BOSTON – August 27, 2025 —With just weeks to go, the Health & Fitness Association is set for the 2025 HFA European Congress, taking place October 2-4 at the historic Beurs van Berlage in Amsterdam.
The agenda is packed with fresh content, high-impact speakers, and expanded networking designed to help health club and studio executives thrive in a rapidly evolving industry. The full program is finalized and focused on the theme “Shaping the Future: Uniting Fitness, Health, and Wellness.”
What’s New This Year
The 2025 Congress introduces several firsts, including the Global Advocacy Summit, featuring representatives from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development and the World Federation of Sporting Goods Industry. Presenters will dive into the crucial role national federations play in shaping global physical activity initiatives.
A financial panel on investment trends and market benchmarks will examine the current economic climate for fitness clubs and studios, trends in mergers and acquisitions, and transaction dynamics across markets. Panelists will include representatives from Morgan Stanley, KSLCapital Partners, and Novax & Nordic Capital. This panel is sponsored by Matrix Fitness.
PureGym CEO Clive Chesser will participate in a candid conversation about the brand’s success story as it expanded from Britain across Europe, reshaping the fitness landscape and keeping true to its mission to make fitness inclusive and accessible through its high-value, low-price model.
Congress sessions will be conducted in English, but for the first time, simultaneous translations will be available in more than 60 languages through the Wordly app.
Attendees can skip the app during the language breakout discussions, which will be conducted in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, German, French, and Chinese.
Also new is 1:1 networking, which involves complimentary curated meetings scheduled in advance to bring together qualified buyers and leading suppliers. Club and studio operators who attend these meetings will receive a complimentary copy of the 2025 HFA Global Report.
Keynote Lineup
The event’s first-day keynoter is Les Mills Founder and Executive Director Phillip Mills, whose presentation is sponsored by Virtuagym. Mills’ keynote, “The Power of Reinvention: How Les Mills Shaped Group Exercise for Generations,” explores the power of reinvention, the evolution of group fitness, and its future.
The second-day keynoter is futurist and entrepreneur Christian Kromme, who will share his groundbreaking insights into nature-inspired innovation and the future of disruptive technologies. Kromme digs into how AI is humanizing technology, why a human-centered mindset is key to staying competitive, and how to anticipate disruption before it happens.
In addition to the keynotes, other timely topics on the agenda include:
- The impact of GLP-1s on fitness
- Gen Z and Gen Alpha’s influence on programming
- Growth through franchising and acquisitions
- Global performance benchmarks and investment trends
- Boutique studio performance
Back Again
Theo Hendriks, CEO of Sports and Leisure Group and HFA Europe Council member, returns as local host after serving as host when the event was last in Amsterdam in 2014.
The popular health club bus tours return on October 4, featuring visits to three clubs: David Lloyd, Crazy Monkey, and Club Sportive. The bus tour must be purchased as an add-on.
For early arrivals, a complimentary walking tour on October 1 will showcase three clubs: Sportstudio 79, Trainmore, and SportCity.
The sponsor marketplace returns, along with expanded networking opportunities to foster meaningful connections across borders.
Sponsors for the Congress are Virtuagym, Freemotion Fitness, Matrix Fitness, Fitual, Gantner, PelviX, Taylor Made Designs, Your Reformer, Funxtion, and Geometrik Target.
Sponsorship packages are still available.
Executives can maximize their Congress experience by bringing their entire executive team with special pricing of four registrations for the price of three.
Registration is still open at healthandfitness.org/congress
About the Health & Fitness Association
The Health & Fitness Association (formerly IHRSA), a global community of industry leaders, is the only worldwide trade association providing a unified voice for the community of leaders who operate health and fitness facilities, offer professional guidance on physical activity, and provide the tools and equipment to do so to the millions of fitness facility members who understand that exercise improves their physical and mental health.
Through advocacy, education, and research, the association speaks to opportunities, challenges, and changes that are moving the industry into a new era.
Founded in 1981, the association publishes a monthly magazine, Health & Fitness Business, and operates The HFA Show, the European Congress, and the Fly-In and Advocacy Summit. It also operates partnerships with ChinaFit, Fitness Brasil, and MEFIT Summit. Follow the Health & Fitness Association on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
