Aquatic and recreation industry stakeholders come together to consider united industry representation

Consideration of ways to better represent the aquatic and recreation industry in Australia has today seen a coming together of stakeholders on the Gold Coast.

Staged under the auspices of the Aquatic Recreation Network Australia (ARNA), the Aquatic Industry Strategy Summit/Uniting the Agenda Workshop, brought together more than 50 stakeholders representing key organisations, businesses and industry suppliers to consider better connections in the industry.

Facilitated by Martin Sheppard, Managing Director of Smart Connection Consultancy and owner of the National Sports and Physical Exercise Convention, the full-day event saw Sheppard presented a rationale for uniting the industry, looking back at the challenges of the pandemic and the need for an “aligned voice”.

Sheppard’s pointed out that “we are a diverse and extensive ecosystem that impacts on community health and wellbeing outcomes, but we don’t have a single voice that allows all levels of Government to talk too about the broad ecosystem”.

However, discussions on the definition of the aquatic and recreation industry ecosystem and whether to focus on its function or impact initially proved to be inconclusive - although progress on this was made at the end of the day.

Breakout group sessions then went on to consider how any representation of the industry might work in terms of leadership and advocacy, services, funding and capacity/capability building.

The Summit/Workshop then heard an external view on the changing role of industry associations and the dangers of associations being seen as "cliques" from associations management expert Belinda Moore, Director of Strategic Membership Solutions.

Statement of Industry Intent
The day concluded with Kathy Parton, Chief Executive of Aquatics and Recreation Victoria (ARV -the body which coordinates ARNA) and Justin Scarr, Chief Executive of Royal Life Saving Society - Australia (RLSSA) agreeing to compile a one to two page ‘statement of industry intent’ for circulation on how representation of the aquatic and recreation industry.

Attendance
Taking place after the SPLASH! Swimming pool exhibition, attendance at the Summit/Workshop include representatives of Aquatic and Recreation Institute (NSW), Aquatics and Recreation Queensland, ARNA state representatives from the Northern Territory and Tasmania, ARV, Australian Swim Schools Association, AUSTSWIM (Australasian Council for the Teaching of Swimming and Water Safety), Humanability, IAKS ANZ, LIWA Aquatics, RLSSA (including state bodies), SPASA and Swimming Coaches & Teachers Australia (SCTA) along with contract management companies Aligned Leisure, Belgravia Leisure, BlueFit, City Venue Management, Clublinks, the LSA Group, Rackley Swimming and the Y and representatives of Australasian Leisure Management and suppliers Atlantis Liquid Dynamics, Fluidra, Maytronics and Paramobility.

Article amended 10.30pm, Sunday 25th and 1.40pm, Tuesday 27th August 2024.

As of 20th September the presence of the Australian Swim Schools Association was also included.

Image shows attendees at today's Aquatic Industry Strategy Summit/Uniting the Agenda Workshop.