Emma Barry, Scott Britton and John Penny have been named by ukactive among the keynote speakers for the sector’s flagship boutique event, Sweat 2022, taking place this later month.
The trio will be joined by leaders from boutique and independent operators in the sector to discuss new trends, recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the post-COVID business world and what the future could look like.
Registrations are now open for Sweat 2022, which is supported by Technogym and will take place online on Thursday 24 February.
The event will explore the latest insights and emerging trends through a combination of keynote and panel sessions, and will focus on lessons learned over the past two years, with the aim of supporting boutique and independent gyms to evolve, thrive, and embrace future opportunities for long-term success.
The sessions kick-off with ‘The State of the Industry: UK versus the Rest of the World’, where Emma Barry, Co-founder of Good Soul Hunting, will talk about the latest and future trends in the UK and the rest of the world, examining data from across the world to demonstrate the shift since the pandemic.
Emma will be followed by a keynote from Scott Britton, Founder and Director of Battle Cancer, who will reveal the journey of his organisation.
Scott will talk about the role of the brand, the community and how this is vital to creating an environment people want to be a part of, before opening up the themes to a panel discussion.
In the afternoon, John Penny from Third Space, Louis Rennocks from GRND House, and Andrew Charalambous from Ignite, will ask, ‘Is the hybrid model here to stay?’
The session will begin by reflecting on findings and recommendations from ukactive’s new Digital Futures report, including the demystification of digital.
The panel will then explore the long-term future of the hybrid model, and what it means for the future of products and programming.
This will be followed by, ‘How to invest in order to grow’, with experts sharing insights into business investments, how to identify key trends, and how to create opportunities that will help reshape and grow your business.
More speakers will be announced within the full agenda over the coming weeks.
Huw Edwards, CEO of ukactive, said: “We are delighted to announce these fantastic speakers for Sweat 2022, which promises an unrivalled day of learning, based on some of the sharpest minds and insights in the global fitness sector today.
“This year marks a huge opportunity for boutique and independent operators to come together and plot the future of this incredible industry, as part of our sector’s shared ambition for growth.
“We continue to support our members through their survival, recovery and development following the COVID-19 pandemic, and Sweat 2022 represents a great opportunity not only to reflect on the immediate challenges but also the opportunities we have to shape our future together.”
Steve Ruffell, Sales Director at Technogym UK, said: “We are proud to be the continuing headline sponsor of Sweat.
As the leading industry event for both the private and boutique sectors, it provides the ideal platform for discussions on the industry trends and highlighting the road ahead.
“We have worked together with ukactive to bring together an experienced panel for a thriving discussion on the future of the hybrid model and we look forward to hearing what opportunities lay ahead and ways in which we can grow the sector”.
To register for your free place or for more information about Sweat 2022, click here.