As a result of the consultation process with main stakeholders of the fitness and physical activity sector, EuropeActive outlined its overall priorities and corresponding work programme for 2020 – 2021. The strategy paper, first published in spring, defined how the association would deliver information and assistance for our sector to effectively operate through COVID-19, reopening, and help the sector adapt to the post-C19 scenario.
Based on these strategic priorities, EuropeActive has defined Health, Digital, Community and Standards as the main focus and key priorities for the improvement of the European fitness and physical activity sector during the fall of 2020, or what EuropeActive has titled the Active Autumn. These four headlines will form the core of the Charter for President’s Council - to be officially launched in September- as well as the European Health & Fitness Forum (EHFF) presentation and manifesto. These major topics will also play an essential role in EuropeActive’s series of fitness podcasts to be presented in September.
Health
The European Health & Fitness Forum (EHFF), EuropeActive’s flagship event for operators, employers, national associations, suppliers and other key stakeholders in the fitness and physical activity sector, will be held on Wednesday, September 30th as a hybrid event - partly online and partly on-site. During the event, EuropeActive will reveal its new vision and mission and present an industry manifesto centred around health, digital, standards and community (ESG) to be signed by sector representatives.
Immediately after EHFF, the inaugural meeting of the President’s Council of operators’ CEOs will kick-off followed by a networking dinner for all EHFF participants. The President’s Council will help position our sector towards public health and promote the positive impact on the physical, social and mental wellbeing of communities.
EuropeActive is also in the process of updating its current Knowledge Center into the THINK Active platform with the aim of becoming Europe’s main research centre and eventually a think tank for the fitness and physical activity sector. Furthermore, the European Commission’s renewed focus on Healthy Lifestyles underscores the relevance of EuropeActive’s plans for the future European medical fitness summit focused on leading the debate on fitness and exercise for prehab, medical and healthcare purposes.
Digital
EuropeActive’s data-collection partnerships across Europe aim to gather reliable data on a continuous basis for our publications for the constant improvement and enlightenment of the sector's business decisions and practices. With digitalisation and fitness-tech consolidated during C19, EuropeActive seeks to facilitate and give focus to the sector’s digital and tech community at all our major events going forward.
Accordingly, we have established an advisory digital steering committee which ran our educational webinars on digital and tech, and which will enable EuropeActive to intellectually lead the sectoral debate on digitalisation. A future Digital Council of EuropeActive is envisaged with the aim of uniting and strengthening the digital and tech community of our sector to promote and expand essential digital infrastructure for the fitness industry.
Community
ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance) initiatives of our sector - or what EuropeActive likes to call Active Citizenship – play an important role in demonstrating to the world how individual physical, social and mental wellbeing leads to empowered citizens and stronger, healthier, happier communities. Having identified a widespread desire of the European fitness and physical activity sector to reduce Co2 emissions and improve our carbon footprint, EuropeActive will present our platform for individuals and organisations to commit to a sectoral Green Pledge. In the ESG chapter of the Horizon 2030 book, which will be presented at the EHFF on 30th September, EuropeActive aims to raise awareness around our sector’s many initiatives in environmental protection, social engagement and responsibility towards communities, as well as improving governance structures, e.g. in terms of transparency and accountability.
Another key date in the calendar is the European Week of Sport, a European Commission initiative to promote active and healthy lifestyles through a variety of events across Europe and beyond organized in September by the National Coordinating Bodies and Partners in each member states like EuropeActive. Concepts such as personal wellbeing, immunity, resilience and community will play an essential role during the Week as they already did for the #BEACTIVE HOUR campaign coordinated by EuropeActive in May 2020.
Standards
The Educational Services department of EuropeActive is currently reviewing the Sector Qualifications Framework (SQF) in consideration to the Covid-19 pandemic with the aim of adjusting the professional fitness standards to the current needs and demands. Efforts have also been initiated by the Educational Services department to assure a constant upskilling of our sector’s workforce and leaders through the European Register of Exercise Professionals (EREPS) and the Active Leaders programme in partnership with ukactive.
EuropeActive also put together an online learning programme that covers best practices to help guide fitness club owners and operational staff on procedures for re-opening and running your club with consideration of Covid-19 pandemic restrictions and limitations. Besides, a special e-learning package for operators and managers of fitness clubs will be released in September. The scheme is based on the new CEN European Standards for fitness facilities (EN17229:2019) and intends to become the benchmark for all fitness clubs to improve business and confidence with members and users.
For more information on EuropeActive’s activities, please visit http://www.europeactive.eu/