More than 10,000 industry professionals registered to explore innovation, education, and new partnerships across a trade show floor featuring 380 exhibitors

San Diego, CA–March 20, 2026–The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) concluded The HFA Show 2026 this week, with more than 10,000 health and fitness industry professionals registered from around the globe, along with 380 exhibitors showcasing the latest equipment, programming, technology, and software, and 150 expert presenters and educational speakers for three days at the San Diego Convention Center.

The evening before the show’s opening, 240 people gathered for the HFA Hall of Fame, which honored the organization’s second class of inductees and raised more than $200,000 for the HFA Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity that works to support health through exercise. The evening also included a celebration recognizing Elaine LaLanne’s 100th birthday and her lasting contributions to the fitness industry.

The first day of the show featured a full slate of education sessions and a Zenoti-sponsored keynote by Erica Dhawan titled “Win Together: Building Resilient, High-Performing Teams in the Age of AI.” Dhawan shared strategies for building trust, fostering agility, and strengthening collaboration in the age of AI. The program also included the Women’s Leadership Summit, followed by the Women’s Leadership Summit Reception, both sponsored by Daxko. The evening concluded with The HFA Show Kick Off Party, sponsored by Hapana with music provided by BMI.

The day also included the Brazilian Forum and the Latin American Forum, both sponsored by ABC Fitness. 

The trade show floor opened on day two with 380 exhibitors and featured destinations including Innovation Alley (sponsored by Sweatworks) that featured the following companies: Alchemy Innovations LLC, AI Advertising by Mixo Ads, BELLIX, Bolt Recovery,  Buzz Bomb Caffeine Company, DetecFit, Fit – M.O., Fit-X, HipDoc, InSquare, MatFresher, Milton AI, Nervō Labs, ObliQ Fitness, OmniFit, OnSight, Silient, Superset App, and xplate.

The trade show also included the New Product Zone featuring nine companies, the Pickleball Experience, and the Demonstration Stage. The show was supported by 52 sponsors overall, including nine in the New Product Zone and five in the Recovery Lounge.

Outside the trade show,  the Recovery Lounge was a place for attendees to relax and hear about recovery products from Am-Finn Sauna Company, CryoBuilt, Silent, WellFit, and WellnessSpace Brands. 

Startup companies in Innovation Alley participated in a Pitchfest each day of the trade show. The winners of the first Pitchfest will be announced soon. They will receive a complimentary booth at The HFA Show 2027 and will be recognized in a future issue of Health & Fitness Business.

The show floor also featured group exercise classes and early-morning workouts, bringing energy to the event while giving attendees the chance to experience new training formats and equipment firsthand.

The second-day keynote, sponsored by Matrix, featured entrepreneur, author, and speaker Jesse Itzler, who delivered “The Spiritual Billionaire.” Blending storytelling, humor, and personal reflection, Itzler shared lessons from his entrepreneurial journey about creating opportunity, cultivating resilience, and building a life that achieves big goals without sacrificing what matters most. 

Prior to the second-day keynote, HFA handed out two awards. The Jim Worthington Advocate of the Year Award went to Chris Craytor, CEO of ACAC Fitness & Wellness Centers, for his service to the fitness industry and HFA. The John Holsinger Global Leader Award was given to LifeFit Group CEO Martin Seibold.

The day also included the 29th Annual Financial Panel, which was renamed the Rick Caro Financial Panel in honor of Rick Caro, president of Management Vision, who created the panel 28 years ago and had moderated it each year until his death in August 2025. 

International attendees participated in multiple events on the second day, including the Canadian Forum, EMEA Forum, APAC Forum and the International Attendee Reception celebrating the global fitness community. 

The final day of the show featured a keynote from Olympic champion Apolo Ohno, sponsored by ROR. In “From Podium to Pivot: How Champions Upgrade, Adapt, and Win Again,” Ohno shared lessons on reinvention, adaptability, and performance in a rapidly changing environment. Additional education sessions, supplier seminars, and trade show activity continued throughout the day.

Prior to the keynote, Bodytech Colombia Co-founder and Executive Vice President Gigliola Aycardi received the Woman Leader Award in Honor of Julie Main. 

Across all three days, the event convened leaders from around the world for education, business development, product discovery, and conversations about the future of the health and fitness industry. Topics throughout the event included leadership, technology, AI, operations, training, recovery, and global industry trends.

“What stood out this year wasn’t just the scale of the event, but the strength of the conversations happening across every part of the show,” said Liz Clark, president and CEO of the Health & Fitness Association. “From the keynote stage and education sessions to the trade show floor, industry leaders came together to share ideas, explore innovation, and build the relationships that will help shape the future of health and fitness.”

HFA would like to acknowledge Alloy Personal Training Solutions, LLC for authorizing the use of its registered trademark “Stronger Together” as the theme for The HFA Show 2026.

HFA thanks this year’s exhibitors and sponsors for their support.

Photos from the show can be found here. The HFA Show 2027 will take place March 10-12, 2027, at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

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 HFA European Congress, and the Fly-In and Advocacy Summit. The association also partners on events around the world, including Fitness Brasil, ChinaFit, MEFIT Summit and Wellness & Fitness LATAM. Follow the Health & Fitness Association on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.