The theme for the 29th Annual International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association (IHRSA) Convention and Trade Show is “The Future is You!” The theme could have been “Back to the Future,” since the show is returning to San Diego, which last hosted the event in 2008 after a nine-year absence. Given one of the show's speakers, one could go a step further and say that the show is heading back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back, back to the future.

This year's IHRSA show, March 10-13 at the San Diego Convention Center, will once again feature a talented lineup of speakers, including ESPN's Chris Berman, famous for his familiar “back, back, back, back” home run calls during baseball games and highlights. Berman's presentation, which will lead off the featured presenters at the show at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, March 10, is titled “Teamwork, Collaboration, Versatility: Attributes of a Successful Business Venture.” Berman has been with the all-sports cable network since its inception in 1979.

Two best-selling authors are the keynote speakers for the show. Malcolm Gladwell, who also writes for The New Yorker magazine, will present “Outliers — Why Are People Successful?” at 9 a.m. on Thursday, March 11. Chip Heath, a professor at Stanford University's graduate school of business, will present “Switch: How to Change Things When Change Is Hard,” at 9 a.m. on Friday, March 12.

The other featured presenters are Kristina Ripatti and Tim Pearce of the Los Angeles Police Department and four-time Olympian Silken Laumann. Ripatti, who was paralyzed from the chest down after she was shot twice in 2006, and Pearce will present “Transforming Lives: An ‘Extreme Home Makeover’ Success Story” at 4 p.m. Thursday, March 11. Laumann, a world- champion rower from Canada who is now an author and child advocate, will present “The Courage to Shine: Releasing Your Inner Excellence” at 12:15 p.m. Saturday, March 13.

The show will have two fundraisers for Augie's Quest, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) initiative to combat ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease. A Zumbathon event, hosted by Beto Perez, co-founder of the Zumba program, will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, March 11. Then on Friday night, the fifth annual “B*A*S*H” for MDA's Augie's Quest will begin at 6 p.m. The theme of the event is patterned after the hit TV show “M*A*S*H.” Jann Carl, formerly of TV's “Entertainment Tonight” and a co-host of the Jerry Lewis MDA Telethon, will emcee the event, which is named for its “Chief Inspirational Officer,” Life Fitness founder Augie Nieto.

The 14th annual IHRSA Financial Panel will take place at 11 a.m. Friday. Rick Caro of Management Vision Inc. will once again moderate the panel.

The show concludes with the San Diego Harbor Cruise from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday. There is a limited capacity for the cruise.

Trade show hours for the IHRSA show are 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Thursday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and 8:30 a.m. to noon on Saturday. Early morning workouts begin at 6:30 a.m. on Friday and 7:30 a.m. on Saturday on the trade show floor at the San Diego Convention Center.

For the latest information about the show, go to IHRSA's Web site at www.ihrsa.org.

Next Page: IHRSA 2010 SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

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