| Editor’s Welcome |
Is it over? Has the Great Recession finally run its unpleasant course? Is the economy truly beginning to trend upward? Is the public reclaim- ing, albeit tentatively, some of its consumer confidence? Is the jobless recovery moving in the direction of new hires? How’s our own industry doing? What does the future hold for clubs?
Past experience and conventional wisdom both suggest that, when it comes to economic recoveries, health-and-fitness tends to lag behind other sectors. Recently, however, a number of indi- cators—experiential, anecdotal, and statistical—tempt one to think that, this time, it may not be so… that the people in our industry, so accustomed to leading, may lead the way once more. If you attended IHRSA’s 30th Anniversary International
Convention and Trade Show in San Francisco in March, you already have a solid sense, I’m sure, of what I’m talking about. Though the skies were overcast, the sun was shining brightly on our industry inside Moscone Center. The enthusiasm, energy, and optimism were
palpable, concrete, and complete—not a single cloud darkened the event’s horizon. Convention attendees, trade-show visitors, exhibitors, reporters—all who experienced the IHRSA gala were captivated and inspired by it, and have been trading glowing anecdotes ever since. As you’ll notice in our “Letters” section, the
accolades have already begun rolling in. So much for compelling impressions, which,
admittedly, are also intangible benchmarks. In April, IHRSA released the results of its annual health club membership survey, and many of the findings confirmed, statistically, what the
four days in San Francisco had so strongly suggested. Last year, according to the report, U.S. membership hit 50.2 mil-
lion, a 10.8% increase over 45.3 million in 2009, achieving a market penetration rate of 16.3%. The number of club consumers, a group that encompasses member and nonmember users/visitors, also rose, to 58 million, a 10.4% increase over ’09. And industry revenues of $20.3 billion were up by 4% over $19.5 billion in ’09. At the same time, the number of facilities increased only
marginally, from 29,750 in ’09 to 29,890 in ’10, with several factors—e.g., the consolidation of some locations, the closing of poorly performing clubs, and the opening of new units in under- served markets—reflecting the Darwinian process at work. “One year doesn’t constitute a trend, but it’s certainly a positive sign
that 2010 saw real membership growth after four years of treading water,” concludes Jay Ablondi, IHRSA’s executive vice president of global products. “The health club industry has weathered the eco- nomic storm of the past few years better than many other industries.” So, is it finally over? Well, what do you think? —|
6 Club Business Internat ional | MAY 2011 | www.
ihrsa.org
The mission of IHRSA is to grow, protect, and promote the industry, and to provide its members with benefits that will help them be more successful.
PUBLISHING Editor-In-Chief: Craig R. Waters Publisher: Jay M. Ablondi Managing Editor: Rebecca K. Maverick Editor: Jennifer H. McInerney Associate Editor: Patricia Glynn Associate Editor: Mia Coen
Contributing Editors: Dawn Allcot, Patricia Amend, Phoebe Anderson, Jon Feld, Julie M. King, Catherine Larner, Lesley Mahoney, Jean Suffin, Stephen Wallenfels, Kristen A. Walsh
ADVERTISING,
www.cbimediakit.com
Vice President of Advertising & Membership Sales: Michele Eynon
Senior Account Manager: Jessica Gutstein
Advertising Sales Executive: Donna Garrity
Business Development Publications: Will Finn
Publications & Associate Coordinator: Meghan Burnham
Art Direction, Design, Production: Holland-Mark, Boston, MA
INTERNATIONAL HEALTH, RACQUET & SPORTSCLUB ASSOCIATION President & CEO: Joe Moore Chief Operating Officer: Anita Lawlor
Executive Vice President of Public Policy: Helen Durkin
Executive Vice President of Global Products: Jay Ablondi
CLUB BUSINESS INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL & ADVERTISING OFFICES:
c/o IHRSA Seaport Center 70 Fargo Street, Boston, MA 02210 USA
800-228-4772 USA & Canada 617-951-0055 | 617-951-0056 FAX
E-mail:
cbi@ihrsa.org www.ihrsa.org
To order reprints of articles, call 800-228-4772 ext. 117 or visit
www.ihrsa.org/cbi
®
Kerry Brett
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