CHICAGO -- Club Industry 2009 ended last Saturday at McCormick Place in Chicago. The three-day show attracted more than 7,000 attendees, speakers and exhibitors.

Jack LaLanne, who turned 95 last month, highlighted the show with his keynote address on Thursday. LaLanne’s wife, Elaine, introduced her husband of 50 years with a video montage of his career highlights, which included “The Jack LaLanne Show.” After the address, LaLanne was presented the Club Industry Lifetime Achievement Award before spending more than an hour signing autographs and posing for photos with attendees.

Mark Mastrov, founder of 24 Hour Fitness and co-founder of his newest company, New Evolution Fitness Co., delivered the keynote address on Friday. Mastrov discussed the basic principles of club development and stressed that with the recession nearing its end, this may be the best time to open or acquire clubs.

Prior to Mastrov’s address, Club Industry presented its Best of the Best awards to six fitness facility operators in the categories of best behavior modification program, best children’s program, best community-based program, best group training, best new member integration program and best nonmember program.

Friday’s town hall meeting “How Will You React in a Crisis?” involved tips about how to handle emergencies, such as the LA Fitness shootings in August. The meeting included an AED demonstration.

Read more about the show on the Club Industry 2009 blog.

The Club Industry East show will take place May 5-7, 2010, at The Javits Center in New York.

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