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The organisers of the World Fitness and Wellness Summit, Exhibition and Awards, scheduled to have been held in Singapore from 14th to 16th April, have advised that having taken “onboard feedback alongside the growing health threat of Coronavirus, other regional and international developments - new outbreaks, government enforced travel restrictions, company travel reduction - and a wide-spread anxiousness about attending public events”, the Summit will be postponed.

In a notice to stakeholders and registered and potential delegates, Daylin Limonte, FIT Summit’s Head of Marketing and Communications advised “we have not taken this decision lightly. Our industry more than ever needs connectivity, engagement and the sharing of ideas and innovation but more importantly it needs to be healthy, happy and safe.

“Our industry’s own long-term health is dependent upon the health of those within it and while it is disappointing not to run as planned, it is in the best interest of our industry, our people and our communities, that we postpone.”

The rescheduled event will now be held from 3rd to 5th August in the same venue, the Raffles City Convention Centre in Singapore.

The main conference and exhibition will be held over 3rd and 4th August, with the Awards Dinner to be held on the night of 3rd August and additional masterclasses and social activities presented on 5th August.

Limonte added “between now and August the FIT Summit team will work diligently to deliver an even better event than we originally planned.

“One of the areas we had planned to invest in for our 2021 Summit was to overlay a virtual event on top of the physical event. We can now look to implement this sooner and include version 1.0 over our August event. This will provide great additional exposure to all involved with the Summit.”

IHRSA 2020 withdrawls
It  has also been reported that major exhibitors Life Fitness, Precor, Keiser and Freemotion have withdrawn from the 2020 International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association exhibition, due to be held from 18th 21st March in San Diego, California, USA.

The companies are understood to have put a hold on travel due to concerns related to the Coronavirus, which would affect their attendance at the event.

Announcing their decision, Life Fitness advised “while we sincerely appreciate the additional steps IHRSA is taking to make the show safe for all attendees, the health and safety of our employees and their families will always be our top priority. We are exploring alternative ways to bring our brand and product experiences to our customers at another time this year."

In addition to the cancellation by the suppliers, fitness club operators including Retro Fitness, World Gym and WellBiz have put restrictions on company travel, meaning their employees won’t be attending IHRSA.

On 4th March, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency for the state, with the proclamation aimed at preparing communities and the health care system should the Coronavirus spread more broadly.

Click here for details of the World Fitness and Wellness Summit, Exhibition and Awards in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.

Image: The Raffles City Convention Centre.

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