CBE Interview: Kilian Fisher

CBE: You are marking the 30th Anniversary of ILAM, the Leisure Industry Body for Sport, Fitness, Aquatics Facilities, Spa & Wellness, in 2009. What are you doing new this year?

KIlIAN FISHER: Of course, we are proud to have the 9th Annual IHRSA European Congress here in Dublin, as it puts a positive focus on our industry.

In addition, over the next several months, we will be launching REPS Ireland, the country’s first independent register of exercise professionals, so that clubs will know that they are employing quality, accredited fitness instructors. We see the register as part of the effort to set more standards for our industry, and enable the consumer to get more value for money. More information will be appearing at our web site, www.ilam.ie and www.repsireland.ie.

CBE: What is the state of the economy in Ireland right now, and when are economists forecasting a turnaround?

KF: Unfortunately, our strong economy, known as “The Celtic Tiger,” dropped from its peak to something near the bottom very rapidly. While there were signs beforehand, many people feel that it nose-dived during the Christmas period in 2008. David McWilliams, a keynote speaker at the IHRSA European Congress, foresaw this as long as two years before it occurred.

We’ve seen job and salary cuts in the leisure sector and elsewhere, and the government has brought in two emergency budgets since the beginning of 2009. We may be heading to an unemployment rate of 16%, and some property prices have dropped as much as 40%. As part of its emergency measures in May, the government has increased taxes on some individuals as much as 10%.

While I don’t think we’ve quite reached a bottom yet, economists say that there are some signs of stabilisation.

CBE: Please describe ILAM Industry Data Survey, to help Irish club operators plan for the future. We hope that it can be adapted to other European countries as well. In addition, we are pleased to announce that Hibernian Aviva, one of the biggest insurance companies in Ireland and globally, is now supporting the White Flag Awards as the quality standard, and are offering special insurance packages with preferential rates for Clubs and Facilities with the White Flag including subsidising first year ILAM membership. CBE: What can you tell other fitness federations in Europe about the benefit of having the White Flag Award and a register of exercise professionals?

KF:While some countries have some legislation or regulation of fitness clubs, we do not in Ireland. Anyone can open a club and run it the way they like, and we don’t want poor operators to give the industry a bad name. A code of standards and practices such as The White Flag Award fends off legislation. We see it as a measure of self-regulation, which encourages clubs to meet a standard.

The establishment of a register of exercise professionals is also crucial. This must be established on a national basis and supported by the industry through Federations such as ILAM supportinghe size and nature of the health club market in Ireland. How many private health clubs do you have, and what type are they?

KF: According to The 2008 IHRSA European Market Report, our market size is about 258 million, and we have about 430,000 members at approximately 570 private clubs and 110 public facilities. About half of those private clubs are hotel-based and are open to the public as well as to hotel guests.

The majority of our clubs are single-club operations but with some new and developing Irish-owned chains.

CBE: How does your industry differ from others in Europe? What is the biggest trend that you are seeing in Irish clubs right now?

KF: Our clubs tend to be multi-purpose, with fitness, a gym, pool, and a spa, so they tend to be large clubs. Germany, for example, has more ‘dry’ clubs with no pools. You don’t find that in Ireland.

Due to government tax breaks, over the last five to seven years, we have seen more spas built—some stand-alone, some connected to private leisure clubs with over 150 health spas now open.

CBE: Please tell us about ILAM’s White Flag Award. How does it benefit clubs? How has ILAM aided club owners during this challenging period?

KF: We developed the White Flag Award eight years ago, as a benchmark for both public and private facilities. It covers both small and large facilities because, like our new Register, it’s about the quality of the facilities and the services clubs provide— everything from qualifications of staff, and health and safety, and customer care. Every year there are new criteria, and clubs need to reach an overall score to meet the standard. We also have special category awards for disability awareness and for training ethos.

In addition, ILAM offers regional networking meetings. New is a national meeting for senior managers, the first of which was held in May together with the ILAM Health & Fitness Vanguard Group. At the European Congress, we will also publish the results of Ireland’s first IHRSA/ILAM Industry Data Survey, to help Irish club operators plan for the future. We hope that it can be adapted to other European countries as well.

