The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) recently concluded IHRSA/Fitness Brasil’s 10th Anniversary Conference and Trade Show, held October 22-24, 2009 at the Transamerica Expo Center in Sao Paulo, Brasil. A record of over 1,000 fitness professionals attended the conference, with nearly 12,000 attendees visiting the trade show and 130 exhibiting companies occupying the show floor.
“The timing of the IHRSA/Fitness Brasil 10th Anniversary was ideal as Brasil has captured the world’s attention by winning the 2016 Olympics for Rio de Janeiro,” said Jay Ablondi, IHRSA’s Executive Vice President of Global Products. “IHRSA could not ask for a better or more trusted partner than Waldyr Soares and Fitness Brasil. We share a common vision and the determination to make our industry stronger. IHRSA looks forward to working with Waldyr, Fitness Brasil, and all our friends in Latin America for years to come in order to grow the industry and bring about a healthier world through regular exercise and wellness.”
“IHRSA and Fitness Brasil celebrated one decade of success with a very successful event,” said Jacqueline Antunes, IHRSA Senior Manager, Latin America. “The Latin American fitness and wellness industry have shown tremendous growth. This is a result of hard work, determination and passion for an industry that can offer what we all want: a healthier world through exercise. Our theme for this year was ‘Inspiration to Innovate’. It is very appropriate given what we have all been challenged -the state of the global economy has required us all to innovate,” she said.
Brasil has the second largest fitness market in the world, behind the US, with 14,016 clubs, including 4.4 million members.
The conference featured presentations by leaders from within and outside the industry, including:
Keynote Speakers:
- Ricardo Amorim, Economist, journalist, co-anchor of Manhattan Connection at GNT
- Flávio Godinho, Marketing manager, Microsoft Brazil
- Ginha Nader, Best-selling author
- Paul Brown, CEO, Face2Face Retention Systems
- Casey Conrad, President, Communication Consultants
IHRSA/Fitness Brasil’s 10th Anniversary Conference and Trade Show was sponsored this year by Movement, Reebok, Stott Pilates, Gatorade, Santaconstancia and Biofenac.
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.
