In late 2020, Club Industry determined that the uncertainties of the COVID-19 crisis would necessitate a unique and mindful approach to in-person events in 2021. For that reason, we chose to forego the 2021 Club Industry Show and instead created the Club Industry Executive Summit Nov. 8-10 in Nashville at the Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in conjunction with our annual CEO Summit.
This event is for owners and C-suite executives from all segments of the industry, focusing on vital topics for moving business forward, such as preparing for 2025, meeting member expectations, remaining relevant, hearing about success stories, and more. Four individuals in the industry are serving as summit chairs, helping to develop the content and choosing the speakers: Blair McHaney of MXM and Al Noshirvani of Motionsoft (for the invitation-only CEO Summit portion of the event), Allison Flatley of Allison Flatley Consulting (for the Club and Studio Summit) and Jason Stowell of Fitness Business Podcast (for the Not-for-Profit Summit). The event will feature speakers such as Paul Bedford, The Retention Guru; Matt Wright of the Fort Athletic Club; Leslie Meyers of EXOS; Vanessa Severiano of Vanessa Severiano LLC; Rich DeStasio of The Fitness Performance Group; Sue Gelsey of the JCCA; John Caliri of First Health and Corey Smallwood of goPerformance & Fitness; and Marisa Hoff of Empower Consulting among others.
The event will not have a traditional trade show but will instead have socially distanced but accessible tabletops for the sponsors, which include ABC Fitness Solutions, Les Mills, Hydromassage, Intelivideo, Matrix, Power Systems, Virdio, Sweatworks, Freemotion, Abs Company, MXM, CryoScience.
The event is capped at 300 registrants and 80 representatives from sponsoring companies, allowing ample space to ensure attendees can network with and learn from other owners and executives while taking health and safety precautions should those still be necessary in November.
Our company, Questex, has implemented multiple safety measures for its more than 100 in-person events, many of which have been held in person this year, including the Sibec event that was held in May. We understand that the euphoria many people experienced this spring after receiving their vaccinations may have faded, but we have implemented safety measures at the Club Industry Executive Summit to address concerns, and we will continue to monitor and adhere to all local and federal safety requirements. Think about what you are doing to ensure the safety of your members—we are doing much of the same to ensure your health and safety when you attend out events.
The Questex and Club Industry safety measures, as of Aug. 16, 2021, include:
- Monitoring data daily by country, state, local government and venue.
- Incorporating CDC and WHO guidelines on protocols
- Limiting capacity as appropriate in education sessions so seating can be at safe distances and proper cleaning protocols can be followed
- Following local and state recommendations for masks as those recommendations are updated.
- Making hand sanitizer, tissues and disposable face masks available in clearly marked areas
- Increased cleaning of high-touch areas, such as handrails, door handles, elevator buttons and counter tops
The Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center has created its own list of protocols, which are listed here.
At this time, our company, Questex, requires all Club Industry/Questex staff to be vaccinated to travel and to wear a mask at our in-person events, regardless of local requirements.
When you come to the event, Club Industry is recommending that you either be vaccinated or wear a mask when indoors except when actively eating or drinking. We recommend that even vaccinated attendees wear a mask.
Just as much of the country is experiencing an uptick in COVID-19 cases, so is Tennessee, but Tennesseans are responding to the call for vaccinations with a 47 percent increase in vaccinations from July 12 to Aug. 2, the most recent data noted by the Tennessee Department of Health. During the first week of August, 94 of the 95 counties in the state had an increased rate of vaccination among all demographics.
Nashville has a Good to Go program in place that allows visitors to easily see which businesses in the city are following safety protocols.
Make a move that will connect you with other leaders in the industry looking to reconnect and learn from each other after a year of virtual learning and few opportunities to be together. Register now for the Club Industry Executive Summit, Nov. 8-10 in Nashville.