The world's largest fitness trade fair, FIBO, has been rescheduled to November.
The event will take place at the Koelnmesse exhibition centre in Cologne, Germany, from 4-7 November, having initially been scheduled for 24-27 June.
"We want to bring the fitness industry together for a much-needed exchange – but not until all the conditions for safe participation are in place for exhibitors and visitors," said Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein, CEO of organiser Reed Exhibitions Deutschland.
"The current course of the pandemic and pace of the vaccine deployment does not yet give us and our partners and exhibitors sufficient planning security for the original dates in June, so we are postponing to the autumn.
"In November, we plan to combine both physical and digital components in order to enable the entire international fitness industry to participate in the trade show together."
The theme of the FIBO show will be very much on the future of the fitness industry, with elements of the show highlighting the solutions available to a post-lockdown health and wellness industry.
These include new studio and training concepts, as well as digital and other growth opportunities.
Silke Frank, event director of FIBO, said: "Fitness is recognised by the medical corps as an indispensable part of the overall health and wellness of the population.
"Together with our partners, we will provide concrete answers for not only fitness studios and trainers, but the entire industry can ensure its economic success in the long term after the Covid crisis has passed."
This year – as in the previous year – FIBO will also present content from the event's congress element digitally as part of the hybrid event.
The congress offers a high-quality programme with current topics from the fields of management, training, nutrition, coaching, sports economics and corporate health management.
At the “Meetingpoint Health & Wellness” there will be lectures on physiotherapy, digitalisation of services, occupational health management, sports medicine and sports physiotherapy.
The focus is on the integration of these topics into one's own range of services and the (re-)acquisition of members or customers.
FIBO will kick off – on 3 November – with the European Health Futures Forum (EHFF), described as the most important international congress for the top decision-makers in the fitness industry.
FIBO has confirmed to HCM that the 2022 event will move back to its traditional, pre-pandemic slot of 7 - 10 April 2022.
