FIBO 2016 attended by 153,000 record crowd

The organisers of Germany’s 2016 FIBO exhibition have hailed its “exceptional position” in the international fitness industry after the event’s latest edition smashed records.

Held from 6th to 9th April in the German city of Cologne, FIBO 2016 trade show drew a total of 153,000 visitors, including 83,000 trade attendees from more than 100 nations.

Organiser Reed Exhibitions Deutschland expressed pleasure that FIBO’s 960 exhibitors had increased by 32%, floor space had expanded by 23% and that visitor numbers grew by 12%.

FIBO 2016 presented some of the hottest trends in fitness centred around technical innovations, digital offerings and personalised training units. This year’s FIBO saw an entire hall dedicated to EMS (electrical muscle stimulation), with the FIBO visitor survey revealing that nearly one in six trade visitors had plans to invest in this area.

Meanwhile, functional training, group fitness choices, plus strength and cardio training all remained popular areas of investment. Almost half of FIBO trade visitors came to Cologne with concrete investment plans; one in seven said they were planning investments of more than US$229,000 and 7% planned to spend more than $US$572,000.

FIBO 2016 commenced with the European Health & Fitness Forum (EHFF) on 6th April, with industry thought leaders gathering for a jam-packed day of discussion and educational sessions.

The results of European Health & Fitness Market Study 2016 revealed the sector was worth €26.7 billion in 2015, up from €25.2 billion in 2014, representing a 4.9% increase in terms of revenue. Meanwhile, average membership growth in 2015 was 3.9% – 3.4% for the top 10 countries – with the markets in the UK, Germany, Russia and France leading the way.

Offering 10 halls of fitness, wellness and health on a total floor space of approximately 160,000 metre², FIBO is claims to be "the world’s largest and most important fitness industry event."

In 2017, FIBO is being held from 6th to 9th April next year.

Click here to view the Australasian Leisure Management Calendar entry for FIBO 2017.

Image: A total of 960 exhibitors presented the fitness industry trends and innovations at FIBO 2016. Courtesy of FIBO.

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