| Editor’s Welcome |
The mission of IHRSA is to grow, protect,
and promote the industry, and to provide its
members with benefits that will help them
It’s September, which, for nearly everyone, evokes be more successful.
visceral back-to-school feelings. The emotional stir-
Publishing
Editor-In-Chief: Craig R. Waters
rings may have little to do with actual obligations,
Publisher: Jay M. Ablondi
Managing Editor: Rebecca K. Maverick
but, for those in the fitness industry, education is
Editor: Jennifer H. McInerney
Associate Editor: Patricia Glynn
obviously a perpetual process.
Editorial Intern: Mia Coen
Contributing Editors:
Dawn Allcot, Patricia Amend, Phoebe Anderson,
Jon Feld, Julie M. King, Catherine Larner,
That fact is made repeatedly in this issue of CBI and for good
Lesley Mahoney, Jean Suffin, Stephen Wallenfels,
reason. As Contributing Editor Jon Feld notes in his introduction
Kristen A. Walsh
to “Knowledge is THE Competitive Edge” (pg. 46):
Advertising, www.cbimediakit.com
“At any point in time, pleasant, professional, well-informed, Vice President of Advertising & Membership Sales:
and helpful personnel have a greater impact on a club’s smooth
Michele Eynon
operation, and contribute more to a member’s club experience,
Senior Account Manager:
Jessica Gutstein
than any other factor,” he writes. “That’s why staff educational
Advertising & Associate Membership Manager:
opportunities—both internal, to keep a club’s culture and values Christine Paterson
top-of-mind; and external, to promote the highest professional
Advertising Sales Executive:
standards—are critical.”
Donna Garrity
Business Development Publications:
Learning, of course, is crucial for every constituency that clubs
Will Finn
encompass: The owner/operator needs to be alert to specific indus- Publications & Associate Coordinator:
try trends and general economic developments. Employees require
Meghan Burnham
sophisticated skills that demand constant honing. And customers
Art Direction, Design, Production:
should understand why they joined and how to get
HM Studios, Boston, MA
Kerry
the most out of their membership.
internAtiOnAl heAlth, rACQuet
b
rett
& sPOrtsClub AssOCiAtiOn
In Feld’s piece, club operators make the case
President & CEO: Joe Moore
persuasively.
Chief Operating Officer: Anita Lawlor
“For our company, education is a strategic pri-
Executive Vice President of Public Policy:
ority, one that the entire executive team and all
Helen Durkin
of our managers understand and support,”
Executive Vice President of Global Products:
Jay Ablondi
observes Patricia Laus, the founder, owner, and
Club business internAtiOnAl
CEO of The Atlantic Club. And, “At the Cooper
editOriAl & Advertising OffiCes:
Fitness Center, we value education and consider
c/o ihrsA
it one of the pillars of our long-term success,”
seaport Center
70 fargo street, boston, MA 02210 usA
says Brad Wilkins, Cooper’s director of fitness
800-228-4772 usA & Canada
management and development
617-951-0055 | 617-951-0056 fAX
Waldyr Soares, the founder and president of e-mail: cbi@ihrsa.org
Fitness Brasil and the subject of this month’s Q&A (pg. 31), shares
www.ihrsa.org
the sentiment, but with respect to an entire country. Since he
to order reprints of articles,
call 800-228-4772 ext. 192 or
founded his firm in 1989, Soares has become a fitness evangelist
visit www.ihrsa.org/cbi
to a nation of nearly 200 million. His company provides a wide
range of continuing-education services, including conventions,
trade shows, training programs, publications, and research.
His flagship event, the IHRSA/Fitness Brasil Latin American
Conference and Trade Show, a joint effort involving IHRSA, is Brazil’s
®
premier gathering for fitness professionals; and his latest, Wellness Club business international (issn 1043-9692,
Rio 2009, held in June, attracted more than 30,000 people.
usPs 766-570) is published monthly ©2009
by the international health, racquet & sportsclub
Jay Ablondi, IHRSA’s executive vice president of global products Association, seaport Center 70 fargo street,
and a featured speaker at Wellness Rio, is another strong advocate
boston, MA 02210. All rights reserved. Periodicals
postage paid at boston, Massachusetts, and
of instructive efforts. In “Put the Media to Work!” (pg. 41) he points
additional mailing offices. Canadian sales
out that Get Active!, the association’s consumer magazine, has
Agreement #40767601.
been positioned to entertain, inform, and motivate. “The articles
subscription rate for members is $48 per year,
which is included in the dues. Additional subscrip-
in it,” he explains, “showcase what clubs have to offer, educate
tions $24.95 per year (usA) and $75 (international).
readers about the benefits of regular workouts, and help them POstMAster: Please send change of address
develop healthy exercise and nutrition habits.”
to Club business international, c/o ihrsA,
seaport Center 70 fargo street, boston,
It’s an important lesson that now, more than ever, the world
Massachusetts 02210
needs to learn. —|
Vo l u m e 29, Is s u e 9
4
Club Business International | SEPtEMBER 2009 | www.ihrsa.org
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