Health and Fitness Business Expo sneak peek with Justin Gottlieb
SNEWS chats with Justin Gottlieb, director of communications for Health and Fitness Business Expo, about what's new at this year's show. Stay tuned to SNEWS for up-to-date information about the event, which will be in Las Vegas, Nev., Sept. 19-21.
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The Health & Fitness Business Expo, a trade show for the retail fitness industry, will take place at the Sands Expo and Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nev., from Sept. 19-21. Haven’t registered yet? Visit the HFB website to do so. SNEWS chats with Justin Gottlieb, director of communications and public relations for the show, to see what’s new this year.
Justin Gottlieb, director of communications and public relations
Health & Fitness Business Expo
What’s different about Health & Fitness Business this year?
A few weeks ago we announced the addition of light commercial products to the HFB Expo. This is a growing segment, yet no trade show has made a combined retail/light commercial expo its focus. We believe that manufacturers will benefit from increased activity with buyers of light commercial, and attendees will now be able to see retail and light commercial at one show. Plus more retailers do business in both channels these days so the combination will serve them well. And we will attract a new sub-group of attendees.
What are some of the benefits to specialty retailers to attend?
There are several — but one of the top benefits to specialty retailers is the education that we offer. This year, we have some fantastic educational content including seminars such as: “Strategies to Win in a Challenging Economy,” “How To Win Without Discounting,” “Converting Lookers into Buyers” and a panel discussion on “Using Grassroots Marketing to Survive and Thrive in Today’s Economy,” (which will be moderated by former SNEWS Editor in Chief Therese Iknoian).
What do you look forward to about the show?
We have several new manufacturers exhibiting this year, and a few have come back that were absent in previous years. It’s a sign that the HFB Expo is an important place for both manufacturers and retailers, as well as a growing group of other attendees interested in light commercial that can meet to effectively conduct the business of fitness.

How has the show evolved over the years?
The HFB Expo used to be a stand-alone event but with the move to Las Vegas the HFB Expo now shares its floor with Interbike, the largest business-to-business cycling event in North America. This partnership has energized the HFB Expo by bring both the fitness buyers and cycling buyers together to see the latest trends and equipment in the fitness retail market, and the co-location has allowed fitness manufacturers to gain a new audience that has expressed a large interest in fitness.
What are some trends in equipment we should expect to see at the show this year?
We expect a continued and still-growing trend in vibration machines; ellipticals remain strong; and the emergence of the popular CrossFit market segment is beginning to show up at retail with a demand for additional accessories and related gear.
Stay tuned to SNEWS for coverage of HFB leading up to, at and after the show. Are you a new exhibitor? Have some events going on at the show? Have a new awesome product? Email us with the details.
–Compiled by Ana Trujillo
