Freshly Picked

Selecting the best city to host the Club Industry East Conference and Exposition isn't always easy, but the cream of the crop this year is Orlando, marking the first time that Club Industry East will be held in the state of Florida. This year's show takes place June 6-9 at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.

“We chose Orlando partly because we had never been there before,” says Zari Stahl, Club Industry's group show director. “The show has been regional, and when we go into a new region, we pull heavily from that area. We thought that would represent a great opportunity for our exhibitors. We have great demographics in the Southeast.”

It doesn't hurt to have Disney World as the backdrop for the show, either.

“We're also promoting it as an overall destination,” Stahl says. “Some schools are out, people are bringing their families and Disney is offering discounted tickets through their convention sales department.”

The heavy influence of the 50-and-over market in Florida, plus a wealth of private clubs — including gated community clubs — makes Orlando an ideal place for this year's Club Industry East show, which is titled “Reshaping the Future: Eight to Eighty.”

“It makes sense, given the senior population in Florida, to focus on that area,” says Stacey Orlick, Club Industry conference director. “We have sessions like functional flexibility for the 50-plus crowd, helping seniors stay strong, using seniors as a retention tool for your club. [For the gated-community clubs], we have sessions like fitness in the private country club or resort. Most clubs have to deal a lot with sales and marketing, where fitness [clubs] in a private resort or a gated community already have their membership set.”

The keynote speakers are a couple of doctors. Dr. Dot Richardson is the vice chair of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. Richardson, an Orlando native, is best known as a member of the United States gold-medal-winning softball teams from the 1996 and 2000 Summer Olympics. (She hit the game-winning home run that led to the gold medal in 1996.)

These days, Richardson is the medical director of the National Training Center in Clermont, FL. Richardson will speak from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, June 7. Richardson will discuss the role of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports and getting children involved in sports. She'll also touch on the convergence of fitness and medicine and using fitness as preventative medicine.

The other keynote speaker is Dr. Ian Smith, a medical contributor on ABC's nationally syndicated show “The View” and a medical/diet expert on VH1's “Celebrity Fit Club.” Smith also hosts the nationally syndicated radio show “HealthWatch” and is a contributing editor for Men's Health magazine. Smith has written five books, including the recently released “The Fat Smash Diet.”

Smith's latest project is the 50 Million Pound Challenge, designed for African-Americans to collectively lose 50 million pounds in an effort to combat obesity. Smith will speak from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Friday, June 8.

“He talks more along the lines of the nutrition component,” Orlick says. “He brings the marriage of nutrition and fitness to the table.”

The show kicks off June 6 with an all-day session entitled, “Club Outreach America: Shifting Gears to a Stronger Business Model,” which will coincide with other sessions throughout the afternoon. The outdoor welcome reception will be held that night from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort.

Another first this year at Club Industry East is a club tour that takes place from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, June 8. A tour bus will stop at three facilities in the Orlando area.

The first stop is The Fitness Centre & Day Spa at Florida Hospital Celebration Health, a 60,000-square-foot facility designed for use by members and those with a prescribed medical need. The second stop is the Gold's Gym, Dr. Phillips, a 58,000-square-foot facility that includes a workout area for women and a 3,000-square-foot childcare center. The last stop is the YMCA Aquatic and Family Center, one of the largest and most well-known aquatic facilities in the country.

This year's Club Industry East show has an added emphasis on programming for nonprofit facilities such as YMCAs and Jewish Community Centers (JCCs). Among the programs aimed specifically for Ys and JCCs are “Indoor Rowing: Appropriate Practice for Kids and After-School Programs,” “Creating Fitness Programming for the Disabled” and “BeeFit Youth Fitness Program for YMCAs and JCCs.”

The military and military family fitness will be highlighted as well.

“A big consideration for the military is youth fitness,” Orlick says. “They're trying to help military families stay in shape together.”

There will be three early morning workouts at the show, including an early morning water aerobics program from 7 a.m. to 7:45 a.m. on Thursday, June 7. The next two mornings, from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m., attendees can test the latest equipment on the show floor during the traditional early morning workouts. The exhibit hall is open from 12:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, and from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday.

Club Industry East will come to a close with a bit of pizzazz in the form of a Zumba dance party on Saturday, June 9, on the show floor. The dance party will take place after the early morning workout and before the exhibit hall opens at 11 a.m.

“[Zumba is] a Latin dance that's really a cardiac activity,” Stahl says. “It's becoming a pretty big craze. It's fun.”

A lot like how Club Industry East should be this year.

