Club Industry East Meets the Needs of the Marketplace

After a two-year absence from the Big Apple, Club Industry East, returned to the Javits Center in New York City from May 5-7  with a full schedule of engaging special activities and a seminar program with a wealth of valuable information for owners, operators, managers and directors of private clubs and all types of non-profit fitness facilities.

It opened with a full day of seminars, with the added benefit of Luncheon Roundtables led by conference speakers who are recognized authorities in their respective areas. Lively interactive conversations ensued on such topics as Internet Marketing, Programming/ Fitness Management, Wellness & Weight Loss, Personal/Group Training and more.



Show attendees also had the opportunity to discuss their challenges with speakers in a special Ask the Experts lounge in the Exhibit Hall, with continuous consultations throughout the event.

The Club Studio demo area hosted a Group Exercise Competition featuring a series of cutting-edge activities performed  by some of the top clubs in the area. The winners were

Most original class:  Airopes (Smart Workout)
Most outstanding instructor: Stas’ Kmiec- Wedding Dance Workout (TSI New York Sports Club)
Quality of elements:  One-Two Combo (Chelsea Piers)
Benefit to members: Spartan Workout (Atlantic Club)

Traditional/Mixed Martial Arts demonstrations were also presented in Club Studio, under the auspices of The Santomauro Group, including Taekwondo, Kung Fu and Mixed Martial Arts. Club Studio was also the site for an after-hours Boot Camp Challenge
The keynote address by former Yankee World Series MVP Bucky Dent focused on the challenges he faces as owner of a major baseball school, which are similar to those of fitness operators. He stressed the importance of creating memorable customer experiences and fielded audience questions about his baseball career.

The Industry Forum “Can Personal Trainers Cure Disease?, chaired by master trainers Phil Kaplan and Kelli Calabrese explored the results of a new focus group study on opportunities for trainers to become healthcare professionals. It also included an expert panel offering ideas on what needs to be done to make personal training an essential solution to Americans.

The Networking Breakfast featured guest speaker Matthew Long, a New York City firefighter and marathoner/triathlete who overcame catastrophic injuries to compete again. He spoke of overcoming depression and rededicating himself by saying “I will be who I was again”. His IWILL Foundation now helps other athletes make it back from physical trauma.  In addition, Long’s NYC Firefighter Fitness Unit sponsored the Firefighter Fitness Challenge, an obstacle course which let attendees see if they were fit enough to make the grade as New York’s Bravest.

“Biggest Loser” winner Ali Vincent discussed her odyssey back to fitness in the second keynote address and signed copies of her book in the Ask the Experts Lounge after her talk.



Suppliers experienced strong traffic and demand for the latest fitness equipment, products and services throughout the three days of exhibits.
“Club Industry East brought together all of the right elements to help fitness facility operators meet the needs of today’s marketplace,” said Group Show Director Zari Stahl. “We believe that our multi-faceted information program, top suppliers, expanded networking opportunities, exciting demonstrations and topical featured speakers gave fitness professionals a panoramic view of what’s going on in the industry.”

 

 

 

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Get a look behind the magazine and the Club Industry trade shows—the people the editors talk to, the stories they are working on, the upcoming keynotes and seminars—by visiting the blog, Behind the Scenes. Feel free to chime in with comments about the magazine, the conferences and exhibitions, the stories we are working on or your ideas for articles and seminars. Read the Behind the Scenes Blog.