Notes from my home town.... and the Conservative Party Conference

Back in my home region of Birmingham, Sayeeda Warsi, Conservative Party Co-Chairman, opened the conference to a standing ovation. We held a Fringe Event at the conference, again looking at tackling the public health crisis. Once again the event was a real success, while our Chairman Fred Turok generated some excellent debate around the benefits of physical activity in dealing with public health issues.

After, it was off to the London 2012 fringe. A surprise guest, Liberal Democrat Don Foster MP, arrived and sat a couple of seats away from me. I raised the question to the panel of the concerns over a lack of a health and sporting legacy being delivered off the back of the games. I requested that he didn’t go into the dropping of the 2 million more people active target and providing information around school sport, but that’s about all he included in his answer.

At the Health Hotel reception in the evening, it was Andrew Lanlsey and Freddie Howe’s turn to represent the Health Team. I briefly spoke with Andrew to let him know about some of the plans we have in place around the Responsibility Deal and encouraged him to meet with our Chairman, Fred Turok to discuss in more detail.

On Tuesday, Andrew Lanlsey and team took to the stage for the Health speeches. Unfortunately, there was little spoken about public health other than the mention of an impending public health White Paper. For the party who had said they would champion public health and even rename the Department of Health, the Department of Public Health, we are still waiting for the detail.

The Wednesday morning began with an early roundtable event with three members of the conservative health team, The Rt Hon Andrew Lanlsey MP, Anne Milton MP and Simon Burns MP. There was some excellent discussions on our table, talking about how the critical issue for the NHS is to address the declining health of the nation. With the Responsibility Deal for public health which is ongoing, the FIA are in a prime position to deliver this and with a public health white paper due to published at the end of this year, this is an area which is going to be a key focus for the health team. Following the group discussions, Fred and I sat down with Simon Burns MP to talk in greater detail about physical activity policy and the responsibility deal. I couldn’t believe it was only 10.20am and so much had already been achieved!

I queued for nearly 2 hours waiting for David Cameron’s appearance on stage. I kept checking my watch, checking twitter, anything to not get dragged into the riveting conversation about the length of the queue! When I was finally admitted to the hall I was pleased with the view and glad I had dedicated 2 hours to see the his speech. I waited in anticipation as William Hague introduced the shadow cabinet and then the big man himself. As always, there was a spectacle put on with a video summarising the past few months, including the election trail. I listened to a powerful speech but I couldn’t help feeling slightly disappointed as I left. I don’t know whether it was the room and symphony hall which didn’t lend itself well to the speech, but there hadn’t been the electricity I was hoping for. Don’t get me wrong, good points did come out of it but I had to agree with Tim Montgomerie (editor of Conservative Home) when he described it as ‘forgettable’.

And that was it. The final conference of the season was over. Looking back all had been very different. The Liberal Democrat conference seemed to be an attempt to wake up the members and tell them that they now had power! Labour was a look back and self assessment of 13 years in government and was dominated by the Milliband brothers. And the Conservatives was a celebration (*almost* champagne free) for finally being able to call David Cameron Prime Minister with a few scandals of policy announcements.

By and large, our aims and positions were supported by all parties and there are more policy developments to be made around public health over the coming year. 3 cities, 3 parties, 3 fringes – let’s see how they deliver.

What an LIW it was…

On the morning of Monday 20^th September, Mr Jonny Sullens stood atop a surf board, waves crashing around him as he surveyed the building of his empire…  As any good Event Director should do, Mr Sullens was road-testing the products that would, the very next day, be available to the punters of the Fitness Industry…  I still await the photographic evidence of this particular health & safety assessment – The Wave-Surfer.

From the moment we arrived to set up the FIA Industry Lounge on Monday, it was clear that this show would run smoothly (if I may boast such confidence) – conversations with some surprisingly relaxed exhibitors assured me of this.

The buzz of the show kicked in on Tuesday morning as the whir of fitness equipment demos filled the air – kranking, spinning, bikini-clad cross-training – not to mention the “whir-free” varieties: boxing, pole-dancing, dancing… and a rather tired Santa Claus having a snooze (yes, that made me look twice - I thought it was our Finance Director first time around!)

