FIBO 2024: RX Germany honors women from the fitness, wellness and health industry with the RX Female Award

RX Germany presented the "RX Female Award" in the categories "Youngster" and "Role Model" to Franziska Müller, Paula Menninghaus and Johanna Riihijärvi at FIBO, the leading international show for fitness, wellness and health.

For the second time in a row, the RX Female Award was presented at FIBO in Cologne in the "Youngster" and "Role Model" categories, recognizing women from the fitness, wellness and health industry.

The patron of the RX Female Award was the renowned entrepreneur, investor and author Tijen Onaran. "Especially in today's world, a strong commitment to diversity in business, society and politics is of crucial importance. I am therefore all the more pleased to support initiatives such as the RX Female Award," said Onaran at the award ceremony on April 12 at FIBO in Cologne.

The winners were selected by a prestigious jury, including Herman Rutgers (Ambassador of EuropeActive), Maike Kumstel (Head of Global Enterprise at Sport Alliance), Jennifer Halsall (Woman in Charge at Duende Solutions), Janosch Marx (CEO of fitness MANAGEMENT), Liz Terry (CEO of Leisure Media and Editor-in-Chief of HCM Magazine) and Emma Barry (Chief of Trouble at Trouble Global).

Silke Frank, Event Director of FIBO, emphasizes: "We were delighted to receive numerous nominations for the RX Female Award at FIBO this year. This positive response highlights the importance of female empowerment in our industry."

In the "Youngster "category, Franziska Müller and Paula Menninghaus impressed the jury equally, which is why they decided to award two "Youngsters".

Franziska Müller has an impressive 8 years of experience as a PR manager, with a particular focus on the sports industry in the last 3 years. In her role as PR Manager at "Urban Sports Club", Franziska consistently supports the contributions of women in the industry. "Franziska's tireless commitment to building and maintaining the Women in Fitness Association (WIFA) network is truly exemplary. Her PR initiatives have been essential in expanding the organization's reach and influence," said Jennifer Halsall during the award ceremony.

Paula Menninghaus started a success story in entrepreneurship at the age of 20 as co-founder of "Strong Partners". She has impressively proved her expertise in HR & Jobs through TEDx

and OMR talks. She demonstrates her social commitment by organizing inclusive sports events such as the "Wings for Life" Run and involving disadvantaged young people. "For me, this award is not only a recognition of my personal achievements and our growth with 'Strong Partners', but also a confirmation that belief in yourself, hard work and, above all, a strong team, regardless of industry or gender, will always be rewarded," says Menninghaus.

The winner in the "Role Model" category is Johanna Riihijärvi and is well known in the industry. She is the co-founder of "Kuntokeskus Liikku". Starting with one club, she and her husband have now expanded their company to 51 clubs and are aiming to become the market leader in Finland with 100 clubs by the end of 2025.

Johanna Riihijärvi says: "My husband Heikki and I opened our first club in Oulu, Finland, in 2010. We had two goals: Firstly, we wanted to open a gym with very high quality at an affordable price to make it accessible to as many people as possible. Secondly, to build a business that would allow us to spend as much time as possible with our three children and their hobbies."

This required innovative use of technology and the ability to automate all processes as much as possible. "Our pursuit of maximum automation, smooth processes and high quality have evolved into the extremely lean operating model of 'Liikku'. We have over 60,000 members in our 50+ clubs, but only employ 12 people."

© RX Deutschland GmbH / FIBO

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 will take place in Cologne from April 11-14, 2024 

More info: fibo.com

About RX

RX's mission is to create business for individuals, communities and organizations. By combining data and digital products, RX makes 400 events in 42 industries and 22 countries more engaging. RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professionals and businesses. www.rxglobal.com

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