Applications sought for leaders and organisations to join Global Health and Fitness Alliance

The International Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Association is inviting leaders and organisations to join the Global Health and Fitness Alliance’s expansive team.

In a communication, the USA-based body advised “the GHFA is open to include industry leaders who want to contribute and make a difference (which) includes being part of the first-ever Global Economic Impact Study for the fitness industry.”

The Alliance was born during the early months of the pandemic, with IHRSA setting up an inaugural meeting of global industry thought leaders in November 2020.

Then, in the February 2021 edition of its Club Business International (CBI) magazine, a feature introduced GHFA, with IHRSA then announcing the GHFA’s mission and objectives in a press release.

The GHFA’s goals include:

• Positioning the health & fitness industry as a key contributor in the preventive healthcare continuum.

• Promoting the industry’s vital contributions to the health, well-being, and prosperity of societies.

• Facilitating third party, credible, evidence-based research on the health and fitness industry’s benefits and economic contributions.

• Promoting policies, standards, and regulations that support health and fitness business operations.

GHFA Application Criteria
The following criteria will assess those who wish to apply:

• The applicant is recognized as an industry leader in their country, region, and/or internationally. (An industry leader is a C-suite level executive known for thinking beyond their own business and desires to grow the industry for all stakeholders.)

• The applicant is a strategic thinker and willing and able to participate in the depth and breadth of GHFA objectives.

• The applicant must be willing to act collaboratively in a trustworthy manner and avoid activities that are considered a conflict of interest.

• All those accepted into the GHFA are expected to participate actively, including attending the majority of the central meetings and ideally engaging in at least one of the working groups. (If you cannot attend one of the central meetings on occasion, you may delegate an appropriate C-level representative from your company, which must be approved in advance by the GHFA coordinator.)

The GHFA will review applications to ensure that all regions are represented and have a voice. If we achieve sufficient representation from a country or region, we may turn down the application. However, it may reconsider the application in the future. The GHFA will disqualify any applicant or organisation from the application process which has acted unprofessionally or disreputed the industry.

The IHRSA Board International Committee will act as the final arbitrator in the event of any appeal on these grounds.

The GHFA Leadership Team
Over 80 health clubs, industry suppliers, national industry associations, and other fitness industry stakeholders participate in the GHFA.

The GHFA has a leadership group that meets regularly to agree on strategy and changes and monitor progress.

IHRSA’s Kilian Fisher is the GHFA coordinator number of the IHRSA Executive Team and other staff. In addition, there are several voluntary facilitators for the main subgroups:

• Art Curtis, Ph.D., GHFA Research Group Facilitator, President of Curtis Club Advisors and former IHRSA Board Chair

• Justin Tamsett, GHFA Facilitator, Managing Director of Active Management and REX Roundtables Chair in the USA, Australia and New Zealand

• Greg Oliver, GHFA Long-term Strategy Group Facilitator, Chief Executive and Managing Director of Fitness & Lifestyle Group

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