EuropeActive (EA), the leading voice and non-profit association representing the European fitness and physical activity sector, hosted the second ordinary meeting of its President’s Council (PC) for Fitness Club Operators on Friday 27th November 2020. A key role of the PC is to assist EA in defining and strategising the repositioning of our sector as a public health solution, and to help our sector gain more recognition in our communities. The PC also supports EA with funding of the underpinning public affairs and other activities in relation to EA’s work with national and international authorities, institutions and NGOs.
Participants of the second ordinary meeting discussed the final data and conclusions of the SafeACTiVE research project, which is envisaged to be released this week. EuropeActive Executive Director Andreas Paulsen presented EuropeActive’s recent public affairs initiatives aimed at keeping the fitness and physical activity sector open for business during the pandemic, achieving recognition as essential providers of health and wellbeing, as well as strengthening the general public’s confidence in our sector.
Andreas Paulsen also elaborated on building European level digital data collection partnerships for the sector, similar to ukactive’s DataHub project, in order to continuously measure our sector’s health and socio-economic impact. Furthermore, PC members were informed that EuropeActive is attempting to initiate dialogue with EU Commissioner Dombrovskis and other EU officials to argue against the newly implemented 25% tariff on fitness equipment from the US.
The President’s Council is currently comprised of the CEOs from seven of the largest employers and operator chains in the European fitness and physical activity sector. Anytime Fitness, as the most recent new member of the Council, Basic-Fit International, David Lloyd Leisure, GOfit, LifeFit Group, SATS and PureGym Group. Defining the work of the PC in the coming years PC members all pledged their support for EuropeActive’s Horizon 2025 Manifesto.
President David Stalker expressed that, “I am very thankful for the continuous moral and financial support President's Council operators are giving to EuropeActive during these challenging times. It is essential to have strong sectoral representation to prove how relevant our industry is to keeping European citizens physically active for their health and wellbeing. The support and activities of the President's Council are of outmost importance to achieving the long-term priorities of Health, Digital, Community and Standards as defined in our Horizon 2025 Manifesto."
For more information, please visit https://www.europeactive.eu/stakeholder-advisory-boards