Dave Stalker’s keynote, where he launched the five year industry strategy was the perfect opening to LIW and marks a real turning point for our industry. Stay tuned for the roll out plan…

Hopefully you all had the opportunity to visit us on our mammoth double-decker Industry Lounge stand (many thanks to the Jonnys for creating such an incredible structure that didn’t collapse under the strain of 80 lunch-filled Health & Fitness Leaders, as per my nightmares…).  We enjoyed the pleasure of hosting lunches for SPORTA, Community Sport Seminar delegates and those on the Health & Fitness Leaders Programme as well as meeting our many members and launching our brand new Individual Memberships (which incidentally can be purchased for just £29.99)

The jam-packed FIA Drinks Reception on Tuesday night saw over £300 raised for Help for Heroes – many thanks to all who contributed!  To view the raffle prize winners click here.  We were honoured to have the inspirational Berni Shrosbree with us at the reception to share news of his most recent adventures (unfortunately this was greeted in part by a wall of noise – combatative solutions for next year on a postcard please!).

Wednesday, saw a wealth of free education up for grabs, which was well attended and received.  A part of this was the independent operators tailored IOU Seminars, which saw over 250 clubs in attendance!  The seminars looked at the cornerstones of their operation; concluding with 6 independent club owners offering their views on the challenges they’ve faced over the past year.  The day ended in the best possible way - a huge party in the centre of Birmingham –dancing, a great band and general merriment led to many a sore head the following morning…

Thursday’s seminars with Sport England were extremely popular and couldn’t have come at a better time. We look forward to working further with them in the build up to 2012.

All in all, I think you’ll agree - a full and exciting show. Fabulously organised (our congratulations go to UBM) and diligently attended (our praise goes to those Industry bods that recognise the need to invest in their industry and make the most of events such as these).  It was fantastic to see so many of you there and I look forward to more of the same at the next industry event!

To view our photos from the show – check out the FIA Flickr Page

It’s all happening in Manchester

Stephanie Creighton, Public Affairs and Policy Officer at The Fitness Industry Association looks back on the Labour Party Conference.

This week, was a busy week for Manchester; hosting Chelsea FC at Eastlands at the weekend,  Jonny Depp and Samuel L Jackson in the city filming, and hosting the Labour party conference is no mean feat in one week. Luckily I only found out that Jonny and Samuel were in town as I left, otherwise I may not have spent as much time at the conference!

An important conference for the party, Labour were once again reunited to lick their wounds after their defeat at the May general election and announce who they had elected to be their new leader. Arriving at conference on the Sunday, the winner had already been declared. ‘Red Ed’, as he had become known to some during the campaign, had been victorious, controversially for some as the previous forerunner in the contest, his brother David had been defeated. Ed Miliband’s narrow victory was discussed at length by party members throughout the conference and there were definitely divisions in opinions amongst party members.

Conference for me began with an intimate roundtable event with the shadow health team debating the future of healthcare in the UK. The current shadow team were keen to develop policies and listen to health stakeholder groups advice on their own areas of expertise. The main focus of discussion was around the plans for GP Commissioning Boards, which has been proposed by the current coalition government. Opinions on the proposals were varied and it is clear that more detail is required to understand how this will work effectively in practice. Unfortunately, public health was only discussed briefly. The white paper indicates that a public health service will be developed by the new government, perhaps implying that this would run separately from the NHS and the structures already in place. I was delighted when it was Steve Field, Chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners who raised this, declaring that it was crucial that public health was a priority for GPs and other members of the medical profession. It was great to hear that the GPs were singing from the FIA hymn sheet!

On Monday, I went to the London 2012 fringe with Tessa Jowell, Shadow Minister for the Olympics. Questioned about the sporting and health legacy, Ms Jowell discussed the legacy at length but as always with esteemed politicians failed to address the crux of the question. No actions that have been taken have resulted in a significant increase in physical activity and sporting participation. I pondered on her long response, criticising the loss of free swimming and praising the work of the Youth Sports Trust in increasing participation levels in school sport. I left, pleased that I had sparked a long response but disappointed in the lack of ideas and encouragement.

