SHOW REVIEW
Leisure Industry Week (LIW) 2010 delivered a great show at the NEC Birmingham in September this year, with a variety of educational conferences, dynamic demonstration areas, networking events and a new world record in marathon running
LIW REVIEW A
s the 2012 London Olympics draw nearer, the plethora of organisations clamouring to be a part of the action
continues to increase. The Games present the health and
fitness industry with a significant op- portunity, which is not surprising given that it boasts almost 3,000 swimming pools and 2,200 halls where sports like badminton, indoor football and vol- leyball are played daily. Not to mention the 5,800 gyms across the UK helping athletes of all abilities, however aspira- tional, to stay in shape. In recognition of this fact, Sport
England and the Fitness Industry As- sociation (FIA) joined forces at Leisure Industry Week (LIW) in September to organise three panel discussions on im- proving the quality of delivery of sport through the fitness industry. The seminars marked the start of a
strategic partnership between the two organisations, which will focus on deliv- ering a digital facilities and participation legacy using the FIA’s 3,000 members. The first panel discussion challenged
delegates to exploit new technology to make it easier for the consumer to play sport. In comparison with other leisure pastimes like eating out or going to the
theatre, sport has a lot to learn. How can it be so hard to find and book a bad- minton court or football pitch, when a few clicks on a smartphone is enough to book a table in a restaurant, tickets to the theatre, a taxi or a hotel for the night? Mobile applications like Splashpath (www.
splashpath.com) are starting to fill this space, but more investment is necessary. With Sport England’s director of prop-
erty, Charles Johnston, in the chair, the next panel focused on the role of stan- dards for the effective design of facilities and the delivery of services. Delegates were given the challenge of bringing down the cost of building new facilities into line with their utility to consumers. Touching on a hot topic, the ques-
tion of quality marks was also debated by the panel. One panellist pointed out that audits and benchmarking tools are very valuable, but not cheap. To lessen the burden on operators, the group discussed the possibility of reducing the number of quality marks and improving their relevance to all operators. With two national governing bodies
of sport (NGBs) represented on the final panel – Badminton England and the Amateur Swimming Association – this session looked at ways for the industry to drive participation in sport
52 Read Sports Management online
sportsmanagement.co.uk/digital Seminars highlight the need to reshape community sport in the run up to 2012
through initiatives such as No Strings Badminton. A franchise model, this is currently being rolled out by a number of local authority operators. NGBs can also help to improve the provision and quality of facilities, and are a key stakeholder in that respect. To download a copy of the presentation visit
www.fia.org.uk
AROUND THE SHOW
Marathon Man Mike Buss completed his 100th Mara- thon in the same number of days on the last day of LIW and visitors gathered round him to support and celebrate his mammoth achievement. Sponsored by Star Trac, Jeep, Brooks, Timex, Juice Per- formance and Gatorade, the challenge raised money for Help for Heroes.
Wavesurfer Exhibiting for the first time in the UK, Wavesurfer encouraged visitors to don their wetsuits and have a go at surfing. Several professional demonstrations took place, showing visitors a number of techniques that can be used while on the wave. The 9m portable installation is perfect for body boarders, surfers, wake boarders, skate and snowboarders.
Issue 4 2010 © cybertrek 2010
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