The first Fitfair, a conference for ‘fanatic’ athletes and sportondernemers, this weekend takes place in Utrecht. “Entrepreneurship in the fitness industry is making a huge advance,” says founder Norman Soares.
Of bodybuilder Tavi Castro to bikinibabe Paula Janson, the ‘fitboys and girls’ are now, in 2017 no more display the way to think. There is a large group of entrepreneurs active in the field of healthy eating and exercise.
“The netherlands has about six thousand personal trainers, and nineteen hundred and gyms,” says Soares. “Approximately three million Dutch people have a fitness membership.” That are not only people, but once a month go to the gym. Understand the number of real fanatics also grows.
That is exactly the group where Fitfair focuses on: people who are seriously engaged with sports, both professional and personal. “We have 178 program components, speakers, workshops et cetera. There are about 4,500 tickets sold.”
OutsideThe popularity of fitness blames Soares on social media. “More and more people paying attention to the outside. They are drawn to celebrity’s and models.”
A more positive explanation lies in the fact that people find it important enough to take time for themselves. “Sport is also a way to break free from all that digital violence and to reduce stress.”
Fitfair is the ‘sister’ of the dance event Dancefair in 2012 by Soares was set up. “I found it crazy that people who dream of a career in the dancescene nowhere they could go,” he says. “An event such as ADE for the established order, Dancefair for emerging talent.”
YouthThe same applies more or less for Fitfair, this event is “certainly not” only for the youth. “There are sportcongressen, but you’ll learn nothing,” says Soares. “Here, everything revolves around the sharing of knowledge with like-minded people.”
The building has according to Soares, a lot of freelancers who would like to gain inspiration from others. Also, there is a group of traditional sportschoolhouders who benefits from innovation. “The younger generation speak in a different way than most are accustomed to,” he says.
The so-called millennials do everything online, and are useful with smartphones and apps. “Do you want to remember as an entrepreneur in the sector, then you should obviously capitalize on digital trends.”
In many gyms you can, for example, personal training sessions via an app on your phone. “The important thing is that you as an entrepreneur to your target audience to know, so that you know where your customers are located.”