March 12-14, 2025 | Las Vegas, Nevada
A New Era of Global Wellness
Conference Track
Research & Advocacy
The research and advocacy track connects fitness industry leaders with cutting-edge health and fitness industry information and insights so they can stay ahead of the curve. Plug in to this track to learn about:
- The forces that shape the health and fitness industry on a local, national, and global level
- The latest insights on threats the industry is facing
- HFA's powerful advocacy work and how you can get involved
- The latest industry data and trends that are driving the future of the health and fitness industry
Marketing & Sales
From influencer impact to AI-powered personalization, today’s fitness brands compete on clarity, creativity, and conversion. This track brings together marketing leaders, growth strategists, and digital innovators to explore what’s working now—how to build authentic engagement, optimize spend, and turn campaigns into measurable momentum. Learn how forward-thinking teams are mastering storytelling, data, and partnerships to drive lasting business results.
From Reach to Resonance: The Future of Creator Marketing
Learn how to take your Creator strategies beyond traditional “influencing” and testimonials, and partner more collaboratively with Creators. Master the art of making diverse and resonant content that connects your brands to people on Meta's platforms.
Real-Time Feedback Loops: Bridging the Gap Between Marketing & Sales
What if your marketing campaigns could evolve while they’re still running—before missed goals become missed revenue? In this session, discover how Healthworks and Republic Fitness close the feedback gap between campaign execution and sales performance. Learn how real-time lead tracking, daily conversion insights, and collaborative decision-making across sales and marketing allow clubs to quickly adapt to mid-campaign lead-generation or sales challenges before it’s too late.
The Data-Driven Operator: Turning Metrics into Momentum
Over ten years of hands-on marketing leadership have revealed what truly works—and what doesn’t—when growing a fitness business. This session breaks down how to interpret data that matters, eliminate vanity metrics, and make smarter, faster decisions that boost engagement, retention, and ROI.
YouTube 101 - Understanding the World's Most Influential Platform
YouTube isn't just a video platform—it's the world’s second-largest search engine and a powerful top-of-funnel tool capable of driving awareness and traffic to brick-and-mortar locations. In this session we’ll talk to successful fitness YouTube Creators and gym operators to learn how they leverage YouTube to build community, structure their videos for lead capture, and understand the step-by-step process that successfully converts passive YouTube viewers into active, paying members. This session will also go into how the algorithm functions and cover foundational best practices for high-performing content.
What's Working Now: Fitness Marketing in 2026
It's no secret businesses need leads to get more clients, and we need more clients to grow. With the advent of tech disruption, many of the methods are changing. But what about the principles of human psychology? In this talk, Mark Fisher will explore what's new, what's the same, and how studios and clubs can thrive in 2026 and beyond.
The Psychology of Your Studio Website: Converting the 2026 Fitness Consumer
Today’s fitness consumer expects more from a website than a class schedule and a price list. They’re making decisions faster, vetting multiple options at once, and often leaning on AI-powered search to narrow the field. Your website has seconds to answer their unspoken questions, remove doubts, and inspire action — all while feeling authentic and on-brand. In this session, you’ll learn how to apply the Buyer’s Journey framework to map every visitor touchpoint, from “Am I in the right place?” to “OK, let’s do it!” and beyond. You’ll see real before-and-after website makeovers that demonstrate exactly how small design and content changes can dramatically improve conversion.
Make Your Social Media Build More Than Just Muscle
In a crowded market, it's not just about going viral. It’s about creating content that converts, builds community, and scales with your team. This session dives into real-world best practices for fitness and wellness social media marketing, from leveraging trends with intention to creating efficient content systems that don’t burn out your staff. We’ll explore how a growth mindset powers smarter strategy, why short-form video still reigns, and what it actually takes to grow a brand presence that gets results. Whether you're a boutique studio or a national chain, this session will help you do social better and get more from it.
Back to Basics: Strengthening the Sales Process for Gyms and Studios
When sales responsibilities are spread across teams, opportunities can slip through the cracks. This panel takes a back-to-basics approach to building a consistent, repeatable sales process that everyone in your organization can follow. Panelists will explore lead management, follow-up strategies, and practical frameworks to ensure prospects are nurtured, conversions improve, and operational ownership of sales drives sustainable growth.
Collaboration is the New Competitive Advantage
Sustainable growth today depends on ecosystems, partnerships, and cross-sector collaboration. This session shows how organizations can identify and leverage strategic alliances as a competitive advantage while developing approaches to thrive across industries. Participants will also explore how Gen Z and Millennials are reshaping consumer and workforce expectations, and learn strategies to align products, services, and messaging with purpose-driven values—driving both meaningful engagement and lasting business impact.
