IHRSA 2022 Prepares to Make a Splash in Miami Beach

Florida is a consistent haven for tourists, welcoming 122.4 million visitors in 2021, a slight drop from its record 131.4 million people in 2019, due to the pandemic. There’s no wonder that Miami Beach lands on the top of best destinations to visit.

From its fun, colorful, and bustling vibe, pure sand beaches to sensational and international cuisines and cutting-edge culture, there’s literally something for everyone in Miami Beach.

For the first time ever, IHRSA’s International Convention & Trade Show will be hosted at the Miami Beach Convention Center. Spanning from June 22-24, #IHRSA2022 is sure to leave attendees blown away.

IHRSA 2022 Schedule of Events

This year, IHRSA 2022 will focus on shaping the future of the fitness industry and moving forward together. As a resilient industry that provides crucial services and support to the global population, knowledge and unity are key drivers to success.

If you can’t make it to Miami Beach, don’t fret—for the second year in a row, IHRSA 2022 will be a hybrid event. We’re offering a virtual option for select sessions, the Trade Show, and more. Check back for more updates in the coming weeks.

On Tuesday, June 21, kick off IHRSA 2022 at the IHRSA Foundation Reception, sponsored by Glofox and NASM / AFAA. Purchase a ticket to the event to network with industry leaders and learn about this year’s initiatives, including mental health and well-being and inclusivity in the industry. All proceeds benefit the IHRSA Foundation.

The in-person, three-day event officially launches at 6:30 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, June 22, and is packed with an elite lineup of speakers for more than 90 educational sessions, roundtables, panels, and more. Plus, hear from four game-changing keynote speakers to gain tips on how to take your business to the next level.

Test-drive, compare, and discover hands-on the most exciting and innovative products the industry has to offer at the two-day Trade Show. More than 300 exhibitors are set to highlight a wealth of new products, services, and solutions for you and your team to explore at the 360,000-square-foot expo Thursday, June 23, and Friday, June 24.

IHRSA has discounted rooms available in a handful of Miami Beach hotels. Book your stay in the center of one of the most culturally diverse and entertaining locations in the U.S. before rooms fill up! Reminder: IHRSA’s discounted hotel rooms will be subject to availability until Friday, May 20, 2022, unless the hotels sell out prior to this date.

While you aren’t networking, learning, or speaking at IHRSA 2022, you must check out everything that Miami Beach has to offer! We’ve compiled a list of local restaurants and activities that are sure to capture your attention and keep you busy.

Prominent Cuisine & Refreshments

MILA boasts a vibrant rooftop atmosphere that aims to bring diners on a culinary journey with its unique MediterrAsian cuisine. The menu offers tapas, a raw bar, sushi and sashimi rolls, and an array of signature entrees. Diners are urged to slow down and enjoy the moment to experience the joie de vivre—joy of living. A sensual, sophisticated, and eclectic aesthetic sets the mood for the impressive fire artist performance at the end of the night.

Watr at the 1 Rooftop is a Peruvian-inspired Japanese restaurant nestled in a setting exactly as the name portrays it—by a pool on the roof of a hotel. The stunning scenery and ambiance consistently marks this restaurant as one of the best in Miami Beach. The food doesn’t go unnoticed as OpenTable Diner's Choice Awards recently awarded Watr the Best Sushi, as well as Best Scenic View and Best Late Night Find.

Grab a snack and drink at The Broken Shaker, an award-winning American Hotel Bar. This backyard oasis generates a relaxing vibe where mixologists shake up the perfect blend of ingredients and international flavors that pair well with the assortment of finger foods.

Miami Beach is widely known for its Cuban influence. Havana 1957 glamorizes the glory of old Cuba from the 1950s offering traditional Cuban cuisine at its three Miami Beach locations. The menu consists of croquetas and rellenos, plantains, and more delicious Cuban bites. If you stop in, be sure to end your meal with a decadent guava cheesecake.

In the mood for something quick and refreshing? Locals are obsessed with La Sandwicherie, a French savoir-faire shop serving fresh sandwiches, salads, juices, smoothies, and more. It is perhaps most known for its infamous Magic Sauce—a sensational French vinaigrette that is bottled and sold in stores.

Popular Attractions & Entertainment

Visit one of the many beaches via the four-mile-long Miami Beach Boardwalk. Beginning as wooden boards at 46th Street and Collins Avenue, the Boardwalk turns to a paved surface at 23rd Street until its end at 5th Street. Take a walk or run down the Boardwalk to get lost in the scenery or take advantage of the endless retail shops that rent bikes, mopeds, or take a segway tour!

Boasting approximately 55 miles of shoreline, the warm, clear waters of Miami Beach are easily accessible. Plus, there’s an ample amount of gear rentals for water sports. Take a stroll on the water with a kayak or paddle board, catch a set of waves during a surf lesson, or bring your snorkel to mingle with sea creatures. If you’re looking for less active options, hop on a jet ski or book a boat adventure.

Nearing the end of the Boardwalk, you’ll stumble upon Lummus Park beginning at 14th Place—does Muscle Beach ring a bell? As one of the most popular destinations in Miami Beach, Lummus Park includes two nature-inspired outdoor fitness gyms with 30 total workout components and a plethora of beach volleyball courts. As a fitness industry enthusiast, you can’t miss testing out this adult playground!

If you want to participate in more sports activities, Flamingo Park hosts tennis, racquetball, and basketball courts, soccer fields, and more. Flamingo Park is half a mile inland from Lummus Park and spans 35 acres from 11th to 15th street along Meridian Ave.

Also situated at Lummus Park is the Art Deco Historic District Welcome Center. Since 1979, the district has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is home to the nation’s largest concentration of the sleek and bright architectural style of the 1920s and 30s. Mediterranean Revival and Miami Modern (MiMo) styles—bright colors and pastels, geometric patterns and curves, and chrome accents—are found throughout the district’s some 800 historic hotels, restaurants, and other notable buildings.

Conveniently located next to the Miami Beach Convention Center is the Miami Beach Botanical Garden. The garden is described as a unique, subtropical oasis of beauty and tranquility within an urban setting—a community resource that refreshes, inspires, and engages visitors. The landscape is swarming with plant life, including an edible garden, orchids, flowering trees, a palm and Japanese garden, plus wildlife, and more.

Finally, pose for a picture in front of one of the most photographed homes in the nation, Villa Casa Casuarina—Gianni Versace’s iconic and beloved house. The mansion where Gianni was fatally shot sits on a 23,462-square-foot property and now operates as a boutique hotel offering ten suites and a one of a kind, exquisite Italian Mediterranean restaurant. Hotel guests can even swim in the 54-foot-long mosaic-tiled pool that he made up of more than one million mosaic tiles—thousands of the tiles are real 24-karat gold.

Is this getting you excited for IHRSA 2022? I, for one, can’t wait to experience the Convention & Trade Show first-hand! We hope to see you in Miami Beach in June.