In addition, we are pleased to announce that Hibernian Aviva, one of the biggest insurance companies in Ireland and globally, is now supporting the White Flag Awards as the quality standard, and are offering special insurance packages with preferential rates for Clubs and Facilities with the White Flag including subsidising first year ILAM membership.

CBE: What can you tell other fitness federations in Europe about the benefit of having the White Flag Award and a register of exercise professionals?

KF: While some countries have some legislation or regulation of fitness clubs, we do not in Ireland. Anyone can open a club and run it the way they like, and we don’t want poor operators to give the industry a bad name. A code of standards and practices such as The White Flag Award fends off legislation. We see it as a measA native of Ireland, Kilian Fisher is CEO of ILAM, the Leisure Industry Body for Sport, Fitness, Aquatics Facilities, Spa & Wellness, as well as Managing Director of ILAM Consultancy Services. In his 30 years in the fitness industry, he has served as a swimming teacher and coach, and on a wide range of organisations in the sector, at both the national and European level. In November 2007, Fisher was a founding member of the IHRSA European Council, and in March 2008 he was elected to the IHRSA Board of Directors. He also led the development of ILAM White Flag Award for Spa & Leisure, the Quality Club/Facility Certification standard in Ireland. In Autumn 2009, Fisher and ILAM will launch REPS Ireland, the registration body for health and fitness instructors in Ireland.ure of self-regulation, which encourages clubs to meet a standard.

The establishment of a register of exercise professionals is also crucial. This must be established on a national basis and supported by the industry through Federations such as ILAM supporting REPS Ireland. I think that affiliation to ICREPS as the international body and working with other national registers is also important. Principles of subsidiarity are key to meeting national legislative requirements and that is why one central European database is almost impossible to achieve unless subsidiarity is fully taken on board and national registers are supported. It must all be done in a fully transparent manner and training providers and qualifications can only be accredited on a national basis with consideration given to any European or global frameworks.

CBE: How will the Irish club industry be different two or five years from now?

KF: It’s hard to say now, given the economy, but I think quality standards will be improved overall. Between The White Flag and the REPS Ireland Register, we’ll have more qualified instructors and better facilities. I think pricing and programmes offered will have to change. This economy has taken away any complacency.

CBE: Finally, with the aim of increasing visibility, IHRSA is participating in a new project, the Economics of Prevention, with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Please tell us about the work that IHRSA and ILAM are doing with the OECD.

KF: We are participating in the Business and Industry Advisory Committee (BIAC) to the OECD. BIAC brings together the advice and counsel of the business communities of the 30 member countries of the OECD, and participates in OECD committee work and research. Based on facts and analysis, it formulates public policy recommendations on a diverse number of issues.

Many OECD countries are dealing with the increased burden of chronic disease related to physical inactivity and poor diet. As such, the organisation has launched a study on the Economics of Prevention led by Jeremy Hurst and Dr. Franco Sassi of the OECD Health Policy Unit in Paris. The project is focused on making global policy recommendations to address the question of to what extent efforts should be made to prevent non-communicable diseases rather than accept the consequences of treating and managing them.

On behalf of IHRSA, I was honoured to contribute to the Economics of Prevention research and recommendations in 2008-2009 and also represented BIAC at the workshop in June 2009. I hope to contribute more in the future as a member of the BIAC Health Task Force representing ILAM, IHRSA and IBEC (Irish Business Employers Federation).

Patricia amend is the managing editor of CBE

Ireland’s Standards Chieftain

A native of Ireland, Kilian Fisher is CEO of ILAM, the Leisure Industry Body for Sport, Fitness, Aquatics Facilities, Spa & Wellness, as well as Managing Director of ILAM Consultancy Services. In his 30 years in the fitness industry, he has served as a swimming teacher and coach, and on a wide range of organisations in the sector, at both the national and European level.

In November 2007, Fisher was a founding member of the IHRSA European Council, and in March 2008 he was elected to the IHRSA Board of Directors. He also led the development of ILAM White Flag Award for Spa & Leisure, the Quality Club/Facility Certification standard in Ireland.

In Autumn 2009, Fisher and ILAM will launch REPS Ireland, the registration body for health and fitness instructors in Ireland.