessible to the busy mom, the obese person who is afraid to step foot inside your facility, the low-income person battling diabetes and the senior who just had a stent installed in an artery. Now, the question is, how do you grab this opportunity and make the most of it using the technology at your fingertips and the technology to come?
The Fitness Industry’s Role and Opportunity in Mental Health, Wellness and Recovery
Moderator: Allison Flatley
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans were under tremendous stress at home, at work, socially and as part of the political realm. One of the silver linings in what has been a horrible last 18 months is that people have begun to think about their mental and physical health more seriously. Health clubs have an opportunity to be part of the solution. In this panel, these experts will speak to how health clubs can be more than a home for physical activity and what that could mean for member engagement and retention.
The Keys to Financially Sustainable Healthcare and Insurance Company Partnerships
Moderator: Doug Ribley
Panelists: Jeff Skeen, Kevin McHugh, Kate Golden, Chris CraytorCollaborating with the healthcare community and insurance companies is a business opportunity that is more attractive than ever as healthcare costs are spiraling out of control and health systems face new challenges in reimbursement models that require patient’s health improvement. This change in business strategy opens a financial opportunity for the fitness industry—if the industry is ready to become an important part of healthcare. Several club operators will offer real-world examples of what they are doing and how it has had a positive impact on their profitability. No matter the size of your facility, there are opportunities that start with little to no investment so it is possible for everyone to participate in this new world.
The education doesn’t end with these sessions. The event has education targeting each segment of the industry.
For club and studio operators, check out the Club and Studio Summit agenda.
For YMCAs, JCCs, parks and rec facilities, university rec and medical wellness centers, check out the Not-for-Profit Summit agenda.
If you are a large club operator, you may qualify for the CEO Summit, which is for the highest revenue-generating club companies in the country. There is a revenue threshold for attendees to this event. If you think you qualify for that portion of the event, email Pamela Kufahl at [email protected] with how much annual revenue you generated post COVID and how many facilities you have.