Just last November, IDEA collaborated with Life Time Fitness and Merritt Athletic Clubs to host two IDEA Personal Trainer Forums in the greater Washington, D.C., area to bring important industry information to the personal trainer community.

The forums began with an introduction to IDEA, a preview of our upcoming 2003 IDEA Personal Trainer International Summit® convention and recognition of our generous raffle sponsors: PTontheNET.com, Nautilus Health and Fitness Group, and the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). The participants then broke into discussion groups to share challenges to and strategies for becoming more successful trainers. Once all of the participants reconvened, they had a new awareness of and workable solutions to these problems affecting their businesses:

  • how to market their businesses
  • how to apply their knowledge in a practical setting
  • how to find and retain quality staff
  • how to define their products

  • how to create marketing strategies and partnerships with
    corporations

  • how to target the senior market

The forums also provided trainers and managers the opportunity
to network with colleagues and generate business-building ideas. Here are what some of the participants had to say about the events:

  • “I was going to leave before lunch, but it [was] so good that I [had] to stay!”—Sport & Health
  • “This was perfect. Thank you. This [networking] was exactly what we needed at exactly the right time.”—Gold’s Gym
  • “IDEA leadership helped make it an excellent program. Some of the professionals I met will remain part of my network.”—Private Training Studio

    • See the ad on page 51 for details about the next IDEA Personal Trainer Forum.