HFA and Fitness Technology Summit Join Forces to Expand Global Industry Connections
New partnership brings together two established European events in 2027 and adds technology-focused programming to The HFA Show in Las Vegas.
WASHINGTON, D.C., MD, UNITED STATES, October 19, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ – The Health & Fitness Association (HFA) and the Fitness Technology Summit (FTS), presented by AltaDX, announced a strategic partnership that will bring together their European events in 2027, creating an expanded opportunity for fitness industry leaders to connect, collaborate, and explore the forces shaping the future of the industry.
The partnership combines the strengths of HFA’s European Congress and the Fitness Technology Summit’s European event into The Fitness Technology Summit: European Congress in Partnership with HFA, taking place May 25–26, 2027, in London.
The Fitness Technology Summit’s European edition is run by AltaDX and LeisureLabs, combining AltaDX’s technology and AI expertise with LeisureLabs’ deep roots in the European fitness and leisure sector.
By bringing the two events together, HFA and FTS aim to create a broader experience for European fitness leaders, combining HFA’s focus on industry growth, research, advocacy, and global collaboration with FTS’s expertise in technology, data, and innovation.
The partnership will also extend to The HFA Show 2027, March 10–12 at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, where FTS will curate three education sessions exploring how emerging technologies are transforming fitness businesses and the member experience.
“Bringing our European Congress together with the Fitness Technology Summit creates an exciting opportunity to build on what both organizations have established and deliver even greater value to our industry,” said Greta Wagner, HFA interim president and CEO. “Our industry is evolving rapidly, and the conversations about technology, innovation, business growth, and the role of fitness in improving health are increasingly interconnected. By joining forces, we can bring more leaders, perspectives, and expertise together while strengthening the relationships and collective voice that will move our industry forward.”
A New Chapter for HFA’s European Congress
The 2027 European event builds on the success of the 2026 Health & Fitness Association’s European Congress, with ukactive as the local partner and EVOLVE as the local host. It also reflects HFA’s longstanding commitment to bringing together fitness leaders from across Europe and around the world. HFA and FTS see this collaboration as an opportunity to create a forum for associations and operators across Europe to share research, address industry challenges, strengthen relationships, and work toward common goals.
Through the partnership, attendees will benefit from the combined networks and expertise of both organizations, connecting industry associations, fitness operators, suppliers, technology providers, entrepreneurs, and investors in a setting designed to encourage collaboration and practical conversations about the industry’s future.
The event will explore the opportunities and challenges facing fitness businesses, including emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, data-driven decision-making, member engagement and retention, and the evolving role of fitness in health and wellness.
By integrating these perspectives into one event, HFA and FTS aim to create a leading forum for collaboration across the European fitness sector.
Bringing Technology Expertise to The HFA Show
The partnership will also introduce FTS-curated education sessions at The HFA Show 2027, HFA’s flagship global event, taking place March 10–12 in Las Vegas.
The three sessions will bring FTS’s technology-focused expertise to The HFA Show’s international audience of fitness operators, suppliers, and industry professionals.
The programming will examine how technology, data, and innovation are influencing business operations, the member experience, and opportunities for industry growth.
“Supporting the Health & Fitness Association matters to us because HFA plays a vital role in uniting our industry’s voice around the world,” said Al Noshirvani, co-founder and CEO of AltaDX. “By working together, we can bring more leaders into the conversation, strengthen the industry’s collective voice, and make a greater impact across the global HALO (Health, Active Lifestyle, and Outdoors) industry. This partnership is about building something bigger than any single event or organization.”
“We’re excited to collaborate with HFA and bring new perspectives on technology and innovation to The HFA Show’s education track,” said Tara Levitt, co-founder and chief experience officer of AltaDX. “Technology now touches every part of the member journey, from the club floor to the app to the moments in between. Operators need practical, honest conversations about how to use it well. Together with HFA, we have the opportunity to go deeper on how technology can drive the industry forward and bring those conversations to an even larger global audience.”
“We partnered with AltaDX to bring FTS to Europe because we believed operators needed a room for honest, practical conversations about technology and what’s actually working,” said Alex Peacock, founder of LeisureLabs. “Three years on, the event has grown quickly, which tells us that need is real. Partnering with HFA brings even more of the industry into that room, and gives those conversations a bigger platform across Europe.
The organizations announced the partnership during The Fitness Technology Summit 2026, held October 12-14 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
Additional details about the 2027 European event and the FTS-curated sessions at The HFA Show will be announced in the coming months.
About the Health & Fitness Association
The Health & Fitness Association (formerly IHRSA), a global community of industry leaders, is the only worldwide trade association providing a unified voice for the community of leaders who operate health and fitness facilities, offer professional guidance on physical activity, and provide the tools and equipment to do so to the millions of fitness facility members who understand that exercise improves their physical and mental health. Through advocacy, education, and research, the association speaks to opportunities, challenges, and changes that are moving the industry into a new era.
Founded in 1981, the association publishes a monthly magazine, Health & Fitness Business, and operates The HFA Show, the HFA European Congress, and the Fly-In and Advocacy Summit. The association also partners on events around the world, including Fitness Brasil, ChinaFit, SPORTEC Japan, SPORTEC Thailand, and Wellness & Fitness LATAM. Follow the Health & Fitness Association on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, X and YouTube.
About the Fitness Technology Summit
The Fitness Technology Summit (FTS) is an invitation-only executive conference that brings together C-suite leaders from across the fitness, health, and wellness industry, including operators, founders, technology providers, and investors. Now in its 14th year, FTS holds editions in the U.S. and Europe, with programming focused on how technology, data, and innovation drive growth, member experience, and operational performance. The Fitness Technology Summit is presented by AltaDX. The UK edition is run by AltaDX and LeisureLabs. Learn more at thefitnesstechsummit.com.
About AltaDX
AltaDX is a technology and AI company serving the fitness, beauty and wellness industries. Its OMAP® platform gives operators a team of AI agents, digital hires like the Concierge Agent, Click2Save Agent, Receptionist Agent and Feedback Agent, that deliver measurable results across retention, revenue and member experience.
About LeisureLabs
LeisureLabs is a digital transformation agency that makes technology decisions simple for fitness, leisure, and wellbeing operators. Bringing strategic consultancy, design and build, and ongoing support together, it gives operators a clear direction, the expertise to deliver it, and the support to keep it working. Clients include David Lloyd Clubs, The Gym Group, Fitness First, 1Rebel, OurHouse Group, and EGYM. LeisureLabs also publishes the sector’s annual Technology Benchmarking Report. Learn more at: leisurelabs.co.uk.
Tara Levitt
AltaDX Group Inc.
tara@getaltadx.com
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
X