Elevate goes from strength to strength

The Elevate “Arena of physical activity, health and performance” goes from strength to strength. In just 3 years, it has established itself as one of the key fitness industry events in the UK. 

There was a good buzz in the lead-up to the show, both on social media and in the press. Booking advanced meetings with clients and partners was positive, rather than being met with the usual reply of “not sure, perhaps I’ll see you there”. In other words, delegates were there to network and ready to do business.

I was lucky to be selected as a judge for the Elevate Innovation Awards, and also to be invited to speak at the conference. Judging the awards was an interesting experience, taking the distinguished panel of judges in pairs around selected stands to meet exhibitors and hear their stories. Regardless of the scores and results, it was a great platform to raise awareness of some very innovative products and introduce some well-connected judges to the exhibitors.

Meeting and networking areas in the exhibition were good with both the central hub and speakers lounge busy but accessible throughout the show. Drinks at the eGym stand, followed by an Elevate drinks reception, and then the DataHub/BigWave hosted ‘after-party’ provided plenty of excellent networking opportunities.

Finally, the conference sessions were all informative and educational, with TV journalist and health questioner Dr Michael Mosely packing out the main theatre for his keynote session. Mark Learnihan of Active Nation and Ariana Alexander from Sweat and Sound presented a really engaging session on creating a physical experience.

The panel debate that I chaired on “Using data effectively” closed out the show. I’m grateful to Jon Winkle, Kerstin Obenauer, and Utku Toprakseven for presenting their viewpoints on member data, and for answering my questions and all the enquiries that we had from the audience. Jon in particular had some great insights into good use of data from the operator’s perspective.

Well done again to Max, Lucy, Frances, and the rest of the Elevate team for a great show. We look forward to the next Elevate on 8 & 9 May 2019!