Practicing and promoting better health through exercise, the fitness industry celebrates IHRSA’s 30th anniversary

The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) concluded its 30th Anniversary International Convention & Trade Show, which brought together fitness industry attendees hailing from over 70 countries to the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California USA from March 16-19, 2011.

The fitness industry’s largest, US-based event gathered health club operators, suppliers, and fitness industry professionals and showcased the industry’s premier equipment, trends and best practices over the four days. Celebrating IHRSA30 were over 10,400 industry professionals, including 7,000 convention and trade show attendees, with 305 exhibitors on a sold-out trade show floor occupying 141,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space.

Over140 educational, exercise and networking sessions were held at this year’s convention, including captivating presentations by U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA, Daniel Pink (sponsored by Matrix Fitness), Patrick Lencioni (sponsored by Precor Incorporated), Tony Hsieh (sponsored by Technogym®), and Phil Keoghan (sponsored by SPRI Products Inc.). 

“IHRSA30 commemorated the finest of the global fitness industry on this anniversary year, as we celebrated our collective achievements and substantial growth over the past three decades,” said Joe Moore, IHRSA president and CEO. “The vitality and passion on display these past few days bodes well as we look ahead at how the fitness industry climbs to new heights over the next 30 years.”

“I extend my sincere thanks to every attendee, exhibitor, sponsor, and speaker,” continued Moore. “Our industry continues to show its innovation and entrepreneurial spirit for developing products, programs and solutions that contribute to a healthier world. Every year, the collaboration of ideas and better business practices allows our industry to improve and advance itself, and in turn, equip club and fitness professionals with healthy solutions to bring back to their communities.”

The industry demonstrated its loyalty and support of the 6th Annual BASH for MDA’s Augie’s Quest, which drew more than 800 attendees and raised over $1.3 million inone night to combat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease). Augie’s Quest reached its initial goal of raising $18 million to fight ALS, with a new goal set in 2009 of another $18 million ($36 million in 36 months). To date, Augie’s Quest has raised over $28 million for ALS research. The event was emceed by The Today Show’sNatalie Morales and featured the band Sugar Ray. All proceeds benefit Augie’s Quest, which in conjunction with the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is an aggressive, cure-driven effort, singularly focused on treatments and cures for ALS.

On Thursday, March 17, Beto Perez, co-founder of Zumba®, together with the Zumba® Fitness Family of Instructors, teamed up with Augie’s Quest and the Muscular Dystrophy Association to fight ALS by hosting a Zumbathon®. For 90 minutes, Perez and his team led a group of over 1,300 people in rhythmic Zumba® unison. All profits from the Zumbathon® event will be donated to the MDA. 

IHRSA would like to thank all of the IHRSA30 Convention & Trade Show sponsors who made this one of a kind event possible: Anytime Fitness, LLC, ASF International, Astone Fitness Ltd., MDA’s Augie’s Quest, Balanced Body®, Batuka, BodyMedia, Concept2 CTS Inc., Creative Fitness Marketing, CSI Software, CYBEX, Firestone Financial, Fiserv, Fitness Brasil, Fitness Business Canada, Fitness Industry Council of Canada, Fitness Wholesale, FitView, Inc., FreeMotion Fitness, The Gatorade Company, GOJO Industries, Inc., GP Industries, Inc., GymAround.com, Health Club Media Network™ (HCMN), Healthy Learning™, Hydrorider, iGo Figure Software, Intel Corporation, Leisure Industry Week (LIW), Les Mills International Ltd., Matrix Fitness, Merrithew Health & Fitness™, MINDBODY, Inc., Motionsoft, New Leaf, Parisi Speed School, Partnership Capital Growth Advisors, PFP Media, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Polar Electro, Inc., Power Plate, Power Systems, Inc., Precor Incorporated, Snap Fitness, Solstice Sunglass Boutique, Sport Managers Servicios Integrales, SportsArt Fitness, SPRI Products, Inc., StairMaster, Star Trac, Taipei International Sporting Goods Show (TaiSPO), Technogym® ,TMI Salt Pure Corp., Total Gym®, TRX, Twin Oaks Software, Visual Fitness Planner™/InTouch Technologies, Wilson Elser, X-FORCE AB, Zumba Fitness, LLC.

Preparations are well underway for IHRSA 2012, the 31st Annual International Convention & Trade Show, to be held March 14-17, 2012 in Los Angeles, California USA.

The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) is a not-for-profit trade association representing health and fitness facilities, gyms, spas, racquet and sports clubs, and suppliers worldwide. IHRSA and its members are dedicated to making the world healthier through regular exercise and fitness promotion. IHRSA and the health club industry will convene in Los Angeles, California from March 14-17, 2012 for IHRSA’s 31st Annual International Convention & Trade Show. Find an IHRSA club at www.healthclubs.com.