The second day of IHRSA 2018 featured invigorating exercise classes, an inspiring keynote, and the much-anticipated Trade Show opening.
Thursday was a rare drizzly day in San Diego, but that's didn't stop the crowd from coming out in force for IHRSA 2018 day two.
Today, attendees participated in early morning exercise classes, heard a motivational keynote from TaskRabbit Founder Leah Busque, and flooded the Trade Show floor. Here's a peek at just a few of today's highlights.
Hats off to the motivated attendees who worked out in one of the early morning exercise programs! Today’s classes included JumpSport: Unleash the Bounce!, 3ACT Slide Total Body Train, and STRONG by Zumba Master Class.
During the opening keynote, IHRSA President and CEO Joe Moore announced that IHRSA research found that there were 70.2 million U.S. health club consumers in 2017, up 31.5% since 2008. He congratulated club operators on the 5.9 million U.S. health club visits that occurred in 2017, up 38.4% since 2008.
Moore also recognized Bill Dussor, IHRSA's director of meetings and trade shows emeritus, who recently passed away after a long battle with colon cancer. The crowd celebrated Bill's life with a standing ovation.
Myzone, an IHRSA member since 1997, was presented with the IHRSA Associate Member of the Year award due to its outstanding achievements, innovations and support of the health and fitness industry, its continued investment in leading-edge technology, and its unwavering support of IHRSA and its members. CEO and Creator Dave Wright accepted the award on stage.
"Myzone has demonstrated its strong commitment to the industry and IHRSA time and time again,” said Joe Moore, IHRSA's president and CEO. “They are leaders in the technology sector and are truly helping club operators deliver measurable results for their members as well as healthier bottom-lines for their businesses.”
Sisters Athletic Club, an IHRSA member for more than 17 years, received the Outstanding Community Service Award.
Owner and Manager Tate Metcalf and his staff at Sisters Athletic Club have demonstrated an incredible willingness to open their doors to people in need, be it active military on leave, firefighters battling forest fires, or school athletic teams. The club’s commitment to the local schools, offering free swim lessons to all third graders and supporting the Life Skills program by providing free access, job training, and hiring opportunities to students with special needs, is one that other school districts strive to emulate.
Before this morning's keynote, Jim Worthington, owner and president of the Newtown Athletic Club, gave a passionate speech to IHRSA 2018 attendees regarding the importance of passing the Personal Health Investment Today (PHIT) Act. Worthington urged attendees to become part of the larger movement to pass PHIT and tasked each listener with sending him their contact information for more instructions on how to get involved and make physical activity more affordable and accessible for every American. Ask Congress to pass PHIT today!
Leah Busque, the founder of TaskRabbit and an on-demand service star, shared her insights on turning brilliant epiphanies into reality during her Technogym-sponsored keynote, “Making Ideas Happen.”
Busque shared how she took TaskRabbit from an idea to a reality. "Ideas are not inventions—they’re discoveries," she said.
(Did you miss Leah Busque's keynote? Order a digital video of her presentation.)
Crowds streamed into the Trade Show when it opened at 10 a.m., eager to check out the latest and greatest equipment, products, and services from more than 370 exhibitors.
To learn more, check out our interviews with exhibitors who stopped by the IHRSA Live Studio.
See even more of the action in today’s video recap!
This article was a team effort by several HFA experts.
