July 2016
The UK’s No 1 fitness industry magazine
Sporta and LIW unveil strategic partnership
Inspiration and innovation the topic for event By Christina Eccles INSPIRATION and innovation will be the theme of the 2016 National Fitness Conference, Workout can reveal, with topics up for discussion including technology and trends, social media and the growth of the boutique business model. The event takes place on Friday December 2 at Leicester Tigers Stadium, ahead of the National Fitness Awards in the evening at the nearby Athena, and promises to be a must attend event for any fitness professional looking to put their business at the forefront of the industry in 2017. Speakers at the conference, organised by Script Events in partnership with Workout and headline sponsor Harlands Group, will include star of The Apprentice and award winning personal trainer Katie BulmerCooke, who following her successful appearance at last year’s event, will be updating delegates on the latest developments in social media – and how they can make social networking work for their clubs. Katie said: “If last year was anything to go by, 2016 is set to be a fantastic event, packed with really usable
strategies and ideas to build and grow your fitness business through marketing, retention, the online space and exciting new fitness concepts. “The atmosphere at the event was the perfect mix of brilliant fitness energy and a business buzz and I took so much away from the sessions I went to. “The session choices are perfect for everyone from the gym owner and self employed fitness professional through to those working in clubs and at a managerial level – you can’t fail to leave this event buzzing with energy and ideas.” Renowned fitness industry presenter Dean Hodgkin will also be speaking at the conference, focusing on the rise of boutique clubs and the lessons traditional gyms can learn from them. He added: “The National Fitness Conference has very quickly established itself as a key date on the industry’s annual calendar and a mustnot-miss event for many within our sector, be they operators, suppliers or consultants. In light of this, I’m absolutely honoured to have been invited to share my experiences and ideas with the attendees and hope to provide some invaluable takeaway tips that operators can swiftly implement for long term benefit.”
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Sport and Leisure Management has taken over the management of Westminster City Council’s sports centres. As part of the 10-year contract, SLM – known to consumers as Everyone Active – will invest £9m in facilities and equipment and will also offer 130 hours of free sport and physical activity programmes every week in community locations. Rio 2016 Team GB gymnast Max Whitlock (pictured) said: “As someone who uses an Everyone Active managed centre, I know the investment in Westminster leisure centres will play a big part in making activity even more accessible to all, helping the community get active and find a sport they love.”
LEISURE Industry Week and Sporta have announced a partnership to support operators – and are working on an educational programme for this year’s show. The education programme put on by both parties will feature seminars from experts in their field, designed to help operators increase engagement with new customers and retain them in their organisations. As part of this, Sporta will hold a health improvement conference day within the Health Education Stream, featuring seminars and workshops directly relevant to their members’ needs on topics such as evidence based practice, perspectives of a commissioner and case studies from the sector. UK director of LIW Steve Orton said: “This partnership highlights the importance of LIW to the leisure industry. With such key associations like Sporta supporting the expo and viewing it as an ideal platform to communicate with and support their members, this reinforces how important LIW is as a place for leisure industry professionals to learn, develop and future proof their businesses.”