Uniting the Professional Fitness World

The Club Industry trade show is the only event that recognizes the universal aims of fitness professionals while offering individualized information to address the specific needs of all types of fitness facilities.

It possesses the unique capability to attract owners, managers and staff from both for-profit and nonprofit operations, as well as personal trainers all in one place.  Club Industry also brings together the industry’s leading suppliers, offering you the year’s best chance to get hands-on exposure to the latest equipment, as well as review the most important products and services to enable you to both retain existing clients and build your customer base.

One of the event’s greatest strengths is our acclaimed conference program.
The broad-based business focus educates the industry about the latest trends and business challenges with timely, relevant seminars that can make a real difference in how you do business. Club Industry is independently produced, enabling us to choose speakers chosen strictly on their expertise and innovative approach.

With the program accredited by 14 leading fitness organizations, it offers you, the fitness professional, the  opportunity to fulfill licensing requirements as well as add to your professional stature.

In addition, the Show presents relevant keynotes, informative panel discussions and receptions to provide useful knowledge and networking opportunities for all.

Check back frequently for details on the conference program, keynotes and other vital details.

Club Industry 2009 Demonstrates The Health of the Fitness Business

During its successful 4-day run (October 14-17) Club Industry 2009 brought together more than 7,000 industry professionals to Chicago’s McCormick Place, including attendees from every fitness market sector, the field’s leading suppliers and its most authoritative experts.

With vibrant traffic on the exhibit floor, a diverse and well-attended seminar program and a plethora of exciting special events, the show was a testimonial to the ongoing energy and determination of the fitness industry. Club Industry 2009 also served as a powerful vehicle to announce the unification of purpose and dynamic redesign of the entire Club Industry franchise: print and digital editions of Club Industry magazine, e-newsletters, the new clubindustry.com website, and the live events. All properties have come together as part of Penton’s Lifestyles group with an exciting new look that debuted with the October edition.

The Welcome Reception on Wednesday night carried the theme: The New Face of Club Industry, featuring bold new graphics which were also on display in the show’s Resource Center throughout the event. The reception itself brought in more than 800 fitness professionals, enjoying wine, beer, and hors d'oeuvres and the opportunity to renew old acquaintances and form new alliances.

Club Industry began on Thursday with a galvanizing, SRO keynote by fitness legend Jack LaLanne, who recently turned 95. Club Industry magazine also awarded him its “Lifetime Achievement Award”. His wife Elaine introduced him with a video of his amazing feats of strength and TV career. In his address, he thanked the audience for their dedication to helping people lead healthier lives. Jack followed up his presentation with an autograph session for several hundred attendees who waited patiently for the “godfather of fitness” to sign special commemorative reprints of the redesigned CI October cover featuring his picture.

As soon as the show opened, fitness professionals from private clubs, from, YMCA’s and JCCs, wellness centers, corporate facilities, hotels, schools and universities and municipalities swarmed onto the floor and made serious inquiries—and in many cases, immediate purchases.

The Club Industry 2009 conference program was also a strong draw, with a schedule that include nine tracks, encompassing over 100 seminars. Particularly successful were the Active Training Sessions, programs that incorporated both a lecture and a demonstration with equipment.

Friday began with a combined event that also drew a capacity crowd: Club Industry’s “Best of the Best Awards,” presented to innovative facilities from all over the nation, immediately followed by a second day keynote by entrepreneur Mark Mastrov, founder of the 24 Hour Fitness chain. Mastrov noted that most clubs need to do more to promote themselves in their community and maximize their opportunities to build revenues with personal training and nutrition programs.

Other special events included:

• A new Wellness Networking Luncheon, with a presentation by David Patchell-Evans, President & CEO of Canada’s GoodLife Fitness Centers
• Club Studio –Demonstrations of the latest group fitness activities, in conjunction with SCW Fitness Education
• Ask the Experts Lounge- attendees posed questions to industry leaders
• Inclusive Fitness Pavilion- the latest equipment for the disabled population
• Fitness Apparel Mart-displays of fun and functional activewear.

Club Industry 2010 will take place October 6-9, 2010, once again in Chicago’s McCormick Place