Club Industry East Schedule of Events

June 6-9, 2007 • Conference June 6-9 • Exhibits June 7-9

Disney's Coronado Springs Resort • Orlando, FL • www.clubindustryshow.com

Wednesday, June 6
Exhibit Hall Closed
8 a.m. - 5 p.m.	Registration Open
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.	All-Day Session (A1)
Noon - 1:30 p.m.	B Sessions
2 p.m. - 3:30 p.m.	C Sessions
4 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.	D Sessions
5:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
Welcome Reception, Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
Thursday, June 7
7 a.m. - 7:45 a.m.	Early Morning Aquatics Workout, Disney's Coronado Springs Resort
7 a.m. - 5 p.m.	Registration Open
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.	All-Day Session (A2)
8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.	E Sessions
10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.	F Sessions
11:45 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Free Keynote Address, Dr. Dot Richardson
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.	G Sessions (Executive Roundtables)
12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.	Exhibit Hall Open
Friday, June 8
7 a.m. - 9 a.m.	Early Morning Workouts, Exhibit Hall
7 a.m. - 5 p.m.	Registration Open
8:30 a.m. - 10 a.m.	H Sessions
9 a.m. - 4 p.m.	All-Day Sessions (A3, A4)
10:15 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.	J Sessions
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Free Keynote Address, Dr. Ian Smith
11:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.	Club Tour, Orlando (The Fitness Centre & Day Spa at Florida Hospital Celebration Health, Gold's GymDr. Phillips, YMCA Aquatic and Family Center)
2 p.m. - 4 p.m.	K Sessions (Executive Roundtables)
12:30 p.m. - 5 p.m.	Exhibit Hall Open
Saturday, June 9
7 a.m. - 9 a.m.	Early Morning Workouts, Exhibit Hall
7 a.m. - 3 p.m.	Registration Open
9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.	L Sessions
11 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.	M Sessions
11 a.m. - 3 p.m.	Exhibit Hall Open

Exhibitor List

(As of Wednesday, April 18, 2007)

Organization	Booth Number
AB Coaster	111
ABC Financial Services Inc.	426
Abcore Fitness Inc.	106
Actigraph, LLC	230
AESON Flooring Systems, a Div of Stage Step Inc.	814
AFAA	830
All Kids Play	638
American Council on Exercise	805
American Fitness Sales	104
ANEW Inc.	235
Aspen Information	825
Athlete In Me, LLC	234
Biometrics Nutrition & Fitness	631
Caddy Designs International, LLC	827
California University of Pennsylvania	818
Cardiac Science Corporation	536
Centaur Floor Systems	530
CheckFree/Aphelion	627
City Blends Ltd/LoneStar Distibution	116
Club Industry'sFitness Business Pro	801
Club Insider News	102
CMS Club Marketing & Mgt. Services	100
Competitive Edge Custom Foot Technology	124
Coral Springs Software	828
Creative Fitness Marketing	531
Crunch Fitness	819
CSI Software	429
Easy Zone Weight Loss & Nutrition Centers	833
EVERLAST Performance Flooring	721
Expresso Fitness	211
Fabiano Designs International	427
FD Group	112
Fit Rewards/New Paradigm Partners	719
Fitness and Wellness Insurance Agency	330
Fitness Anywhere Inc.	810
Fitness Business News	834
Fundamental Fitness Products	726
Glenview Health Systems	122
Gym Source	319
Gymwipes - 2XL Corporation	630
Hampton Fitness Products	727
Healthcare Providers Service Organization	127
Hillyard Inc.	829
Hydromassage	711
Intek Strength	326
IRONWEAR	527
Javalution Coffee Co.	114
K & K Insurance Group Inc.	428
Kidzpace Interactive	113
Life Fitness	501
Lifestyle Family Fitness	110
Matrix Fitness Systems	311
McArthur Towels	634
MicroFit Inc.	734
National Council on Strength & Fitness	817
National Fitness	636
Nautilus	611
Octane Fitness	820
Ohlson Lavoie Collaborative	535
Oka B	331
Optimal Design Systems International	434
Orthometrix Inc.	635
Paramount Acceptance	826
Paramount Fitness Corp.	301
Perform Better / M-F Athletics Company	227
Performance Food Center	220
Polar Electro Inc.	715
Power Systems Inc.	327
Precor Inc.	511
Rentention Management	735
Shape.net Software	731
Southeastern Surfaces & Equipment	437
Specialized Fitness Resources	231
SPRI	526
Star Trac	601
Strive Smart Strength	101
Switch It	216
True Fitness Technology	519
Twin Oaks Software Development	226
Vermont Systems Inc.	123
VersaClimber	813
Vertispace	435
Vitabot	430
VPX Sports	821
WaterRower Inc.	534
Wellness Health Education Network	335
Wellness Image Inc.	115
WellWorks	215
Worldwide Sport Nutrition/MET-Rx	730
X Vest Inc.	815
XSport Fitness	210
Zumba	126