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Lisa Ackerman

Getting the Most From Your Next Fitness Education Conference

As a professional, attending conferences is vitally important, with so many to choose from, here are some tips on how best invest your time and money.
By: Lisa Ackerman

"I love taking fitness classes and if I ever find myself becoming a little burned out and need to have the fire rekindled, there is nothing like a fitness convention. The great workshops and master classes are just the right fuel to ignite the fire within and re-spark my love to share fitness with the world. I love to teach, train and educate, but there is nothing like being a student."

-- Rob Glick, international fitness presenter
G roup exercise instructors and personal

Professional fitness trainers learning some new postures by YogaFit at the DCAC conference.

trainers know first-hand that attending workshops and lectures at a fitness convention not only provides them with information to solidify their fitness knowledge base and learn fun new choreography, but it also gives them an energy surge. As a group exercise instructor,

I know the heart-pounding thrill that comes from being in that environment - so many like-minded bodies meeting for the purpose of sharing and receiving up-to-the-minute fitness research and trying the latest equipment and moves. We fitness professionals are an enthusiastic crowd, and the energy level is high when we come together!

The competition is growing in this industry, with many conferences throughout the country from which to choose. So, how do you decide which fitness convention to attend? Just where should you invest your fitness education dollars? To answer this question, I've tapped into the minds of several seasoned fitness presenters, group exercise instructors, health club directors, and personal trainers, each of whom has attended numerous fitness conferences. Fitness education organizations, listen up!

Conferences Are Only As Good as Their Presenters

Douglas Brooks, MS Exercise Physiologist and internationally acclaimed personal trainer, feels the presenters are the heart of the convention experience. Many I spoke to agreed that the presenter lineup is what they look at most closely in choosing which fitness convention to attend.

Says Douglas, "Ultimately, the best conventions are only as good as the presenters. It's service delivery at its most intimate level, presenter to attendee, that event promoters must capture." Having attended Douglas' workshops, I can attest to the fact that he practices what he preaches, regardless of the venue. His goal of connecting with his class participants is evident as is his expertise and enthusiasm for his subject matter.

Douglas adds, "Offering a broad range and diversity of topic areas is important, along with lectures and hands-on workshops." This point is especially important today given the increasing popularity of "special population" classes (seniors, kids programming, etc.). Group exercise instructors and personal trainers today work with a wider range of health issues and ages that they ever have before, thus creating a need for education in these areas.

"…presenters are the heart of the convention experience. "

Patty Forte, an Arizona fitness professional for two decades, speaks for many when she says, "I look for new concepts and research on topics pertinent to what might enhance my current training or even to gain knowledge in an area I'd like to know more about." As Dan Garza, Director of Group Exercise at the Libertyville, Illinois Centre Club says, "I want to experience that 'Wow!' feeling that I got at my first convention every time I attend a conference. Whether the material is presented by seasoned presenters or brand new ones, I go to a conference looking for new material. That's the most important factor for me."

Attendees also want to be able to ask questions of the presenters. Understandably, it's often difficult for presenters to open the floor to questions during a workshop. This takes away from valuable class time. To allow for questions to be posed and addressed, Tim Rochford ,

Tim Rochford leads a class through the latest kickboxing moves.

owner of Empower Training Systems and international martial arts, fitness kickboxing and self defense presenter, suggests that fitness education companies set up a "Q and A" time for each presenter - an open conversation time when attendees can talk with the presenters and ask their questions.

Clear Direction from The Host Organization Is Critical

This brings us to the subject of communication with the host organization of the convention. From registration through the final workshop and beyond, most fitness pros I talked with stated that communication is critical to their fitness convention experience. They wanted clear direction.

Is the registration process straightforward? Are the class schedules easy to decipher? Do you receive class confirmation prior to arriving at the convention? Is a customer service person available to answer questions prior to the convention? Are the classrooms clearly labeled and are there signs and people available at the convention who can assist in locating classrooms, if necessary?

Lora Pupinik, an Illinois Group Exercise Instructor, says that she seeks out smaller fitness conventions with a more "intimate" feel. "I prefer a smaller number of people in the classes. That way each participant can receive more personalized instruction." Janice Jaicks, founder of the FitnessFest bi-annual conferences in Arizona, agrees. "The comments we get most on our full-evaluations are that they love not only our quality of workshops and presenters, but also the "feel" of our event. The networking. The positive atmosphere. The "genuine-ness."

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