| News & Know How | News from Latin America
Expo & Conference Imminent in Buenos Aires
Café of Premier’s new Santa Cruz club Premier Opens Fourth in Bolivia P
remier Fitness Club, which made its debut in 1999, has just opened its first facility in Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Santa Cruz), the largest city in Bolivia, bringing its total
to four sites. The new 16,145-square-foot club, located in the IC North Mall, has a strength and cardiovascular training area and offers a wide range of classes, including group-cycling, yoga, mat and reformer Pilates, self defense, pole dancing, and Body Training Systems (BTS) programs. “As a company, we grow to meet the needs of our clients,
who want to improve their quality of life,” explains Ricardo Issa, the founder and CEO of Premier. “This new site in Santa Cruz was designed to offer the best possible service. In order to achieve that, we’ve employed the newest technology available in terms of lighting, sound systems, air conditioning, and float- ing fitness floors.” The Santa Cruz debut occurred exactly one year after the
opening of Premier’s first facility in La Paz, the capital of the country. That 8,000-square-foot facility, which cost $400,000 to bring online, is located in the Multi Cinema La Paz. Issa plans to open two additional clubs this year, one, each, in Santa Cruz and La Paz. —|
BodyTech Arrives in São Paulo
> In February, BodyTech, the Brazilian health club chain, opened its first unit in São Paulo, the largest city in the country. The 17,760-square-foot facility, situated in the Granja Viana Mall, has a strength and cardiovascular training area, rooms for group-fitness classes, space for wrestling, a swimming pool, and a snack bar. The club is further distinguished by its
modern design, sophisticated contemporary decor, and wood-finish colors. BodyTech has also invested in technolo-
gies that allow members to track virtually everything that happens in the club on
inform them about class formats, times, and instructors. The opening of the São Paulo site
BodyTech gains strength in São Paulo
video screens. Dashboards that display digital signage provide information on services, workout tips, and weather conditions; and 23" touchscreen displays
coincided with the unveiling of BodyTech’s new corporate identity. The chain has made changes to its logo, adopting a unique new design that employs sophisticated minimalist language; abandoned its signature “A!”; and rebranded itself as BodyTech and BT. “Our expansion plan for the future is
extremely aggressive; we want to close this year with 32 sites and 70,000 mem- bers throughout Brazil,” observes Luiz Urquiza, the president of BodyTech. —|
Editor’s Note: All of the news items on this page were provided by Mercado Fitness (
www.mercadofitness.com). 20 Club Business Internat ional | MAY 2011 | www.
ihrsa.org
> This month, May 13-14, the seventh edition of the Mercado Fitness Expo & Conference will take place in Argentina at the Golden Center, in Parque Norte, Buenos Aires. The event is expected to attract some 1,500 club
operators and fitness professionals from a number of South American countries. They’ll be able to attend 14 management sessions conducted by experts from Argentina, Brazil, and Chile; work- shops on architecture, finance, sales, and retention; and the first international conference for personal trainers devoted to networking and professional development. The Expo’s
Mercado Conference crowd
23,600-square- foot exhibition area will host more than 40 industry suppli- ers, who’ll educate attend- ees about the latest products,
services, trends, and developments with respect to exercise equipment and accessories. The Expo will also have a special room for the introduction of new group-training programs. —|
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