Review: LIW 2016: a hub for workforce development across all sectors

From new product launches to demonstrations, and a wide range of educational events, we take a look at the highlights of Leisure Industry Week 2016

Published in Health Club Management 2016 issue 11

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British boxer David Haye attended the show

Leisure Industry Week (LIW) 2016 positioned itself as a hub for workforce development across all sectors, with a focus on education. Education streams were offered in spa and wet leisure, sport, play, facilities management, fitness (including practical coaching and a fitness business school) and health.

While the 2015 speaker line-up focused on big names from the world of sport – including Stuart Pearce, Ben Cohen, Kellie Maloney and Sally Gunnell – 2016 was all about business. The line-up included Warren Knight, CEO of Think Digital First; former head of digital at Microsoft Allister Frost; and former head of the John Lewis Intelligence Team, Andrew McMillan.

Learning from the best
Well-known names from the fitness and physical activity sector also featured in the speaker line-up this year.

As part of the sports stream, Fit for Sport chief executive Dean Horridge delivered a talk on how to improve participation by ‘engaging with the disengaged’ and even looking at why ‘sport is not for everyone’.

Meanwhile in the play stream, senior lecturer at Anglia Ruskin University Dr Lee Smith discussed ‘encouraging activity within the family unit’, while principal research associate at Cambridge University Dr David Whitebread discussed the ‘value of play for young children’s development’.

Spa & wet leisure also had a strong presence at the show, with exhibitors including the likes of AquaMat, ColdTub, SRS Leisure and many more. The education stream featured Invictus Games swimming champion Mike Goody discussing ‘how to turn your swimming teachers into champions’.

The facilities management education stream featured talks on smart energy strategy, employee engagement, interpersonal communication, recruitment, safety culture and sales. Speakers included Planday CEO John Coldicutt, Pure World Energy CEO Simon Wright, and DataHub director Alex Burrows.

A healthy education
Those attending the sporta Health Improvement Conference heard from Public Health England’s Dr Mike Brannan, in his session discussing ‘the challenge of getting everyone active’, and East of Riding Leisure’s Kevin Hadfield explaining a case study on GP referrals. Hayley Jarvis discussed ‘the role of physical activity in tackling mental health issues’ and Dr Dane Vishnubala of Core Fitness looked at how ‘the fitness industry can get more involved in the physical activity agenda’.

Meanwhile, the fitness stream covered three distinct zones – the Fitness Business School, practical coaching sessions and a nutrition zone. Fitness professionals had the opportunity to learn from a number of leading coaches and educators, while leading figures in the fitness industry led sessions which looked at the practical application of fitness training and nutrition.

Throughout the two days, energetic demonstrations of the latest classes were provided by Sosa Dance Fitness, BhangraBlaze and Hulafit. Urban Attack ran an assault course, and the Trampoline Park was once again a great place to let off steam.

The Hottest new products of LIW 2016

ClubWise aids retention

ClubWise used the event to introduce the FitSense app. This member engagement and retention tool works by converting members into regular, habitual gym users. FitSense helps members turn gym attendance into an enjoyable habit by satisfying the member’s key emotional drivers and thus stimulating a healthy obsession with getting fit.

fitness-kit.net keyword: Clubwise

Stairmaster

HIITs the spotCore Health and Fitness is launching a new high-intensity experience under its Stairmaster brand with the HIITMill and HIITMill X. This new speed and strength training tool is designed to build explosive power when used in a high intensity interval training programme. It captures the benefits of pushing, driving and sprinting with resistance. The HIITMill X is a self-powered, non-motorised, portable training tool that offers the benefits of sled training, lateral training and speed and agility training.

fitness-kit.net keyword: Core Health & Fitness

Craig Young: Bells, walls, tyres & bikes

Craig Young Consulting introduced several new products to the market at LIW. Ergonomic and versatile NuBells can be used as hand weights or slipped onto curl and straight bars in seconds. They have been proven to alleviate stress on the wrists and elbows. Another product, the Training Wall, is a versatile, space-saving piece of fitness equipment. It can be completely customised and offers a range of accessories.

