HFA Hosts a Successful 21st European Congress

The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) hosted its 21st European Congress Oct. 21-23 in Barcelona in conjunction with Spanish partner MAS (Management Around Sports). More than 430 attendees heard from a roster of speakers from across Europe and from inside and outside the fitness industry.

Each day featured a lineup of fresh voices on topics ranging from franchising to artificial intelligence to active aging and more. The event also provided opportunities for group discussion and networking, a marketplace where attendees could discover innovative industry technologies and services, and tours of four unique fitness facilities.

It also included an announcement about next year's European Congress, which is set for Amsterdam, The Netherlands, at a date to be announced.

Day One

HFA President & CEO Liz Clark and HFA Board Chair Chris Smith kicked off the event with a warm welcome to attendees and a thank you to MAS for its partnership and the city of Barcelona.

Barry Walsh, HFA board member, and María Angeles de Santiago Restoy, MAS founder, opened the event with the State of the Industry session, providing a positive industry outlook on a global and localized level. The two shared optimistic statistics and anecdotes about the future of the industry, some of which came from the 2024 Global Report. They also emphasized the importance of physical activity and its impact on mental health, highlighted their commitment to sports, and shared how they each found success in the fitness world.

The first-day keynote speaker was Aidan McCullen, a former professional rugby player, who also founded the Innovation Show and wrote Undisruptable: A Mindset of Permanent Reinvention for Individuals, Organisations and Life. In his session, sponsored by Perfect Gym, McCullen delivered an inspiring speech about the history of reinvention and how visionary minds are always innovating, whether in times of adversity or prosperity.

Day Two

The second day included dedicated group discussion time, in addition to a lineup of dynamic speakers.

The annual global CEO panel featured industry heavyweights Albert Soler, CEO of Metropolitan Group; Pieterjan Nuitten, managing director, Jims; Darius Mikaila, CFO, Lemon Gym; and Jose Nercellas, CEO, l'Orange bleue. In other sessions, attendees received actionable advice on leveling up marketing communications, and learned about how AI solutions are being used successfully at top European brand VivaGym.

In the second-day keynote, sponsored by Lacertosus, WindSled founder Ramón Hernando de Larramendi, a modern-day Arctic explorer, shared tales of his tumultuous adventures within some of the most remote and treacherous climates on the globe and offered insights into what it means to face challenges with both tenacity and flexibility.

The traditional Congress roundtables marked the end of the second day, with attendees sharing takeaways from their two days together so far in group breakouts, each conducted in either Chinese, Portuguese, French, English, or Spanish.

Day Three

The final day offered a diversity of panels and speakers on the following topics:

• The future of franchising, which covered pricing, fees, regulatory parameters, and trends in the franchise market.
• Active aging and longevity, discussing research related to exercise and training innovations, nutrition science that properly feeds aging bodies, and making performance goals relevant to particular populations.
• Becoming the third space, a session that illuminated how fitness and wellness spaces can serve as the critical community hubs people need for physical, mental, and social wellness.
• Staff and team development, offering insights into what it means to be a servant leader, how to place people before profit, and when to look inward versus outward when faced with employee challenges.

The closing keynoter, Monica Parker, author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller The Power of Wonder, made a splash with her powerful address, The Future of Work: Challenging Current Systems and Creating Meaning in the Everyday, sponsored by Freemotion. She spoke on the current and future state of work and workers and how bringing wonder to the every day can motivate and transform teams.

The day concluded with a visit from David Escude, Barcelona Sports Councillor, and a final announcement from HFA on the location for next year’s European Congress, which will be held in Amsterdam.

Next year's European Congress will be held in Amsterdam.

"There were so many highlights at the HFA's 21st European Congress in Barcelona that it is difficult to single out one," said Florian Cartoux, HFA director of Europe, Middle East, and Africa. "With over 430 registered attendees, 20 sponsors, and small and large health and fitness operators from close to 30 countries (including a delegation from China), and visits of local fitness clubs, this event offers so much value in just three days. I can't wait to be in Amsterdam next year."

A Bonus: Club Tours

On October 24, Congress attendees who registered in advance for exclusive tours of four standout fitness centers took part in tours of Marítim by Claror, VivaGym (Via Augusta), Metropolitan (Iradier), and Inner Flow Studio.

Coordinated by MAS, the tours showcased spaces that were varied in concept, yet unified in bringing unique fitness and wellness avenues to Barcelona.