“I think the biggest takeaways are the things you learn from people you don’t necessarily have a chance to spend time with. This type of event is very cross generational, so you’re hearing from all age groups, all different types of fitness facilities, and the takeaways range from technology to operations. It’s really about thinking bigger.”

Gale Landers, CEO and founder, Fitness Formula Clubs

“The biggest takeaway this year is all of us recognizing that influences outside our industry are creating consumer expectations we all need to be nimbler on. We of course have been doing that through COVID, but we’re going to have to keep being agile.”

JoAnna Masloski, COO, Wellbridge

“To be able to be in a room where egos get checked at the door and we all get to iterate and innovate together is second to none from an experience standpoint. As a vendor it allows me to be a part of that conversation. Especially this year — meeting people for the first time that weren’t on the background of a Zoom — was so valuable. It’s just that human to human interaction.”

Jason Abucejo, head of major accounts, MXMetrics

“As an attendee, I loved getting to meet other industry leaders, putting faces to names and getting to connect on a more personal level. Most of all, I appreciated the candor of all of the attendees and sponsors — I think with the pandemic taking all of us out of our comfort zones for the past year and a half, we were able to openly and honestly share best practices that will help guide the fitness industry into its next evolution. I left feeling closer to my peers and excited to stay connected.”

Mindi Bridges, chief brand and marketing officer, VASA Fitness

“This being my first year attending, I think I can honestly say that just being there was my favorite part. It was an honor to be around such well respected and industry leading executives who are passionate about what we do and how we can all improve. The location was breathtaking, the content and information was priceless and the team building excursions were literally ‘next level.’ It was phenomenal and I look forward to being at this event every year moving forward.”

Jarrod Saracco, COO, World Gym