Gym Gear’s Tornado Airbike has a dual-action design which delivers a full body workout, and over 20 per cent more resistance than its competition. Also launched was TireFlip 180, manufactured by The Abs Company. It is a new functional training device that offers all the benefits of tyre training in a safe, space-saving design. It has added weights stored neatly inside, plus rope anchor points and attachments.

fitness-kit.net keyword: Craig young

TireFlip 180 by The Abs Company

Escape raises its levels

Escape’s new Deck 2.0 is designed to be used in three different modes: Step, Ramp and Bench. Within this, it offers 16 different configurations for step, bodyweight, plyometric, resistance and strength training exercises. It features an anti-slip rubber top surface, adjustable backrest supported by strong steel tubing and integrated storage for quick access to hand weights or resistance bands.

fitness-kit.net keyword: ESCAPE

Escape’s new Deck 2.0 offers 16 configurations

Hypervibe delivers good vibrations

HyperVibe took the opportunity at LIW to release its new commercial Whole Body Vibration Machine Galaxy G25. The Galaxy is capable of reaching G-force of up to 25 Gs, but gives almost no head vibrations due to its side-to-side action.

fitness-kit.net keyword: HYPeRVIBE

Jordan: To the max

Jordan launched CorMax Bags. These are water fillable, reinforced PVC functional training products that allow numerous lifting movements. The water makes the movement unpredictable, which challenges every muscle in the body.

Also from Jordan are the Ignite V2 Studio Barbells. With a range of customisation options, the barbells feature an innovative anti-roll design and a locking mechanism to keep discs in place.

fitness-kit.net keyword: JORDAN

Jordan’s new CorMax bags can be filled with water

Octane eliminates running stress

Designed to enable anyone to run and to help runners improve performance, the Zero Runner ZR8000 from Octane replicates natural running but eliminates the stressful impact that can compromise form, cause fatigue and lead to injuries. With the smart console, unique stride tracing technology enables users to monitor their stride throughout workouts for stronger form and better results.

fitness-kit.net keyword: octanE

Origin Fitness revolutionises the treadmill

For the first time at a UK show, Origin Fitness demonstrated the capabilities of the Speedfit Curved treadmill. The Speedfit allows users to walk, jog, stop and sprint instantly, with no intervention other than shifting your bodyweight forward and backwards, and no need to touch any buttons.

Origin Fitness also launched the OC Series indoor cycles, including the OC3 and OC5 cycles, which are both designed to offer a high performing, reliable bike packed with great features at a competitive price point.

While the OC3 caters for customers interested in a chain drive cycle, the upgraded OC5 provides a quiet belt drive alternative as well as dual bottle cage and fore/aft handlebar adjustment.

fitness-kit.net keyword: origin

Origin’s Speedfit Curved treadmill

Physical Company’s HD resistance tubing

Physical Company launched 16 new products at LIW, including a range of resistance tubing with four resistance levels. Offered as an alternative to dumbbells and kettlebells, the sturdy but lightweight tubes come complete with plastic handles for improved grip and heavy duty use.

fitness-kit.net keyword: PHYSICAL company

Planday’s easy scheduling

Planday is an employee management system that makes employee scheduling quick and painless by automating many processes. For example, employees are automatically messaged when the employer makes a change to their schedule. Employees can also request schedule changes through the system, making time off requests easy to handle.

fitness-kit.net keyword: planday

Clear swimming from SRS

SRS Leisure’s new Pool Scorpion swimming goggles are hitting the market in January 2017. The curved, anti-fog treated lens is shaped to increase the swimmer’s range of vision, providing extra wide peripheral vision both over and under water.

The TPR eye gasket sits around the eye socket for added comfort, yet maintains a low, sleek profile to create a streamlined position in the water, minimising drag. A double silicone strap comes with one easy adjustment clip positioned at the back of the head and reinforced with a non-slip clasp.

fitness-kit.net keyword: SRS LEisure

The Great Outdoor Gym Company’s new rig

The Great Outdoor Gym Company launched its new functional training rig for outdoor spaces. The new rig allows for a range of multi-functional workouts, with stretch and flexibility stations for incline press-ups, dips, planks and leg raises, plus a multi-functional ladder on which to perform sit-ups, crunches, hangs, leg raises and raised feet push-ups.

fitness-kit.net keyword: TGOGC

The Great Outdoor Gym Company’s new training rig

Total Gym’s bodyweight rowing

The Total Gym Row Trainer, featured at LIW, is the only incline bodyweight rower on the market. It uses adjustable body weight resistance to allow versatile full-body concentric and eccentric workouts and is designed for use at any skill level.

The Row Trainer supports multi-planar movements such as side-to-side rowing and canoeing exercises, plus a multitude of other movements.

fitness-kit.net keyword: total gym