More than 200 World Gym International associates gathered from Sept. 4-7 at the Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas for the Los Angeles-based company's annual convention. Trainers and franchisees were represented from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, the Cayman Islands, Mexico, Taiwan, the United States and Russia.
The convention featured educational programming, a brand-tailored trade show and a keynote presentation from endurance athlete James "Iron Cowboy" Lawrence.
“When we all get together, I’m reminded about how we are truly a global family of fitness enthusiasts,” World Gym CEO Guy Cammilleri said in a Sept. 18 media release about the convention. “We spent four days training together, sharing our successes, working on challenges as a team, learning from each other and recognizing the great work across our network and all around the planet.”
The company's World Gym Athletics small-group training program—which has been developed into a standalone studio concept—was a centerpiece of the convention for the second consecutive year. For the first time, associates were offered a certification course in World Gym Athletics' new rowing class, ROW-IT, as well as its new mobility class, SMASH. Both certifications are credentialed by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), according to the release.
At the convention, World Gym also awarded 10 of its franchisees for outstanding performance. The honorees included World Gym Taiwan (Best Overall Marketing), World Gym Kee Lung/Taiwan (Best New Gym - International), World Gym Dokki/Egypt (Most Improved Gym) and World Gym Ingram Park (Best World Gym Athletics Program).
In September, World Gym announced it is opening World Gym Athletics Costa Mesa, Costa Mesa, California, by the end of the year. The 4,600-square-foot studio will feature more than 30 weekly classes that incorporate elements of mobility, treadmill, barbell, rowing, Olympic lifting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) programming. The company's new headquarters and training center will be located next door to the studio.
In other news, World Gym CEO Guy Cammilleri and COO Doug Katona will be featured on the forthcoming October episode of The Club Industry Podcast.