IHRSA 2019 Day 1 in Photos & Videos

After a year of anticipation, the 39th Annual IHRSA International Convention & Trade Show began bright and early in San Diego on Wednesday. Attendees gathered before the sunrise for the Fitness Business Podcast #FBPFamily Meet Up, learned the ropes at a packed "Making Connections Orientation," and learned about hyper-customization at Chris Riddell's Myzone-sponsored keynote presentation. Plus, we took a behind-the-scenes look at the IHRSA Trade Show preparations.

Here are those highlights and more from IHRSA 2019 day one!

Fitness Business Podcast #FBPFamily Meet Up

Early risers got a jump-start on the day by attending the Fitness Business Podcast #FBPFamily Meet Up for a walk along the coast at sunrise.

‘Making Connections’ Orientation

The convention kicked off Wednesday morning with the "Making Connections" Orientation, where about 100 first-time attendees—hailing from as far away as Denmark and Saudi Arabia—learned how to make the most out of their IHRSA 2019 experience. Attendees also networked with other club operators and IHRSA board members at the standing-room-only event.

IHRSA Woman Leader Award Breakfast

A breakfast reception for IHRSA's newest Woman Leader Award recipient, In-Shape Health Clubs CEO Francesca Schuler, took place this morning. This annual event is an induction of sorts into a family of IHRSA women leaders, including the award judges and prior recipients, who come together to celebrate each other’s accomplishments and to honor the memory of the late Julie Main, for whom the award was created. Making it all the more special was having Julie's husband, Michael Main, attend once again. The 2019 IHRSA Woman Leader Award will be presented at the start of Thursday's keynote presentation.

MINDBODY Receives Associate Member of the Year Award

Software company MINDBODY, an IHRSA member since 2005, was selected as the Associate Member of the Year due to their outstanding achievements, innovation, and support of the health and fitness industry, their continued investment in cutting-edge technology, and unwavering support of IHRSA and its members.

“We are honored to receive this award,” Rick Stollmeyer, CEO and co-founder of MINDBODY, said in a release. “Since starting in my garage in 2001, we have been focused on helping fitness and wellness business owners achieve their dreams while enabling millions of people to live healthier, happier lives. The fitness and wellness industry has nearly doubled since then, and our focus in the decade ahead is to double it again. We are pleased to partner with IHRSA toward this paramount goal.”

Future Customer 2020

Digital Technology Expert and Futurist Chris Riddell explained why good is no longer good enough in his Myzone-sponsored keynote presentation, “Future Customer 2020.”

According to Riddell, if you want to be in the fitness industry in the next three years and you want to be a transformer and disruptor, the top four trends you'll need to capitalize on in order to succeed are:

• the sharing economy
• augmented intelligence
• the internet of things
• blockchain

“This is the era of hyper-experiences,” he said. “You have to create exceptional experiences every time. Good is no longer good enough. And the power of the Internet of Things enables us to do this.”

10th Annual IHRSA Women's Leadership Summit

Women leaders from across the industry attended the 10th IHRSA Women’s Leadership Summit, sponsored by Club Automation + CSI Spectrum. Sarah Moshman, Emmy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, led an inspiring discussion focused on goal setting and harnessing your creativity.

Action in the IHRSA Live Studio

We caught up with In-Shape Health Clubs CEO Francesca Schuler in the IHRSA Live Studio this afternoon. Our film crew will be interviewing fitness industry experts all week, so stay tuned for more!

Gearing Up for the Trade Show

The Trade Show floor is nearly ready for attendees to check out state-of-the-art equipment, products, and services from more than 400 exhibitors. The IHRSA 2019 Trade Show hours are Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Day 1 Video Recap

For an even better taste of today’s happenings, watch our quick video recap!