AUSactive’s Barrie Elvish named Chair of World Active Forum

The newly formed World Active Forum has named Barrie Elvish, Chief Executive of AUSactive, as its first Chair.

The group, which was officially formed on 20th June during a virtual meeting of constituent industry association leaders, aims to connect fitness industry associations worldwide and provide the fitness and physical activity sector with a unified voice at the global level.

Initiated by 47 associations from around the world, including AUSactive, with 29 European associations and the Fitness Business Association and the Medical Fitness Association from the USA, the World Active Forum (WAF) aims to connect fitness industry associations worldwide and provide the fitness and physical activity sector with a unified voice at the global level.

With the mission and slogan of ‘more people, more active, more often’, WAF aims to “be a formalised global meeting place and a future collective representative body for national and regional fitness industry associations from all continents.”

WAF members will meet virtually every month until the World Active Summit in April 2023, which will be the first physical gathering of WAF to be followed by similar annual gatherings around the globe, in conjunction with trade shows and other significant industry events.

WAF members will establish a steering group and several working groups, covering topics from skills and workforce, data collection and research, public affairs, and a commercial stakeholder advisory group, which will allow for the involvement of industry experts from all continents.

The next meeting on 16th August will include a presentation by Dr Fiona Bull, head of the World Health Organization’s Physical Activity Unit who will share her perspective on the role of the fitness and physical activity sector as part of the solution to common public health challenges, and about the need for global collaboration.

While Elvish (pictured), a founding member of WAF and elected by his peers as its first Chair, will head the group, its secretariat function will be performed by EuropeActive.

The members of WAF agreed on the principle that the chair and secretariat functions of the WAF will rotate between its members on an annual basis.

More information about the group can be obtained by emailing thesecretariat@world-active.com