The most engaged labour MP, pioneering public health, surprisingly was Hazel Blears. Speaking at a DEMOs and Dr Foster Intelligence fringe, she repeatedly affirmed her belief that tackling public health issues were crucial for the health service and were crucial to health reforms. The dedication to public health given at that fringe lifted my spirits.

On Tuesday morning, I could hardly believe my eyes. As I sat with Fred Tuok in the Midland hotel following our meetings with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists and Ben Bradshaw MP, I saw three people drinking Champagne. I had to check where I was. Yes this was the labour party conference. Yes it was pre 12pm. My mind boggled.

The leaders speech on Tuesday was the focus of the conference. I ended up watching it in the exhibition hall where I could hear the live version booming out from the hall, and the screened version which was on a 5 second delay. I knew when the clapping and cheering was coming. Ed’s first speech clearly marked that this was the new generation of the labour party. Only time will tell whether this is the new generation, a new era or a new version of the same.

That evening, as rumours flew around about David Miliband’s future in the party, I was told on good authority that his decision had been made and he had chosen to stand down from frontline politics. His decision was confirmed on Wednesday evening - a great loss to the frontline politics of the labour party.

What a conference! And one which will never be discussed without mentioning the Miliband name. A new generation, a new start, a new kind of politics? This story has only just begun. Leaving Manchester, minus the conference cold I arrived with, I reflect on the two conferences I have just been to which were probably more similar than they appeared on the surface. Both leaders’ were aiming to unite the party members, and show what they could achieve as a collective movement.

Looking forward to next week in Birmingham, I can’t help but feel the conservatives will put on an entirely different show altogether…

A Look Back on the Lim Dem Party Conference

Stephanie Creighton, Public Affairs and Policy Officer at The Fitness Industry Association looks back on the Lib Dem Party Conference.

On the first leg of my political relay I spent four days in Liverpool with the Liberal Democrats. This was a historic conference, the first in 65 years when the Liberal Democrats have formed part of the government. But of course it is not only a Liberal Democrat government but a coalition in partnership with the Conservatives, some of whom made history by coming to Liverpool and addressing the Liberal Party faithful.

Before this landmark conference we waited with baited breath in anticipation of the political fireworks which could explode before our eyes. Media speculation was rife about potential splits in the party and that conference would be the time for the left of the party to voice any anger they had over the coalition and its plans. But no such luck! Liverpool’s conference came and went with relatively little drama. Only a couple of motions and votes took a different line to the official coalition government position but who expected the Liberal party to vote in favour of the ‘coalition’s’ free schools policy?

The man of the moment, the Rt Hon Nick Clegg MP, roused the crowd on the third day of conference with his leaders speech. ‘Stick with us’ was his message to the party, take the opportunity to change politics and make history. A firm speech was delivered which was gratefully received by the conference floor although this led me to consider what he could have said which would have not resulted in a standing ovation?? A confession that he was secretly a Tory who had infiltrated the party years ago and had waited for this day to come? Disappointed this hadn’t happened, I left the hall to reflect on his words.

Luckily I had been sent the speech so I didn’t have to remember much but lo and behold! There was no mention of public health and sport in his address. How could this be? With a public health white paper due to be published in December, the increasing burden on the NHS due to the physical inactivity epidemic, and the Olympic and Paralympic Games being hosted in Great Britain in 2012, surely this should have been high on the liberal democrat political agenda?

But fear not! One Lib Dem Minister covered it. Speaking at a fringe event put on by the FIA in partnership with MEND, WSFF and PSNC, the Paul Burstow MP outlined his party’s commitment to tackling the public health crisis. Referring to a psycho-social-physiological approach to public health, he said that the government had no choice but to tackle the growing number of diseases which were becoming a burden on the tax payer. Announcing that the government would be prepared to use regulatory intervention to tackle public health issues, Mr Burstow highlighted government plans to work in partnership with the private sector to combat these issues with a shared responsibility.

