Health & Fitness Association Leaders Share Status and Strategies at IPAC Virtual Town Hall

On April 30, the Health & Fitness Association hosted a town hall for the Industry Partner Advisory Council (IPAC), a group of the leading suppliers who serve as advisors to the association. Bill Davis, CEO of ABC Fitness, moderated the event. As the chair of IPAC, he holds a seat on the Health & Fitness Association’s board of directors.

Davis thanked IPAC members for "thoughtful and strategic conversations" during the past year before he introduced the town hall panelists: President and CEO Liz Clark, Senior Vice President of Communications Jeff Solsby, Vice President of Government Affairs Mike Goscinski, and Trade Show Director Luke Ablondi. They provided updates that demonstrate how the Health & Fitness Association is moving toward achieving its goals.

Progress on Initiatives

Since being hired in June 2021, Clark has focused on pivoting the association away from meetings and events, and more toward advocacy, while growing the supplier and membership base.

Clark said her first year was one of triage, while year two was about recovery, and the third year has been about progress. Year four will focus on growth.

“It feels really good to be through the worst of it, and I can’t thank you enough for your support—for being there in the worst of times … and now, what will be the best of times,” she said.

In the fall, the board will vote on the association’s three-year strategic plan that is based on three strategic pillars—advocacy, education, and research.

Education is a broad pillar that encompasses the association’s annual convention and trade show, which occurred in March.

“We had a great show, and I thank all of you for showing up, and for your feedback,” she said. “It can be bigger, better, and more diverse. We’re also looking at the attendee experience and how exhibitors use their booths. We’re looking at the whole process.”

The Rebranding Effort in Detail

At the annual convention and trade show, the association announced it was rebranding to the Health & Fitness Association (HFA), a process that occurred after a year and a half of consultation with key stakeholders. All social media platforms now reflect the new name, which helps to denote that this industry is about preventive healthcare supported by fitness.

HFA staff is working with third-party experts to audit CBI, the website, events, social media platforms, research reports, and other items to reshape and refocus these efforts to better meet the needs of the partner base and members, Solsby said.

Although the new association name does not include the word “international,” the tagline is “A global community of industry leaders,” and the association has a plan for international, aligned with its strategic pillars.

Domestic and International Advocacy Efforts

The association is formalizing its advocacy program at the state and federal level in the U.S., as well as globally. “We’re setting up key committees to drive our strategy to engage in advocacy and policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels,” Goscinski said.

At the March board meeting, the board approved the global advocacy guideposts principals. For international members, the Health & Fitness Association is sharing tools, guidance, and information with fitness federations in each country where one is established, so that all are sharing the same message globally.

“The association is working toward a unified industry voice and shared goals, emphasizing the mental and physical preventative benefits of physical activity,” Goscinski said. “We want to broaden access and choice so that all individuals can pursue their health goals. We’re also promoting policies that foster a business-friendly environment.”

On the U.S. side, the team monitored 1,000-plus pieces of legislation across the 50 states and engaged with 100 of them, with significant wins that will be detailed in a report to be released this summer.

The team continues to push for sponsorship of the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act. The bill was the main talking point at the Fly-In and Advocacy Summit on May 7-8 in Washington, DC, but fly-in participants also spoke to the need to help more people become more physically and mentally fit for military service. The association is working with the White House Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health to educate Americans and to address the high rates of inactivity, diabetes, obesity, and other chronic diseases that can be helped by regular physical activity.

The 2024 Annual Convention & Trade Show—and 2025 in Las Vegas

This year’s show attracted 5,300 confirmed attendees plus another 2,700 exhibiting staff for a total of 8,000 industry professionals. Boutique and studio attendance was up 30%, and European attendance was up 14%.

The convention offered 63 educational sessions, which earned an average attendee rating of 4.43 out of 5. The Women’s Leadership Conference, Boutique Fitness Landscape, and the Latin American Forum all scored a perfect 5.

The trade show featured an additional 30,000 square feet of exhibit space, a 25% increase over IHRSA 2023, with 350 exhibitors, 48 sponsors, all top brands in the global industry.

Also, for the first time, the association hosted an Italian Pavilion. “We worked with the Italian government to bring more exhibitors and businesses to the show. We may expand this effort in the future,” said Ablondi.

“In addition, we also had a Health & Fitness Association booth to support the rebranding effort and drive more excitement about the future,” he said. “We’ve also done the most extensive show attendee and exhibitor survey we’ve ever done, which received a high response rate. We’re looking for ways to grow and expand the show and deliver a better ROI for exhibitors.”