2023 IDEA World isn’t just for personal trainers and group fitness instructors. Club and studio owners and other members of management can participate in two events this year at the event July 12-16 in Los Angeles: the IDEA Club & Studio Summit, powered by Boutique Fitness Solutions (BFS), and the invitation-only BFS CEO Summit.
The events provide owners, executives and managers from boutique fitness studios, health clubs and wellness businesses with the tools they need to manage their business more effectively, efficiently and profitably, according to BFS Co-founder and CEO Julian Barnes.
For years, Barnes and BFS Co-founder Nt Etuk had been friends with Amy Boone Thompson, who owns IDEA, he said.
“When the opportunity to work with Amy and her amazing team by collaborating to produce the Club & Studio Summit arose, the answer was an emphatic yes,” Barnes said. "We are thrilled to continue the tradition of excellence in business education that has been the hallmark of this esteemed event. And, we’re excited to bring BFS’s unique experience to the Club & Studio Summit this year.”
The one-day Club & Studio Summit, which runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on July 12, is for owners and managers of clubs, gyms and studios who are still learning the fundamentals of studio operations, developing standard operating procedures and building their management team.
But the sessions aren’t geared just to studio owners. All of the sessions will be relevant and applicable to owners, executives and managers who work at any type of facility, from gyms and health clubs to studios and virtual fitness businesses, Barnes said.
“All facilities need to identify prospective clients and members, invite them to visit the facility, deliver a ‘wow’ experience, nurture them into becoming members and build high-performing teams that are willing and able to deliver experiences that delight the members,” he said. “These fundamentals don’t change because the business model of the providers varies, and the sessions will provide best practices and proven methods for each of these business functions.”
The program was designed to address each of the primary functions in club and studio operations. The day will begin with BFS’s State of the Industry, which will provide an update on current trends in the industry. After that, two sessions will discuss sales and marketing, two sessions will focus on client experience and building high-performing teams, and the diversity, equity and inclusion sessions will address issues relevant to every aspect of operations.
Barnes expects about 75 to 100 people at this event.
The CEO Summit is an invitation-only event geared for growth-oriented owners and executives who are ready to scale their business and who lead businesses that have strong management teams, established standard operating procedures and a healthy EBITDA. The sessions will specifically focus on developing a growth strategy, financing that strategy, building an organization that scales and related topics.
It runs from 12:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. on July 13. Barnes anticipates about 40 people for this summit.
To be considered for the CEO Summit, an owner or executive should contact [email protected] to schedule a time to speak with a member of the BFS executive team.
“Well-being is top of mind for consumers and most of the world right now,” Barnes said. “This means it is the perfect opportunity for our industry to adapt and scale to new heights, but no singular business owner can do it alone. We aspire to bring business decision makers together to share insights with each other and push the limits of what they thought was possible for their business. Doing so in an environment like IDEA World where the entire fitness and wellness industry comes together makes the information, takeaways and experience just that much more impactful and memorable for those involved."