Club Industry 2008 Offers Bright Prospects
for the Fitness World

A healthy ray of sunlight shone through the gloomy national economic picture at Chicago’s McCormick Place October 15-18 as the Club Industry 2008 Conference & Exhibition came to town.

Despite strong preliminary indications, there was trepidation as the show approached in the face of unrelenting bad economic news. Would there still be a strong audience of fitness professionals? Would attendees be serious buyers or revert to becoming passive browsers?

On opening day, Thursday, October 16, nearly 200 participating suppliers put the finishing touches on almost 80,000 square feet of exhibit space, filled with the latest cardio and strength equipment, programming, accessories, flooring, business software and nutritional products.

The opening influx quickly put to rest any lingering concerns about attendance. Fitness professionals from private clubs, YMCAs 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.

While final figures are not yet completed, it is estimated that well over 5,000 owners, managers, directors and personal trainers took part in Club Industry 2008.

“It was exhausting…but in a good way! We gave away 1300 samples the first day alone and our leads have been solid,” said Jessica Shellaway, Director of Marketing for Performance Food Centers.  And Rick Hill, Executive VP Sales & Marketing for Club Resource Group was equally pleased. “Club Industry has been a pleasant surprise for us in this down economy: we’re using it as a barometer for the rest of the year. We’ve seen club owners from all over the country…more than we’ve expected… with serious plans for building or expanding facilities.”

Click here to see more Attendee Testimonials
Click here to see more Exhibitor Testimonials

Will send testimonials: do not post the line above until testimonials and photos are received.

Even before the exhibits opened on Thursday, the conference—which began a day earlier— was bolstered by a surge of onsite registration. The Club Industry 2008 program was the largest and most diverse in the event’s history, with over 150 sessions.

It broke new ground, featuring tracks in such areas as Inclusive Fitness, Specialty Populations, Nutrition & Weight Loss, Digital Fitness and Nutrition and Corporate Fitness. Also making  a strong debut were a series of Active Training Sessions, which incorporated lectures with hands-on training with equipment.

“The breakout sessions on nutrition and weight loss and dealing with specialty populations were fantastic,” said first-time attendee Kevin Cragwell, Wellness Director of the Y of The Triangle (Raleigh, NC).  “ I came away with a wealth of good practical information.”

The Welcome Reception on Wednesday night was a celebration of the 25th anniversary of the show’s sister publication Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro. It was the centerpiece of an event that brought in more than 700 fitness professionals, enjoying wine, beer, and hors d'oeuvres and the opportunity to renew old acquaintances and form new alliances.

For the first time ever, the keynoter and recipient of Club Industry’s Fitness Business Pro’s Lifetime Achievement Award were the same person: Dr. Kenneth Cooper, the “father of aerobics” who changed the way Americans looked at exercise and founded the Cooper Aerobics Center. An overflow audience gave him a standing ovation as he received his prize and listened raptly to his discourse on his 40+-year career and his sobering research on the worldwide epidemic of child obesity.

Other special events included:
• Panel Discussion: Fitness Business at a Crossroad: How to Hold On
in Today's Economy and Prosper in the Future  A panel of CEOs from leading for-profit clubs and a non-profit specialist answered pointed questions on business survival, opportunities, membership economics and even fund allocation.

• SCW Club Studio SCW Fitness Education put together an array of half-hour fitness programs encompassing the hottest group fitness classes which drew enthusiastic  participation.

• Inclusive Fitness Zone Presented in conjunction with the Inclusive Fitness Initiative, it showcased equipment that has been developed in partnership with equipment manufacturers to meet the needs of both disabled and non-disabled people.

Club Industry 2009 is scheduled for October 14-17,2009, in its traditional setting at McCormick Place.