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As I was walking my dog (Dillon) this morning my mind inevitably turned to work. I know it sounds sad, but my early morning walks with my red setter are always a good time for me to think about the various things bubbling away on my agendas – whether its work or my son’s A-levels (thankfully now a past worry). On this occasion it was work; the fact that next year the FIA will be celebrating its 20th anniversary and I pondered about how the world has changed in the last 20 years. 
For us in the fitness industry it’s been evolution at the speed of sound. From Fonda to globally-networked exercise cycles, as well as rowing and running machines: from leotard enthusiasts to GP referrals: from niche fad to ‘government delivery partner’.
Twenty years ago who would have thought that the Government would give us money to take our proposition into our communities – but I suppose 20 years ago who would have thought that we’d be talking about ‘50% of the adult population being overweight or obese’. Mind you, 20-years ago a fledgling FIA’s only agenda was to try to get the support of an industry that was dominated in all sectors by visionary entrepreneurs focused on picking up on the Fitness boom in the United States and staking a claim on the UK market
Today I (and my team) worry about communications: do the 200,000 odd people who work in our industry know who we are, what we do, how we do it and how we can benefit the 5,700-odd facilities up and down the land. The answer is probably not. It’s ironic, given the great strides we have made in communications; the more we say sometimes the less we are heard. The purpose of this blog is to start a dialogue with those who are ‘listening’. Of course we want to tell you what we’re doing, but more importantly, we want to hear from you about what you’re doing, what you’re thinking, what you want us to do. We might not always be able to do what you want of us, but we will try.
So talk to us
David Stalker, FIA Chief Operating Officer
For us in the fitness industry it’s been evolution at the speed of sound. From Fonda to globally-networked exercise cycles, as well as rowing and running machines: from leotard enthusiasts to GP referrals: from niche fad to ‘government delivery partner’.
Twenty years ago who would have thought that the Government would give us money to take our proposition into our communities – but I suppose 20 years ago who would have thought that we’d be talking about ‘50% of the adult population being overweight or obese’. Mind you, 20-years ago a fledgling FIA’s only agenda was to try to get the support of an industry that was dominated in all sectors by visionary entrepreneurs focused on picking up on the Fitness boom in the United States and staking a claim on the UK market
Today I (and my team) worry about communications: do the 200,000 odd people who work in our industry know who we are, what we do, how we do it and how we can benefit the 5,700-odd facilities up and down the land. The answer is probably not. It’s ironic, given the great strides we have made in communications; the more we say sometimes the less we are heard. The purpose of this blog is to start a dialogue with those who are ‘listening’. Of course we want to tell you what we’re doing, but more importantly, we want to hear from you about what you’re doing, what you’re thinking, what you want us to do. We might not always be able to do what you want of us, but we will try.
So talk to us
David Stalker, FIA Chief Operating Officer
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