Last week, the Inaugural IHRSA SMART Summit, a concurrent event of FitnessConnected, went off without a hitch. Despite COVID-19 concerns and increased travel restrictions, more than 150 fitness industry professionals from 18 countries participated in the three-day event in Munich, Germany.
From November 17-19, fitness industry professionals connected with industry leaders to discover SMART (Sales, Marketing, Analysis, Retention, Technology) business solutions. The Summit set the focal point on creative problem-solving and anticipating where industry trends and markets are moving. Attendees experienced:
keynote presentations and a world class club operator panel discussion,
education sessions from some of the top minds in and outside the industry,
live tours through Munich’s leading health clubs,
access to more than 100 health and fitness exhibitors during the three-day FitnessConnected trade show, and more.
“Like IHRSA 2021 in Dallas, the IHRSA SMART Summit demonstrated its value by bringing key industry leaders together in Munich to network and learn,” said Jay Ablondi, IHRSA’s executive vice president of global products. “There is clear optimism for the future as club operators see a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.”
“People in Munich were festive and eager to connect again,” Ablondi said. “The FitnessConnected team was a pleasure to work with and had all the appropriate safety measures in place.”
For those who weren’t able to attend, here are key highlights and takeaways from the IHRSA SMART Summit.
On day one, Bryan O’Rourke, managing director of Fitness24Seven Thailand, CEO of Vedere Ventures, and IHRSA Board member, presentedAccelerating Into the Future of Fitness, sponsored by Perfect Gym. This session revealed the four primary areas of planning for your business and how to execute opportunities for future success.