Earlier in the week at the London 2012 fringe event, Don Foster, Chair of the Lib Dem backbench committee voiced his support for the need of a physical activity and sporting legacy from the games. The audience, which was full of local councillors, were supportive and eager to get involved and capitalise on the power of the games in their local areas.

Although we are still waiting for policy specifics, and tangible ways in which industries and local authorities can get involved and deliver, it is clear this is a party (and a part of the government) that is serious about these ambitions.

And so the journey conditions.  Next, I will be reporting in on a new labour leader stepping into the limelight and rallying the party for the very first time and a very busy conservative conference who are still basking in their new government position.

Stephanie Creighton

Public Affairs and Policy Officer

The FIA Welcomes Mark Talley & ‘Making a Difference with Better Variety!’

The FIA is please to introduce Mark Talley, Fitness Director at LA Fitness as one of its key speakers, and special guest bloggers in the lead up to the 'FIA Health & Fitness Conference at LIW 2010' (21st - 23rd September, NEC Birmingham). Welcome!

Everyone tells us we don’t do it well enough, so just how can we start interacting with and engaging our members more effectively? My session on ‘Member Interaction & Engagement - Making a difference with better variety’ will draw upon established research and my practical experience gained over the last 20 years.

As an operator, not an academic, I will provide you with some practical tools and advice to help you create and manage a more engaging experience for your members. In particular I will reveal the new LA Experience, designed to enhance the experience of existing members through increased meaningful interaction, increase engagement of its people and improve sales and membership yield.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Mark Talley

Mark’s session will be taking place on September 22, 11.30am at Leisure Industry Week 2010. For further information about LA Fitness please visit www.lafitness.co.uk.

The FIA talks to Michael Crowe from Think Feel Know ahead of LIW 2010

With just over a week left until LIW, the FIA would like to introduce Michael Crowe, Director of Think Feel Know, who is joining us here as a guest blogger, and at the 'FIA Health & Fitness Conference at LIW 2010' (21st - 23rd September, NEC Birmingham) where he will be exploring the best ways to lead during the recession.



Michael's session will be taking place on September 22, 9.30am at Leisure Industry Week 2010. For further information about Michael Crowe and Think Feel Know please visit www.thinkfeelknow.com.

Introducing TV Life-Coach Pete Cohen & ‘What It Takes to Be Exceptional!’

The FIA is please to introduce TV life-coach Pete Cohen as one of its key speakers, and special guest bloggers in the lead up to the 'FIA Health & Fitness Conference at LIW 2010' (21st - 23rd September, NEC Birmingham). Welcome!

During my session at the ‘FIA Health & Fitness Conference at LIW 2010’ I will be looking at ‘What It Takes to Be Exceptional!’.

Research now shows that the lack of natural talent is irrelevant to great success. So what are the secrets of exceptional people?

Talent has little or nothing to do with being exceptional. You can make yourself into any number of things, and you can even make yourself great or even exceptional.

The first major conclusion I will look to draw during my session is that nobody is great without work. It is nice to believe that if you find the field where you're naturally gifted, you will be great from day one, but this just doesn't happen. There's no evidence of high-level performance without experience or practice.

The best people in any field are those who devote the most hours to what the researchers call "deliberate practice." It is activity that is explicitly intended to improve performance that reaches for objectives just beyond one's level of competence, provides feedback on results and involves high levels of repetition.

But how do we translate this into business? Many elements of business, in fact, are directly practicable. Presenting, selling, negotiating, delivering - you can practice them all!

Maybe we can't expect all people to achieve greatness, it’s just too demanding. But the striking, liberating news is that being exceptional isn't reserved for the few. It is available to you and to everyone, and this is what I will be exploring with you at the ‘FIA Health & Fitness Conference at LIW 2010’.

I look forward to seeing you there!

Pete Cohen

Pete’s session will be taking place on September 22, 11.30am at Leisure Industry Week 2010. For further information about Pete Cohen please visit www.petecohen.com.