Best-Selling Authors Malcolm Gladwell and Chip Heath; Four-Time Olympian Silken Laumann; Injured LAPD Police Officer Kristina Ripatti and Husband; Fellow LAPD Officer Tim Pearce to Headline IHRSA 2010



The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) has announced the keynote and featured speaker lineup for its 29th Annual Convention & Trade Show, which will take place March 10-13, 2010 at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California.

Malcolm Gladwell, best-selling author and staff writer for The New Yorkermagazine, and Chip Heath, best-selling co-author of “Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die”, will headline the 2010 educational programming, which will include over 100 speakers and presentations.

“We are looking forward to this year’s distinguished lineup of visionaries, who will share their expertise during our annual Convention,” said Joe Moore, IHRSA’s President and CEO. “Our keynote speakers bring knowledge and experience from a variety of backgrounds and can provide insight that is applicable to the entire industry as the global economy rebounds and we maximize new growth opportunities.”

Gladwell will deliver “Outliers – Why Are People Successful?” on Thursday, March 11, 2010, sponsored by Precor Incorporated. On Friday, March 12, 2010, Heath will present “Switch: How to Change Things when Change Is Hard”, sponsored by Technogym.

The featured speaker lineup for IHRSA 2010 includes four-time Olympian, author, and kid’s champion Silken Laumann, who will present “The Courage to Shine: Releasing Your Inner Excellence” on Saturday, March 13, sponsored by SPRI Products, Inc.

IHRSA 2010 also features former Los Angeles Police Department Officer Kristina Ripatti, who was shot in the line of duty and subsequently paralyzed, and her husband and fellow LAPD officer Tim Pearce, who will present “Transforming Lives: An ‘Extreme Home Makeover’ Success Story” on Thursday, March 11, sponsored by NuStep, Inc.

IHRSA is currently preparing to announce a third feature presentation, sponsored by Matrix Fitness, which will assist in the kickoff of IHRSA 2010.

The annual IHRSA International Convention & Trade Show, now in its 29th year, is one of the world's largest industry trade events offering commercial health and fitness club operators both extensive education and an expansive exercise equipment and support services exhibition. Held in March, the event attracts more than 12,000 fitness industry professionals from around the world and over 400 exhibiting companies. With the theme “The Future Is You!”, IHRSA 2010 will bring fitness professionals and industry suppliers together to develop strategies to maximize the global growth of the health and fitness industry.

Additional information about IHRSA’s 29th Annual International Convention & Trade Show can be found at www.ihrsa.org/meetings, or contact IHRSA by phone at 617.951.0055.

Don’t forget! PFP will be announcing the 2010 PFP Trainer of the Year at IHRSA 2010. For more details and updates, and to nominate yourself and colleagues, visit www.fit-pro.com/traineroftheyear.

The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) is a not-for-profit trade association representing health and fitness facilities, gyms, spas, sports clubs, and suppliers worldwide. The association’s membership includes over 9,750 clubs in 78 countries, along with over 740 industry suppliers.