|
WASHINGTON, DC -- Health club operators who include tanning
as part of their membership fees do not have to start collecting a new
tax that goes into effect on July 1, according to regulations issued by
the IRS this month. Operators who do charge above and beyond the
membership fee for tanning must start charging the 10 percent tax next
month.
|
|
SAN RAMON, CA -- 24 Hour Fitness is expanding its hiring
criteria for personal trainers to include several additional fitness
certifications in the industry.
|
|
HASTINGS, MN -- Anytime Fitness is continuing its
international growth after attaining a master franchise agreement in
Japan.
|
|
HATFIELD, PA -- The owner of Hatfield (PA) Athletic Club and
a Philadelphia-area chiropractor recently pleaded guilty to health care
fraud and mail fraud.
|
|
WASHINGTON, DC -- Right before its new fitness program
standards take effect on July 1, the Air Force revised them so airmen
who earn an overall score of 90 or above will only be required to take
the physical fitness test once a year, instead of twice per
year.
|
|
MEMPHIS, TN -- The University of Memphis recently began
offering family rec center memberships to its students who can prove
they are living in a family unit regardless of their sexual
orientation.
|
|
SCOTCH PLAINS, NJ -- The JCC of Central New Jersey will open
its new 3,400-square-foot fitness center today.
|
|
Don’t miss out on October’s Club
Industry Conference and Trade Show in Chicago. Keynoters for this
year’s conference are Richard Simmons and Bill Rancic, the first
winner of “The Apprentice” TV show. The conference also will feature
some of the best seminars around and an exhibit hall floor filled with
products.
|
|
Crunch, New York, is
celebrating its 21st birthday with its new micro site, www.crunch21.com, which offers more
than $250,000 worth of prizes, such as vacation packages, concert
tickets and designer apparel. “Crunch’s longevity lies in the heart
of the brand’s unique philosophy and creativity,” says Jim Rowley,
Crunch’s chief operating officer. “Achieving this milestone is a
testament to the continued popularity and dedication to offer
one-of-a-kind programming and fusion of fitness and entertainment.”
Crunch has 19 locations in New York, Miami, Los Angeles and San
Francisco.
The 2010 Life Time
Fitness Triathlon Series Race to the Toyota Cup begins June 27 with
the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon in Philadelphia. The series
includes the Life Time Fitness Triathlon on July 10 in Minneapolis, the
Nautica New York City Triathlon on July 18, the Chicago Triathlon on
Aug. 29, the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon on Oct. 3 and the
Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon on Oct. 10 in Dallas. The men’s and
women’s champion will each receive a 2010 Toyota Prius in addition to
their share of the $421,000 cash purse.
The Rush Fitness Complex,
Knoxville, TN, celebrated its 10-year anniversary by giving away 10 free
one-year memberships during the Riverbend music festival held June 11-19
in Chattanooga, TN. The Rush also honored family members of fathers
serving in the armed forces by offering a free VIP 60-day membership
during Father’s Day weekend. The Rush, owned by Larry Gurney, has 21
locations.
The Houstonian
Club, Houston, named Tami Barrientes as a sales manager, responsible
for referral development and new member enrollments. Barrientes
previously worked at ClubCorp as director of membership sales and
marketing. Also, Trellis The
Spa at The Houstonian named Renae Cassam as spa director. Cassam
oversees the 17,000-square-foot facility’s treatment rooms, nail and
makup salon, hair salon and a staff of 115.
|
|
Star Trac, Irvine,
CA, has promoted Matthew Pengelly to its managing director for Europe
position. Pengelly fills the position left by Mike Leveque, who was promoted
last month as Star Trac’s new president and COO. Pengelly
previously served as managing director of Star Trac’s direct sales and
service efforts in the United Kingdom. He will continue to be based out
of Star Trac’s European headquarters in High Wycombe, England, just
outside of London.
Med-Fit Systems Inc.,
Fallbrook, CA, announced it had profitable first quarter 2010 earnings
for the combined Med-Fit Systems and newly acquired Nautilus commercial
products operations. “Our results are testimony to the legions of
loyal Nautilus commercial customers and dedicated, skilled employees in
both our Fallbrook, CA, and Independence, VA, locations,” says Dean
Sbragia, CEO of Med-Fit Systems and president of Nautilus. “Quarter
two projections are more ambitious, but with new products and
programming slated for introduction during the next 90-day period, we
are confident of achieving another successful quarter.”
Mad Dogg Athletics Inc., maker
of Spinner indoor cycling bikes,
has reached a settlement with Batavus
BV, a Dutch manufacturer of bicycles and indoor cycles, in
connection with Mad Dogg’s lawsuit against Batavus BV. Mad Dogg,
Venice, CA, claimed Batavus had unauthorized use of its trademark
rights. Earlier this month, Mad Dogg had more than 1,200 fitness
instructors and enthusiasts at the 2010 World Spinning and Sports
Conference in Miami.
|
|
The economy has affected many club operators these days, but
I recently heard from a mixed martial arts club operator who says that
he was dealt a punch by a very different source recently.
|
|
This photo I ran across recently reminds me of how creative
U.S. troops are getting with fitness in the field. Last year, I did a
story about soldiers in Iraq who made a DIY gym.
|
|
Starting next month, companies that provide tanning bed
services are required to add a 10 percent tax on the service as part of
the health care reform bill passed by Congress earlier this year. The
Indoor Tanning Association says that this could hurt small tanning
salons. However, according to the International Smart Tan Network, a
majority of tanning salon owners surveyed have yet to be notified about
how to collect the tax.
|
|
|
This Issue Brought to you By
|
| SUBSCRIBE |
|
| DIGITAL EDITION |
Preview a sample of the digital edition of
our magazine and get a copy delivered to your inbox each month.
|
| E NEWSLETTER |
|
Delivered three times per month, Newsbeat
is a timely e-newsletter featuring breaking news, people on the move,
mergers and acquisitions, supplier news, industry trends and more.
|
| CLUB INDUSTRY SHOWS |
|
Club Industry trade shows are the most
comprehensive events in the fitness industry. Learn more about these
exciting conferences and expositions.
|
|
|
