Download hier het rapport:

World’s largest fitness trade fair will debut new studio and training concepts as well as post-Covid growth opportunities
FIBO, the Leading International Trade Show for Fitness, Wellness and Health, scheduled for 24-27 June, has been postponed and will take now place in Cologne from 4-7 November. “We want to bring the fitness industry together for a much-needed exchange – but not until all the conditions for safe participation are in place for exhibitors and visitors,” said Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein, CEO of organiser Reed Exhibitions Deutschland GmbH.

“The current course of the pandemic and pace of the vaccine deployment does not yet give us and our partners and exhibitors sufficient planning security for the original dates in June, so we are postponing to the autumn. In November, we plan to combine both physical and digital components in order to enable the entire international fitness industry to participate in the trade show together”, concluded  Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein. 

FIBO in November will focus on the future of the fitness industry and will emphasise those solutions that support the industry as we overcome the consequences of Covid. “Fitness is recognised by the medical corps as an indispensable part of the overall health and wellness of the population.  Together with our partners, we will provide concrete answers for not only fitness studios and trainers, but the entire industry can ensure its economic success in the long term after the Covid crisis has passed “, said Silke Frank, Event Director of FIBO.  

New studio and training concepts, digital and growth opportunities
FIBO 2021 will showcase new, health-oriented studio and training concepts, highlight growth opportunities for the industry after Covid and accompany the industry with best practices and future scenarios for digitalisation.

On board for November are the most important partners from the industry such as EuropeActive, the DSSV, FitTech, the DGSP, Georg Thieme Verlag, the German Wellness Association, SpaCamp and the Sportärztezeitung, and they will offer a “Sports Medicine Day” at the trade show on the FIBO Saturday. FIBO will explore the topics of member and customer acquisition, digitalisation, technology and e-commerce, market developments, trends and social changes in order to successfully implement new training and therapy concepts. 

Among other things, investors will report on the most exciting start-ups of the next twelve months. In 2021 – as in the previous year – FIBO will also present content from the “Aufstiegskongress” digitally as part of the hybrid event. The congress offers a high-quality programme with current topics from the fields of management, training, nutrition, coaching, sports economics and corporate health management. At the “Meetingpoint Health & Wellness” there will be lectures on physiotherapy, digitalisation of services, occupational health management, sports medicine and sports physiotherapy. The focus is on the integration of these topics into one’s own range of services and the (re-)acquisition of members or customers.

The core themes are also reflected in a new hall layout in November.  In Halls 1, 4.2 and 5.2 FIBO will focus on training equipment, health, consulting, interiors, wellness and functional training.  In Halls 2.1 and 2.2 the topics will be fashion and beauty, nutrition, group fitness and bodybuilding. For consumers   the focus is on concepts relating to nutrition, athletics, lifestyle and health. There will also be the opportunity to try out equipment and workouts – that are Covid-Safe – and meet ups with celebrities and athletes.  

FIBO kicks off with the European Health Futures Forum (EHFF). The most important international congress for the top decision-makers in the fitness industry will take place on 3 November. Interactive sessions with top European and international speakers will cover the areas of health, digital, community and standards. In addition, up-to-date market data on the state of the industry post-Covid will also be released.  Other EuropeActive events such as EuropeActive’s European Fitness Associations Forum, the President’s Council Summit and the International Standards Meeting (ISM) will complete FIBO Week for the international fitness industry.  

www.fibo.com

Basic-Fit N.V. (Basic-Fit), Europe’s largest and fastest growing fitness chain, has successfully secured a €150 million bridge facility. This facility provides us with additional financial flexibility, which we believe is sufficient to weather the continuing impact of the COVID-19 related government measures and to recommence our growth strategy once these government measures have been lifted. The committed bridge facility is to be refinanced within twelve months. Basic-Fit anticipates to refinance this committed bridge facility with debt, equity or equity-linked instruments or a combination thereof.

As a result of the government measures, following the second COVID-19 wave, we had to start closing clubs again at the end of September. By mid-December, all our clubs in the Netherlands, Belgium and France were closed. We ended 2020 with a total network of 905 clubs (up 121 clubs year on year) of which 851 clubs are still closed, and 54 clubs (Spain and Luxemburg) remain open. We ended 2020 with 2.0 million members (2.2 million year-end 2019).

With the continued uncertainty regarding the timing of reopening of our clubs in the countries where these are currently closed, the additional facility is expected to ensure ample liquidity for Basic-Fit during this pandemic and to keep us well positioned post-COVID-19 to resume our growth path. With our clubs being closed in our largest countries, we continue to manage our cash outflow by keeping capital expenditure at a minimum and operating with a reduced cost base.