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The Solution for Fitness Talent: How Education-Driven Recruitment Will Power the Next Decade of Gym Revenue Growth

The fitness industry is facing its biggest challenge yet: Talent. As gyms expand, digital platforms evolve, and member expectations rise, the next frontier of growth will be defined not by technology or equipment, but by people. Discover how to future-proof your talent pipeline, reduce turnover, and align trainer development with real business outcomes.

Scaling

Revenue Diversification

AI

Author:

Kurt Mangum II

Vice President of Partnerships

ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association)

Kurt Mangum II is a global fitness industry executive with 15+ years of experience advancing strategic partnerships, leadership development, and workforce innovation. As Vice President of Partnerships at ISSA, he leads initiatives that connect certification to careers, building scalable, revenue-driven partnerships across gyms, brands, and international markets.

With a foundation in fitness, wellness, and education, Kurt holds a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Sports Sciences from the University of Akron. A former collegiate linebacker, he brings performance discipline and people-first leadership into every collaboration. He is known for translating vision into execution and creating bridges between education and real-world opportunity in the rapidly evolving global fitness economy.

Kurt is a two-time Phoenix Top 100 Titan of Industry, recognized for leadership, innovation, and industry impact. He frequently speaks on the future of fitness careers, gym workforce development, and partnership strategy at scale.

Kurt Mangum II is a global fitness industry executive with 15+ years of experience advancing strategic partnerships, leadership development, and workforce innovation. As Vice President of Partnerships at ISSA, he leads initiatives that connect certification to careers, building scalable, revenue-driven partnerships across gyms, brands, and international markets.

With a foundation in fitness, wellness, and education, Kurt holds a Master’s degree in Education with an emphasis in Sports Sciences from the University of Akron. A former collegiate linebacker, he brings performance discipline and people-first leadership into every collaboration. He is known for translating vision into execution and creating bridges between education and real-world opportunity in the rapidly evolving global fitness economy.

Kurt is a two-time Phoenix Top 100 Titan of Industry, recognized for leadership, innovation, and industry impact. He frequently speaks on the future of fitness careers, gym workforce development, and partnership strategy at scale.

Author:

Justin Shinn

Senior Director of Global Network Education

Fit House of Brands/F45 Training

Author:

Mohammed Iqbal

COO

ABC Fitness

Mohammed Iqbal strives to enhance the lives of those around him. He believes that by empowering others with knowledge it ultimately leads to healthier life choices. He founded SweatWorks to create elegant and functional technologies that would engage, motivate and inspire people to lead better lives. As the Founder and CEO of SweatWorks, Mohammed drives strategy, vision, and innovation, as well as embodies the core values of the agency: staying healthy and active.

Author:

Tony Siddique

Senior District Vice President

Fitness International (LA Fitness)

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Wellness Re-Defined: Personalised Experiences That Deliver on Guest Needs 

Re-ground wellness in what guests actually need - not fleeting trends. Learn how hotels, resorts, and spas personalise wellness by embracing targeted technologies, traditional practices, and specialist expertise. Explore how tailoring programmes to guest profiles, locations, and stay dynamics helps leaders invest where impact is felt most and evolve offerings as demographics and expectations shift. 

Revenue Diversification

Consumer Behaviour

AI

Data

Read more about Wellness Re-Defined: Personalised Experiences That Deliver on Guest Needs

From Views to Bookings: The Social Performance Playbook for Wellness

The next wave of growth won’t be fueled by bigger budgets, but by sharper creative and cleaner data. When every second counts, hooks, offers, and attribution become make-or-break. Discover the playbook that turns watch time into waitlists without tripping compliance.

Consumer Behaviour

Scaling

Member Experience

Read more about From Views to Bookings: The Social Performance Playbook for Wellness

Building Wellness as a Brand: How Hotels Design, Scale & Differentiate

Wellness can be a brand’s strongest signature, not just an amenity. Explore how leading hotels & resorts choose which concepts to back, scale across portfolios, and turn into brand-defining experiences that drive investment, higher ADR, loyalty, and repeat stays.

Scaling

Revenue Diversification

Longevity

Author:

Meaghan Carlson

Vice President of Brand and Marketing

Sensei

As Vice President, Brand and Marketing, Meaghan Carlson tackles all of Sensei’s brand initiatives and marketing strategy, including overseeing the PR, advertising, website, marketing analytics, design and social media functions. She is also a corporate spokesperson for the company, interfacing with media on a regular basis and ensuring brand continuity across all guest touch points. Meaghan brings over a decade of experience in marketing leadership roles at technology startups and iconic brands such as Disney, PayPal, Coca Cola and IDEO.

Author:

Emmanuel Arroyo

Senior Director of Wellness - Global

Rosewood Hotel Group

With over 21 years of experience in the Spa & Wellness Industry. Emmanuel is a seasoned professional with a background in Luxury hospitality, who has collaborated with some of the Hotel Leading Groups, opening & operating Spas across North America, Caribbean & Europe.
Emmanuel started his hospitality career with Fairmont Hotels & Resorts (FHRI) occupying Spa leadership roles in different locations and then recruited by Hilton (HWW) to operate the Spa & Leisure division in one of their Top resort locations, consecutively joining the team at the award-winning Rosewood Mayakoba.
Following his tenure with Rosewood, he served as Regional Director of Spa & Wellness, supporting operations across the Americas & Europe as well as pre-opening in locations such as Mexico, Montecito-California, Bahamas, Hong Kong, Saint Barts & Vienna. Specialized in building a culture based of wellbeing, he has spearheaded companywide initiatives such as Global Wellness Day to continue strengthening the brand positioning in Wellness.
Lately, he was appointed as Senior Director of Wellness Global Operations, managing a portfolio of 31 Ultra lux Properties and successfully completed openings in Kona-Hawaii, Munich, New Zealand, Sao Paolo & Salzburg as well as supporting the future opening of +10 more Spas across the globe.
Additionally, Emmanuel is an active front-runner in the Spa industry, supporting as panelist in various industry conventions and served as part of the Board of Directors of the Global Mentorship Program, an international initiative of the Global Wellness Institute (GWI).
Emmanuel has a formation in Tourism & Hospitality by Concordia University in Montreal and is certified in Spa Management by La Salle College. He fluently speaks Spanish, English & French and lives happily married with his wife Cinthya and their three children, Valeria, Leonardo & Fatima.