Sibec North America, the longest running one-to-one fitness event in the western hemisphere, will now be known as Sibec Americas as it expands to include club operators in Central and South America, according to Questex, a conference and media brand that owns Sibec and Club Industry.
The first Sibec to occur under the new name will take place May 7-10, 2023, at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.
Sibec has been bringing together North America’s most prominent fitness club owners and operators to meet with key global suppliers for over 20 years, according to Questex. The event includes a minimum of 16 one-to-one appointments, group meals, activities, icebreakers, and receptions.
Beginning Aug. 30, the 2023 Sibec Americas event will start accepting buyers from across the Americas including Central and South America, offering suppliers opportunities to network with buyers from a larger geographic network.
“We’ve had so much interest in Sibec from all over the Americas, it was the natural next step to evolve the event and change the name,” said Marty McCallen, managing director, Questex Fitness Group. “Sibec Americas will continue to offer the same incredible programming as its predecessor, only now we can offer that great program to a broader geography. We are very excited about this announcement and look forward to our next event in May.”
New in 2023 will be the Supplier Showcase — dedicated time in the meeting ballroom for buyers without appointments to stop by supplier tables and chat. In 2022, 100 percent of suppliers surveyed said they formed valuable relationships with buyers they did not have one-to-one appointments with. The Showcase has been added as a way to continue to improve the overall guest experience.
“The Showcase will add more value to the total supplier experience and increase their ROI in the process,” McCallen said.
Club and studio buyers wanting to apply to be a hosted buyer can click here. Suppliers wanting to be a part of the 2023 event can click here.
Questex also puts on two other Sibec events. Sibec Autumn is debuting Oct. 24-27 at the Ballantyne Hotel in Charlotte, North Carolina. Buyers for this event are not-for-profit, boutique studios, medical wellness facilities, university/college/sports facilities, large club franchisees, and club owners with five clubs or less.
Sibec Europe occurs Sept. 27-30 at the Anantara Vilamoura Algarve Resort in Portugal.