Expecting business as usual at the Club Industry 2011 Conference and Trade Show? Prepare to have your expectations exceeded.
“We’re making significant investments to make the show more interactive and interesting, really tracking the latest trends and trying to identify the next big thing in the industry,” says the show’s director, Adam Andersen.
The Oct. 12-14 conference and trade show, which will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago again this year, will feature several new offerings designed to educate and entertain attendees.
“Club Studio is doing Club Industry Live, and it’s going to be right in the center of the show floor with more workouts, more Q&A from speakers and more hands-on activities,” he says. There will also be a group cycling studio where Jay and Jen Jacobs, former contestants on NBC’s “The Biggest Loser,” will lead classes.
This year also marks the debut of the CEO Summit, an invitation-only day-long event for CEOs that addresses the unique needs of fitness executives at top club companies and allows them to exchange ideas and network.
On Wednesday, Oct. 12, attendees can network and share ideas with their fitness business peers at a luncheon from 12:30 p.m. to 1:45 p.m. That evening, all attendees are invited to a welcome reception at Rockit Bar & Grill from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
The show also will include all the things that attendees have come to love, including more than 100 seminars and presentations by some of the most innovative and celebrated personalities in the health club community.
At the Best of the Best Awards Business Breakthrough Brunch from 11:15 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, Club Industry magazine will recognize this year’s winning programs. Consultants Laurie Cingle and Karen Woodard-Chavez, who helped judge the competition, will share what made these programs stand out and how attendees can develop winning programs. The brunch is included with all-conference registration.
The Lifetime Achievement Award, which this year goes to Red Lerille of Red Lerille’s Health & Racquet Club in Lafayette, LA, will be presented at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, followed by a keynote address by John Moore, former marketing executive for Whole Foods Market and Starbucks Coffee.
At 9:30 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 14, Life Fitness and the American Council on Exercise (ACE) will recognize 11 people as America’s Top Personal Trainers to Watch, and one will take home the grand prize—$5,000 in cash, a piece of Life Fitness equipment, an award plaque and an ACE fitness certification package. Immediately following the award presentation, keynoter Chris Powell, the transformation specialist on ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition,” will speak about how health clubs and trainers can reach obese clients.
Co-locating this year with the Club Industry show is the Powerhouse Gyms International meeting for its more than 300 licensees. The company will be honoring several of its licensees at this year’s meeting.
The Personal Trainer Summit coordinated by World Instructor Training Schools (W.I.T.S.) is open to representatives of all the major certification and education organizations, personal trainers, directors of personal training and operators of fitness facilities of all types. The meeting is from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, and will provide a forum for participants to discuss the issues swirling around certification and licensing of personal trainers.
And perhaps the most important element to some attendees will be the opportunity to see the new products and services on the exhibit hall floor. The hall is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 13, and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 14.
Club Industry 2011 Show Schedule
Wednesday, October 12
9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. - Seminars
10:45 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. - Seminars
12:30 p.m. – 1:45 p.m. - Networking Luncheon
2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. - Seminars
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Seminars
6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. - Welcome Reception, Rockit Bar & Grill
Thursday, October 13
8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Seminars
9 a.m. - 4 p.m. - CEO Summit
9:30 a.m. - 11 a.m. - Lifetime Achievement Award Presentation to Red Lerille, owner of Red Lerille’s Health & Racquets Club in Lafayette, LA, and Keynote Address by John Moore
11 a.m. - 6 p.m. - Exhibit hall open
12:30 p.m. - 2 p.m. - Seminars
2:15 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. - Seminars
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. - Seminars
5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m. - Personal Trainer Summit
Friday, October 14
8 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. - Seminars
9:30 a.m. - 10 a.m. - Personal Trainers to Watch Awards - Presented by Life Fitness and the American Council on Exercise
10 a.m. - 11 a.m. - Keynote Address by Chris Powell
11 a.m. - 5 p.m. - Exhibit hall open
11:15 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. - Club Industry Best of the Best Awards Business Breakthrough Brunch - Winning Ideas & Expert Guidance
12:45 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. - Seminars
2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. - Seminars
Show Floor Events
• Human Kinetics Bookstore:
Build your fitness library at the official Club Industry bookstore.
• Ask the Experts: Free consultations with speakers and leading authorities right on the show floor. Get your questions answered.
• Club Industry Live: Product demonstrations, keynote speaker Q&A, appearances by Jay and Jen Jacobs from Season 11 of “The Biggest Loser” and more.
The current list of trade show floor exhibitors is available online.