BRUSSELS, BELGIUM, and BOSTON, MA, USA—October 6, 2020—The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) announced today that its annual IHRSA European Congress will debut a virtual edition on 18-20 November. The event will build on the popular elements of the in-person gathering, such as offering six language translations and tours of some of the most interesting health clubs in the world.
The event, structured over three half days, will consist of two days of approximately four hours of programming, with global club tours—complete with interactive Q&A—on the third day. Sessions will be translated from English into six languages, and discussion groups will be presented in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, and Russian.
The IHRSA European Congress is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Given the nature of virtual events, this year’s edition will not only allow us to connect with our European members, but also our global audience which reflects IHRSA’s vast international membership from over 70 countries, and multiple language offerings.
IHRSA board member Anastasia Yusina, founder and CEO of FITSPACE Studios and Strata Fitness Holding in Moscow, and a former recipient of IHRSA's European Club Leadership Award, notes, “As we experienced with the recent IHRSA Innovation Summit, club operators and industry suppliers really appreciate the opportunity to come together to exchange ideas and share best practices.”
IHRSA board member Alan Leach, CEO of West Wood Clubs in Dublin, agrees. “The IHRSA Congress has always been a great return on investment. Our managers and staff value the vast amount of knowledge and experiences that IHRSA offers. Best of all, there are no travel costs and we can send more managers and staff!”
Maria Angeles de Santiago Restoy of Management Around Sports (MAS) based in Madrid is confident that the Spanish fitness market will participate in the Congress. “Everyone has been asking for details about the event. There is a lot of excitement to get everyone together and, of course, the global club tours will be very popular to see.”
IHRSA’s experience with virtual events combined with the association’s relationship with MCI Benelux, the hosting platform, will ensure that the Congress is a high-caliber affair. The event will be user-friendly and easily facilitate global networking opportunities.
IHRSA Interim President and CEO Brent Darden commented, “It was great to see the participation of so many industry leaders and stakeholders in the development of this year’s Congress program. I’m really looking forward to it!”
Additional details of the IHRSA European Congress Virtual Edition will be announced over the coming weeks. To register or learn more, please visit ihrsa.org/congress.
About IHRSA
IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association, is a not-for-profit trade association representing the global fitness industry of over 200,000 health and fitness facilities and their suppliers.
IHRSA maintains a leadership role in advancing physical activity, which is critical to peak health and fight the battle against obesity and chronic lifestyle disease. As one of the world's leading authorities on the commercial health club industry, IHRSA’s mission is to grow, promote, and protect the health and fitness industry, while providing its members with benefits and resources. IHRSA and its members are devoted to making the world happier, healthier, and more prosperous through regular exercise and activity promotion.
