IHRSA Fitness Brasil 2022 Achieves ‘Indisputable’ Success

After a three year absence due to the pandemic, IHRSA Fitness Brasil returned ready to revive the Latin American health and fitness industry. The Transamerica Expo Center in São Paulo was vibrant with energy and optimism during the four-day event.

“In quantitative terms, the success of the event is indisputable,” says Gustavo Almeida, executive director of Fitness Brasil. “We had more than 11,000 total attendees, over 150 speakers, dozens of practical classes, and, importantly, happy exhibitors. Everything was very well accepted and we closed the event in a state of grace.”

Honored to welcome IHRSA Fitness Brasil 2022 attendees was IHRSA President & CEO Liz Clark. During her welcome address, Liz updated the crowd on Global Health & Fitness Alliance efforts, including its most recent publication, Economic Health & Societal Well-being: Quantifying the Impact of the Global Health & Fitness Sector report, and the recently launched IHRSA em Português website. She also praised the ability to gather in person again.

“The joy of being together again in person was stamped on people's faces,” exclaims Jacqueline Antunes, IHRSA Latin America director. “Exchanging experiences, doing business—nothing compares to face-to-face interactions. Not only to see long-time friends, but it’s essential to negotiate and discuss new partnerships.”

Key Highlights From IHRSA Fitness Brasil 2022

Topics involving innovative ideas, strategic initiatives, as well as the latest trends in management, marketing, and technology filled the education sessions. Attendees also had the opportunity to hear four noteworthy keynotes, including:

• The Future of Well-being, by Martha Gabriel, Author of the bestsellers Marketing in the Digital Era and You, Me and the Robots

• How the Growth of Surfing in Brazil Can Inspire Innovative Initiatives, by Ivan Martinho, CEO of the World Surf League (WSL) for Latin America

• Black Belt Leadership, by Fabio Gurgelco, four-time Jiu-Jitsu World Champion and Co-founder and CEO of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu

• Creative Management: Collaborative Networks and Innovation, by Max Haetinger, Ph.D., Director of Instituto Criar in Porto Alegre, Brazil

As uniting all sectors of the industry and promoting healthy lifestyles has become more important than ever, the event expanded its typical offerings to include special programming for physical education students, condominium and hotel managers, and those pursuing healthy lifestyle habits.

The highly anticipated Trade Show was jam-packed throughout all three days with a notable emphasis on attendees participating in workout classes and testing out the pieces of equipment available from the 90+ brands on site. All in all, 8,000 Trade Show visitors made sure to make the most of the event by networking and closing deals.

Paulo Akiau, president of ABC International, an IHRSA member, noted that the company had a record-breaking year at IHRSA Fitness Brasil 2022—signing more than 2.5 times the contracts signed at the event in 2019.

Additionally, Matrix Fitness ended the event with a new sales record, according to Reginaldo Recchia, managing director of Johnson Health Tech, parent company of Matrix Fitness and IHRSA member.

Product, Company, & Technology Showcase

IHRSA Fitness Brasil featured new equipment releases for the region, including:

• BRW Sports Group’s CLMBR, an ergonomic vertical climbing machine and best-seller in the U.S.,

• Casa do Fitness’s treadmill, the most modern and technologically advanced treadmill in Brazil, which includes an immersive experience, and

• Live Equipamentos’s +Core Pilates, new equipment that multiplies the possibilities of Pilates movements and results.

Sustainability is slowly receiving more global attention. At the event, several companies highlighted their efforts to be more eco-friendly, including Monster Fitness and Race Track. The companies offer Crossfit Floors, ecological floors with shock absorbers, produced from recycled rubber granules and binders.

As technology continues to intertwine with health and fitness offerings, there was a significant presence of tech offerings:

• Go Gym, a subscription app that gyms can offer their students that includes health and performance coaching content,

• ClassPass, the largest health club aggregator service for consumers, and

• Wehelp Software Nps, a platform that assists companies in customer experience management.

At IHRSA Fitness Brasil 2022, Exxentric became the first isoinertial training brand to exhibit at the event in its 22-year-history.

Looking Ahead to IHRSA Fitness Brasil 2023

For Liz, her first experience at the largest health and fitness industry event in Latin America has her eager to attend next year’s edition. “I was really impressed with the entire structure of IHRSA Fitness Brasil and the energy of the Brazilian public,” she notes.

“It was great to see the reunions up close, the quality content shared with the delegates, and many deals being done. I definitely want to come back in the next edition!”

IHRSA Fitness Brasil 2022 Gold Sponsors—Gympass, Konnen Fitness, and Pacto—say that attending the event is critical for the entire industry and already plan to be back for 2023.

“IHRSA Fitness Brasil is an essential event for the market. Brands need to be present to consolidate their positioning, strengthen relationships and capture opportunities,” urges Rafael Kahane, marketing director of Gympass. “From this moment on, we have already started to plan our presence at IHRSA Fitness Brasil 2023 to gain even more relevance.”

The 24th edition of IHRSA Fitness Brasil will take place August 16-19, 2023. More information regarding the event will be released in the coming months.