Club News & Happenings - August
FitNet Announces Addition of Forums
Georgetown, ON – FitNet (www.fitnet.ca) , Fitness Business Canada’s on-line publication, announces the addition of four Forums. The Forums focus on Owners & Managers, Personal Trainers and Other Fitness Professionals, Equipment and General Information.
The main objective is to provide an area where users from across Canada (and around the world) can interact and enter discussions related to the fitness industry. A subscription to FitNet is not necessary to participate. Check out FitNet forum: www.fitnet.ca/forum
Free Online Sales Seminar
Casey Conrad, author of Selling Fitness: The Complete Guide to Selling Health Club Memberships, invites you and your staff to a free sales training teleseminar on “The 8 Steps to Successfully Selling Health Club Memberships.”
The one-hour seminar is Wednesday, August 8 at 2:00 p.m. EST. Participants can listen via telephone or the Internet. To register, visit www.clubsalessecrets.com.
Talwalkars Plans 100 Fitness Centres by 2008/2009
KOCHI, INDIA — Embarking on an aggressive expansion spree following its tie-up with the Future Group of Kishore Biyani, Talwalkars, one of the oldest fitness centre chains in India, plans to reach the 100-club mark by 2008/2009.
The company, which presently has 44 centres in India, recently opened clubs at Hyderabad, Bangalore (two centres), Noida, Ludhiana and Kolkatta. It is scheduled to open 59 more locations in Indian shopping malls owned by Future Group.
Obesity Stats Continue to Shock
Obesity is set to be the norm for 41% of American adults within the next eight years, according to a new study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. It also predicts that by 2015 almost 24% of American children and adolescents will be obese or overweight. If this pace continues, by 2015, 75% of adults and nearly 24% of U.S. children and adolescents will be overweight or obese.”
David Brodmann of Calgary Awarded John McCarthy Merit Scholarship
BOSTON - The International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) named David Brodmann, general manager of World Health Club-Edgemont in Calgary, the recipient of the second annual John McCarthy Merit Scholarship. Established in 2006 through donations from industry founders and friends, the scholarship provides full tuition and a $500 travel stipend to IHRSA’s Institute for Professional Club Management.
Selected from a group of 13 applicants, Brodmann has served in several capacities for World Health Club in the past five years. Brodmann has demonstrated his passion and commitment to the industry’s future by emphasizing service, hospitality and effective communication throughout his staff and to members of his club.
Applications for the scholarship were evaluated by a selection committee comprised of five industry professionals: Rick Caro of Management Vision, Brent Darden of TELOS Fitness Center, Nestor Fernandez of Western Athletic Clubs, Roger Ralph of Hockessin Athletic Club, and Debra Siena of Tennis Corporation of America.
IHRSA will host the 19th Annual IHRSA Institute for Professional Club Management, sponsored by Precor, August 6-10, 2007 at the Babson Executive Conference Center in Wellesley, Massachusetts. This five-day intensive club management conference includes interactive sessions, problem-solving workshops, social events and a variety of networking opportunities. For additional information, visit www.ihrsa.org/institute, call 800-228-4772 or email IHRSAMeetings@ihrsa.org.
Stress and Fat Link Discovered
Scientists report that they have uncovered a biological switch by which stress can promote obesity. In a series of experiments on mice, researchers showed that the neurochemical pathway they identified promotes fat growth in chronically stressed animals that eat the equivalent of a junk-food diet.
The international team also showed that blocking those signals can prevent fat accumulation and shrink fat deposits, while stimulating the pathway can strategically create new ones, possibly offering new ways to remove fat.
Nautilus, Inc. Exercises Option to Acquire Manufacturing Facility in China
VANCOUVER, WA — Nautilus, Inc. has exercised a purchase option to acquire the assets of its largest contract manufacturer, China-based Land America Health and Fitness Co., Ltd.
The all cash-transaction of approximately $72 million is expected to close in January 2008 and improve company gross margins by at least 1.5-2.0 percentage points in 2008. Land America makes the popular Bowflex home exercise gyms and began manufacturing Bowflex® TreadClimber® cardio trainers last year. In addition, Nautilus and Land America teams have built a new production line to manufacture and ship additional products from the facility later in 2007.
Revitalizing Road Warriors at Four Seasons Properties
TORONTO – Maintaining a healthy lifestyle when travelling can be challenging, but a new wellness program at Four Seasons properties in Toronto, Vancouver and Whistler provides the perfect balance for both mind and body. Coordinated through the services of a dedicated wellness concierge, the program features virtual fitness trainers, in-room or poolside spa services and healthy food options for eating on the run. In the hotels’ health clubs, fitness enthusiasts will be treated to a customized training session via IPOD/MP3 players that offer virtual workouts for either treadmills or elliptical machines. Designed by Toronto firm, Total Wellness Consulting, the virtual workout is complimentary to all hotel guests and can also be purchased upon check-out.
Total rest and relaxation follows with a variety of in-room spa services such as shiatsu, Swedish and deep tissue massage.
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