Leisure Industry Week 2011, 'Where Innovation Meets Inspiration', kicks off at Birmingham NEC tomorrow with highlights including a dedicated Youth Engagement Zone and a new CPD Masterclass Arena and Seminar theatre.

The CPD area will allow visitors to LIW to collect CPD points by booking onto training sessions and seminars. The LIW Education Village will offer more than 150 hours of free seminar content throughout the 3-day event, which runs this week from Tuesday 20 - Thursday 22 September.

LIW has also joined forces with Technogym this year to showcase a special London 2012 Team GB-Paralympics GB area at the show.

LIW portfolio director Jonny Sullens said: "Participating clubs will get the chance to win equipment from the Olympic Village gym, and REPs-accredited trainers will be able to enter a competition to win a place as a trainer in the Olympic Village gym during the Olympics and Paralympics."

Also new to the show is the FIA Spark of Innovation Showcase. Nominees for the 2011 FIA Spark of Innovation FLAME Award will be highlighted at the show, and the 2012 nomination process will be launched.

The FIA Spark of Innovation Award, part of the Outstanding Performance Awards, is a new addition to the FLAME Awards and aims to highlight a club that has made a profound impact on the way in which the industry delivers excellent service.

David Stalker, CEO of the FIA, says: "LIW is one of the most important events in our industry calendar. We have been working with LIW this year to develop a schedule that reflects the work we're doing to drive the industry forward, and we're delighted to bring to delegates an event packed with the very latest industry news and opportunities."

Continuing the theme of innovation and in a world first, Cranlea and Instyle Fitness have set up a virtual biathlon Web Racing competition exclusively at LIW, using innovative and revolutionary products that allow live online training in the virtual world. Visitors will have the opportunity to run and ride, logging their combined times in a bid to win a brand new magnetic braked M10 Aerobike and full Polar heart rate cycle set-up.

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