FIBO 2023: Health prevention moves further into focus

© Behrendt & Rausch

Fitness and exercise create the basis for physical health. FIBO 2023 will therefore focus even more strongly on health prevention from 13 to 16 April – with new formats, cooperation and a renowned “Health Ambassador”.

500 million people – that's how many will suffer from the consequences of lack of exercise by 2030, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO recommendation: adults should be physically active for at least 150 minutes per week. The experts also assign a key role to the fitness industry. A task that FIBO and its partners accept.

Together with initiatives and partners such as “Exercise is Medicine”, Europe Active and the European Health & Fitness Forum, the BSA Academy and the German College for Health & Prevention, associations, sports doctors and trade media, FIBO 2023 will place even more emphasis on the health aspect of fitness. With its new “Health Ambassador”, the renowned sports scientist Ingo Froböse, Professor of Rehabilitation and Prevention at the Cologne Sports University, FIBO also wants to make the value of fitness for health visible and, above all, tangible for the masses.

“It is important to us to clearly present the key and pioneering role of the fitness industry for people's health,” says Silke Frank, Event Director of FIBO. “Our aim is to bring together all the players in the industry in order to achieve the greatest possible impact via this network.”

The European Health & Fitness Forum (EHFF) by Europe Active at the start of the trade show demonstrate that the fitness industry is playing a pioneering role in several areas. Already on the day before FIBO, 12 April, the EHFF will bring together the industry's top decision-makers. “Transformational Leadership” is the motto of the lectures and discussions and describes how the industry can shape developments and new requirements.

New approaches and practical examples from all areas of fitness, wellness, preventive health care and sports will be presented by FIBO on the four following days of the show. Preventive health care, nutrition and mental fitness are among the topics of the FIBO Congress, which will be organized by experts from the BSA Academy and the German University of Health & Prevention (DHfPG).

The Meeting Point Health in Hall 8 offers a practical programme for studio operators, trainers, sports physicians and, in particular, physiotherapists. The focus here is on synergies and networking between the various disciplines involved in fitness and health. In particular, the “Exercise is medicine Day” will take place on Friday. The lectures at the new symposium on sports medicine and physiotherapy “when therapy becomes training”, which is organized by Georg Thieme Verlag in cooperation with Sportärztezeitung, will also deal with practical and indication-specific examples, innovative methods of diagnostics, modern and combined therapies and individualized training.

In addition, there will be a Meeting Point Spa & Wellness for the first time at FIBO 2023 in Hall 8, which will be designed in cooperation with the German Wellness Association. A specialist stage program and an area for networking are planned in the immediate vicinity of the theme-related exhibition area. On Sunday, there will be the presentation of the international “Spa Manager Award” by the German Wellness Association as well as a (tral) spa camp by The CampCompany. FIBO will be supported in this area by strong partnerships with DEHOGA, Tophotel, “The 101 Best – Future Hospitality Days”, aghz and the German Hotel Academy, among others.

“Physio Future” is the name of the offer that shows young physiotherapists opportunities and possibilities how they can enter the profession after their training. With the IFAA Trainer Plaza, the Functional Forum and the Body & Mind Area, FIBO is also expanding the range of further training on offer. The aim is to dovetail theory and practice more closely and to provide impulses for everyday working life. 

Digitalization is also increasingly determining the fitness industry and the health sector. This is why the “Tech Valley” is being created in the immediate vicinity of the Future Forum in Hall 7. The area offers established companies and start-ups a stage. Above all, studio operators will find various apps, software and hardware solutions for optimizing equipment and fitness offers.

Nutrition, fashion and beauty dominate the scene in Hall 4.2. The focal point will be the stage in the Lifestyle Area, where information on fitness-oriented nutrition topics will be provided in impulse lectures and interviews. Julius Ise, Lisa del Piero and Petra Orzech, among others, are expected to attend. But there will be more than just lectures: The experts will prepare tasty and healthy dishes on site – tasting is expressly permitted.

Those who want to test their fitness level afterwards can measure themselves against the competition in the “Fitness Race for Everyone” by HYROX in Hall 4.1.

There will also be live stage action with top instructors in Hall 5.2 at the Pure Emotion Convention powered by FIBO with Sebastian Piatek, Luciano Mottola, Carlos Ramirez and Mario Schmidt, as well as numerous exhibitors from the Step & Dance, Functional Training, Cycling and Aerobics segments, among others. 

With the “Gaming & Health Area” in Hall 5.2, FIBO is creating a new format for a new community at the show. Gaming and exercise are not mutually exclusive, FIBO wants to make this clear. In addition to the possibility of gaming with pros at the console and meeting well-known creators, visitors can try out workouts, find out how overall performance is improved by appropriate nutrition and what role regeneration also plays in ambitious eSports. 

Meeting bodybuilding athletes such as Jay Cutler, Phil Heath, Urs Kalecinski, Tim Budesheim, David Hoffmann, taking photos with them, collecting autographs and asking questions – that's what makes Hall 10.2 a centre of attraction. In addition to bodybuilding competitions and various talk shows on the FIBO Power stage, the strongman athletes also present themselves there with seminars on the trade visitor days and competitions on the weekend. 

About FIBO  

FIBO pursues the vision of a strong and healthy society and as a global network makes an essential contribution to a long and fulfilling life for people. At the annual FIBO Show, therefore, all players from the fitness, wellness and health sectors come together and form the hot spot for innovations, investments and trends for an active lifestyle. Over the course of four days, FIBO offers here not only business, networking and continuing education at the top level, but also numerous exciting and impressive live experiences. The next FIBO Show will take place in Cologne from April 13-16, 2023. More info: www.fibo.com

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