Next week I am heading to San Diego for IHRSA 2014, the 33rd Annual IHRSA Convention! I am so excited about it that I wanted to share. IHRSA is one of the world’s largest fitness conventions and trade shows. This year they are expecting more than 8,000 attendees from all over the world. I have been invited as a member of the media.
The International Health Racquet and Sports Club Association (IHRSA) is the trade association serving the health and fitness club industry. IHRSA’s mission is to grow, protect and promote the health and fitness industry, and to provide its members with benefits that will help them be more successful.
The annual convention and trade show, which will be held at the San Diego Convention Center this year, offers an outstanding educational opportunity for fitness club owners and managers, as well as trainers and instructors. The lineup of speakers is always excellent, a variety of talented and accomplished individuals that are sure to motivate, excite, and challenge the attendees. Some of my favorites from past years include Malcolm Gladwell, Martina Navratilova and Christina Ripatti (who has one of the most inspiring stories ever). This year I’m looking forward to Sally Hogshead, Dan Heath, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Luke Williams.
The individual sessions explore topics that range from building your team, increasing sales, and retaining memberships, to active aging, the use of social media and incorporating medical fitness. Are you interested in exercise programming? You will find a variety of new trends and old standbys, and you will have so many options of classes in which to participate it could make your head spin. A few options include Piloxing, Burn Lab, Ropes Gone Wild, 360 Circuit Breakers, and Halo Athletic Conditioning.
The trade show itself has to be seen to be believed. With more than 350 exhibitors spread over 190,000 square feet of the convention center, you will find everything related to fitness that you can imagine. The newest, hottest and trendiest equipment of course. Classes from A to Z (Aerial Yoga to Zumba), spa equipment, clothing, fitness accessories, you will really find it all. Here are a few of the photos I took last year at IHRSA 2013 in Las Vegas.
I love this convention for so many reasons. As a fitness director, I bring home great ideas for programming and team building, plus a ton of inspiration. As a personal trainer and group exercise instructor, I will learn new techniques, see all the new and exciting fitness “toys” available, and as a runner and exercise buff, I get to see what is up and coming in fitness. Plus, as a blogger I get to share it all with you!
I attended my first IHRSA Convention and Trade Show in 2007, a couple years before I started blogging. It is always different, as equipment and fitness trends evolve, yet it always provides education and inspiration. If you have an opportunity to attend you should do it. Trade show passes are available for $30 (but if you search a little you can find codes for a free pass).
Is there any trend, class, or equipment you think I should take a look at? Have you ever been to a fitness convention? Are you going to IHRSA 2014? If so, I hope to see you there! If you can’t make it, you can follow all the happenings on Twitter using #IHRSA2014.
The IHRSA Convention takes place March 12-15, and the trade show is on Thursday, March 13 and Friday, March 14.