Battle hots up for fitness industry events as IHRSA partners with Ralph Scholz for European launch
by Liz Terry | 14 Jan 2021
Ralph Scholz has inked a deal with IHRSA for a conference in Germany this November / Ralph Scholz
As the global vaccine rollout brings reopening closer and heralds the end of lockdowns, jostling is beginning for the resumption of live fitness industry events later in the year.
IHRSA has announced it's done a deal for the development of an event called the IHRSA SMART Summit, which will take place during new B2B trade show, FitnessConnected, at the Trade Fair Center in Munich, from November 17-19, 2021.
SMART stands for sales, marketing, analytics, retention and technology.
FitnessConnected is part of the ISPO-Network, and is headed by CEO, Ralph Scholz, who was previously event director of FIBO from 2013 to 2017.
The IHRSA SMART Summit will begin with a gym tour of Munich, followed by summit sessions and will end with face to face business presentations during the afternoons of the FitnessConnected trade show (November 18 and 19).
The IHRSA SMART Summit will replace the IHRSA European Congress this year. This longstanding event was originally scheduled to take place in Berlin in 2020 – IHRSA indicates the Congress will resume in 2022.
IHRSA says it will release full details of the SMART Summit 'this spring' (spring in the northern hemisphere, we assume).
"I'm particularly proud about this partnership with IHRSA,” said Scholz. “It brings us one important step closer to our goal of being the central European platform for the fitness industry."
Scholz announced Fitness Connected in October 2020. The new deal squares up FIBO and its conference partner EuropeActive, with Fitness Connected and IHRSA in a battle for the European trade show and conference market.
EuropeActive has just signed a new three-year deal with FIBO.
IHRSA Ralph Scholz FIBO09 Oct 2020
Ralph Scholz announces new European B2B trade show – FitnessConnected
24 Aug 2020
IHRSA's interim CEO, Brent Darden, tells HCM it’s time for a ‘sense of urgency to survive and thrive’
20 Aug 2020
Joe Moore stands down as president of IHRSA amid crisis over trade show refunds
12 Mar 2020
Coronavirus: IHRSA 2020 cancelled – will not be rescheduled
06 Mar 2020
IHRSA 2020 'still on' despite state of emergency in California and withdrawal of Life Fitness and Stages
01 Sep 2017
McFit plans to open fitness for free model
28 Jun 2017
Former FIBO event director joins McFit to lead innovation
FEATURE: Interview – Ralph Scholz
As the global vaccine rollout brings reopening closer and heralds the end of lockdowns, jostling is beginning for the resumption of live fitness industry events later in the year. IHRSA has announced it's done a deal for the development of an event called the IHRSA SMART Summit, which will take place during new B2B trade show, FitnessConnected, at the Trade Fair Center in Munich, from November 17-19, 2021. SMART stands
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