BOSTON—October 25, 2018—The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) recently released The 2018 IHRSA European CEO Study Report, sponsored generously by Technogym. Based on a survey of more than 2,600 European facilities, the report provides an outlook of the European health club industry from the perspective of CEOs from leading companies.

“CEO confidence in the health club industry is extremely high in Europe,” said Florian Cartoux, IHRSA's director of Europe. “CEOs are very confident about the current economic and marketplace conditions for the industry, as well as how those conditions impact their own club businesses.”

The report features a European CEO Conviction Index, which serves as a barometer for the current and future business conditions affecting the club industry in Europe. Overall, the CEO Conviction Index of 86 shows that leaders are extremely confident about the current economic and marketplace conditions for the industry, as well as how those play out for their own business. A high level of confidence also exists for the future of the health club industry in Europe.

“The IHRSA European CEO Study Report provides club operators and other industry stakeholders with an honest view of CEO sentiment on the health club industry in Europe,” said Jay Ablondi, IHRSA’s executive vice president of global products. “Released and presented at IHRSA’s European Congress, the report examines CEO confidence and concerns as well as industry and economic trends impacting clubs.”

As the report shows, confidence in the employment environment signifies a potential challenge for the future. At a score of 77, the employment conviction index is nearly 10 points lower than the overall CEO Conviction Index. CEOs indicated that over the next three years, recruiting and retaining qualified staff would be a significant challenge.

The report is divided into the following sections:

  • Profile of Respondents: an overview of respondents by country, size (in number of clubs), segment, and profitability (EBITDA);
  • The CEO Industry Conviction Indexes: a barometer of CEO confidence in the current and future state of the industry as well as sentiment on the employment environment;
  • CEO Vision & Action: an analysis of market trends and how CEOs are interpreting and responding to such developments.

The 2018 IHRSA European CEO Study Report, sponsored by Technogym, is free for IHRSA members and $39.95 for non-members.

In related research published earlier this year, The 2018 IHRSA Global Report contains profiles of the leading health club companies in Europe and globally. (Free media copies available).

About IHRSA

IHRSA, the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association is a not-for-profit trade association representing health and fitness facilities, gyms, spas, sports clubs, and suppliers worldwide. IHRSA and its members are dedicated to making the world healthier through regular exercise and activity promotion. IHRSA's events provide a vast array of speakers on business and corporate culture, instructional sessions on all aspects of succeeding in the health club industry, social events to mix and mingle with peers, and the most spectacular trade shows in the industry. IHRSA and the global health club industry will convene in San Diego, CA, from March 13-16, 2019, for IHRSA 2019, IHRSA’s 38th Annual International Convention & Trade Show.