“Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” — John F. Kennedy
First, welcome to Fitness Business Pro — the evolution of Club Industry magazine. Last month, I wrote about the changes in the industry over the last decade or so and how we were going to be evolving to not only reflect this change but also to anticipate continuing change so we don't miss our future.
You'll find in this issue and issues to come new and informative columns, features and departments (keep checking back because as Kennedy said, change is the law of life) bringing you the news, analysis, trends and ideas you need to do your business better, whatever it may be within the fitness business.
Perhaps the best way to introduce our change is through our new mission statement:
Up-to-the-minute management information is vital to successful business leaders in any industry. In a changing and growing field such as fitness, that information is critical.
The traditional fitness industry model has evolved from tennis clubs to gyms to health clubs. That world continues to expand and includes the government, hotels, resorts, corporate, schools and universities, retailers and more. As the independent voice of the entire fitness industry, Fitness Business Pro aims to help all fitness facility professionals do their business better by bringing news, trends, analysis and ideas to industry leaders.
Fitness Business Pro provides this educational experience in a variety of formats including the printed magazine, the online magazine, e-newsletters, special reports and the Club Industry shows.
The tagline on our cover says it all as to the focus of the publication and our commitment to our readers: “Management News for Health and Fitness Facility Leaders.”
That is a big change. But there are some internal changes as well. We have brought in a new publisher, long-time magazine veteran Gregg Herring. We have also bolstered our editorial coverage with the hiring of associate editor Jennipher Shaver, who brings both a journalism and a fitness background to the magazine. Make sure to drop by the Fitness Business Pro booth at next month's Club Industry show and say hi to our new team members.
We hope you like the new Fitness Business Pro. Whatever your feelings about our changes, please don't hesitate to e-mail, call or write with compliments, comments, critiques and suggestions (that includes news and other story ideas). The only way for us to keep up with (and ahead of) the quick-paced fitness industry and bring you the best magazine to help you do your business better is by communicating with you.