Sales & Marketing Sessions
- MAR 12
- MAR 13
- MAR 14
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9:15 am - 10:15 am
How Purpose Led Brands Increase Profitability
In today’s competitive market, purpose-driven brands are not only changing the conversation—they’re driving growth and profitability. This panel discussion will explore how aligning your brand with a clear, meaningful purpose can create deeper customer loyalty, enhance employee engagement, and ultimately boost your bottom line. Industry leaders and brand strategists will share real-world examples of companies that have successfully integrated purpose into their business models, revealing how this alignment has led to stronger financial performance, better brand reputation, and long-term sustainability. Attendees will gain actionable insights on how to define their own brand’s purpose, leverage it across marketing and operations, and measure the ROI of a purpose-driven strategy. Join us to discover why being purpose-led isn’t just a trend—it’s the future of business success.
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Jenna Randolph
Fractional CMO & Advisor
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Thomas Drew
Co-founder & Co-CEO, 1AND1
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Wendy White
CMO, Daxco
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1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
A Modern Guide To Brand Building Through Creative PR Strategies
Building a strong brand requires intentional marketing efforts that are fueled by thought provoking storytelling. In this session, you’ll discover innovative public relations strategies that can elevate your brand, learn how to curate creative partnerships, understand how to leverage press exposure through social media, and learn how cultivating relationships with key press and media outlets unlocks hard to open doors. Ignite the power of your marketing efforts by understanding the importance of roadmapping your PR plan. Unleash the potential of your company’s internal voices through thought leadership opportunities to establish your brand as a visionary with tactics that are driven by foresight. Whether you're a PR veteran or just starting to explore brand-building through PR, this session will help you drive brand awareness, strengthen your reputation, and create lasting connections with your audience.
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Paula Steurer
Founder, Sterling Public Relations
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2:45 PM - 3:45 PM
Paid Media in 2025: What's Next for Strategy and Innovation?
Join us for a forward-thinking session exploring how advertising is evolving in response to technological advances, platform changes, and shifting consumer behavior. Our expert panel will cover strategies for adapting to platform updates on Google, Meta, TikTok, and emerging social channels, leveraging predictive analytics for hyper-targeted audience engagement, and exploring creative innovations to capture attention in a crowded digital space. We’ll also discuss next-gen tactics for driving high-quality leads and conversions, equipping your brand to thrive in the rapidly changing media landscape.
A Panel Discussion (Stay Tuned For Panelists Announcements!)
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4:00 pm - 4:45 pm
Cracking the Code on Marketing: An Operator's Perspective on Data-Driven Strategies
A deep dive into over a decade of marketing from a business operator's point of view. A journey full of mistakes & wins, frustrations & excitement, that ultimately crafted a decision making strategy driven by points of data rather than emotional highs and lows or vanity metrics that don't translate easily into return on investment.
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Jeff Sanders
Chief Growth Officer, Energy Fitness
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1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Innovative Membership Models That Are Breaking the Mold
Forward-thinking fitness clubs are redefining membership models to meet the needs of today’s diverse and evolving demographics. Innovative clubs are finding creative ways to allow groups, families, and individuals to share memberships, offering flexible options that fit a variety of lifestyles, work schedules, and modern family dynamics. By tailoring memberships to meet members where they are—both in terms of preferences and financial capabilities—clubs can drive sales and improve retention. Attendees will gain valuable insights on how these flexible models are not only increasing accessibility but also creating more inclusive, community-driven environments that encourage long-term engagement and success.
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Kathleen Ferguson
Founder & CEO, Coach360
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Rob Louw
Chief Growth Officer, Wexer
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Khaled Elmasri
Senior Regional Fitness Manager, Planet Fitness
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2:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Future-Proof Marketing: Next-Gen Strategies for the Modern Brand
Join Amanda Patterson, Founder & CEO at Rocket Fuel Labs, as she reveals how top brands are reshaping their marketing strategies to thrive in an increasingly digital and data-driven world. In this session, Amanda will explore the key components of future-proof marketing, from leveraging cutting-edge tech stacks and AI-powered tools to driving influencer marketing and refining data strategies for maximum impact. You’ll gain actionable insights on how to build adaptable marketing plans that harness the power of new technologies to enhance personalization and engagement. Whether you're looking to optimize your marketing efforts or stay ahead of the curve, this session will provide you with the tools and knowledge to future-proof your brand’s marketing strategy and achieve sustained growth in an ever-evolving marketplace.
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Amanda Patterson
Founder & CEO, Rocket Fuel Labs
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11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Creative Retail Models That Can Drive Revenue
This session will explore innovative retail strategies that clubs are using to boost revenue, enhance membership offerings, and build brand loyalty. Learn how clubs integrate retail with services, offering exclusive merchandise and wellness products that align with fitness goals. Experts will also discuss how to form strategic partnerships with health and wellness brands, creating new revenue streams and enriching the member experience. This session will provide actionable insights into leveraging retail for greater brand commitment and profitability.
A Panel Discussion (Stay Tuned For Panelist Announcements!)
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Lisa Starr
Principal, Wynne Business Consulting & Education
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