04/06/2025
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Less than two weeks to go – visit us on stand E26 at Elevate

This year promises to be the biggest Elevate yet with thousands of decision-makers from gyms, studios, sports clubs, universities, schools and private practice joined at Excel, London by over 200 leading suppliers to discover the latest cutting-edge practice and product innovations.

Tara, along with other members of the CIMSPA team will be in attendance on June 18th and 19th to talk about our exciting plans to help the individuals in our sector gain the professional recognition they deserve, our new Careers Hub, plus many other initiatives that are helping in shaping a recognised, valued and inclusive sport and physical activity sector that everyone can be a part of.

Catch up on our Local Skills project

Our Workforce Development Managers Megan Richardson, Minal Hawkins and Cherelle Mitchell will be on hand to talk everything workforce development and how the team are bringing together employers, education providers, and employability-focused organisations to effectively and efficiently match supply and demand in the sports and physical activity sector through local skills action plans.

Read more about Local Skills Delivery

Talk about becoming chartered and gaining the ultimate professional status

Our Accreditation Manager George Sheldon can talk you through anything chartered, from the new and improved assessment process to the exclusive benefits you can expect upon award, such as post-nominal letters and a digital badge to shocase your elevated status.

Read more about chartered status

Come and ask us about Professional Status

Through our current strategy ‘Releasing the Power of our Profession’, we will soon be introducing individual professional status accreditation for our full members, ensuring they are professionally recognised for their expertise and competence by a professional regulatory body and therefore by peers, employers, the public and professionals in other sectors.

Upon launch each member will be awarded a professional status which reflects their skills, qualifications and experience, and will be able to showcase their professional status when communicating with stakeholders.

Read our strategy for more about professional status accreditation and how it will elevate your professional recognition within our sector.

Read strategy

To book your free ticket for Elevate, the UK’s largest trade event dedicated to fitness, physical activity and sports therapy, simply click the button below and enter your details.

Book your free ticket

Read more about Elevate

Sessions to look out for

With over 50 CPD-accredited sessions covering subjects ranging from future trends and best practice to mental health and marketing, there’s sure to be something that appeals to everyone.

Attendees can look forward to a free education programme like no other, with a comprehensive line-up of over 200 sport and physical activity speakers and over 50 CPD-accredited sessions covering subjects ranging from future trends and best practice to mental health and marketing.

We’ve signposted a few sessions below that CIMSPA is excited to be part of.

 

Wednesday 18th June 2025

Does our data add up?

When – 09:50 - 10:50

Where - Debate stage

Myzone’s David Stalker and CIMSPA CEO Tara Dillon will be joined by Sarah Watts from Alliance Leisure to discuss data landscape and its impact.

This debate will explore what different data sets tell us about levels of physical activity, sports participation, and gym attendance across the UK. The session opens with an insight into different data sets, how they work, what they tell us – and what they don’t.

The panel will explore the reliability of available data, the challenges of collecting and interpreting it – and most importantly, how the results can be used to inform policy, business strategies, and public health initiatives. The session will also consider how we can use these insights to increase engagement in sport and fitness, addressing barriers to participation and the future of physical activity in the UK.

The female health business: it works if you work it

When – 13:40 – 14:10

Where - Debate Stage

Hosted by Baz Moffat from the Well HQ, this session will feature our very own Tara Dillon and Michelle Dand from David Lloyd to talk about the drive to make female fitness a priority, with a recognition that we need to change from a man-as-the-default human approach.

They’ll tackle how we embed this in strategy and leadership and reflect genuine change on the gym floor that goes beyond a token ‘workout for women’ session.

ICREPs (International Confederation of Registers of Exercise Professionals) and CIMSPA focus on setting global standards for fitness professionals: Aligning scope and portability

When – 14:20 - 15:00

Where - Collaborate Stage

CIMSPA’s Chief Strategy Officer Spencer Moore will chair this panel session with the ICREPS Chair from UAE and Ritu Maggo from REPs India to look at how aligning qualifications with a clear scope of practice enhances service quality and ensures easier portability for professionals, no matter where they are working.

This session will explore the future of global consistency in fitness education and practice and consider:

  • Overcoming barriers to establishing global standards and the importance of international collaboration.
  • Enhancing trust through standardised qualifications and the impact of this on client safety and professional credibility.
  • The importance of recognition by, and cooperation with, medical professionals and how we can align fitness practices with medical recommendations.

Thursday 19th June 2025

GLP-1 weight loss medications and opportunities for the fitness industry

When - 10:50 – 11:30

Where - Debate stage

CIMSPA’s Associate Director of Education Natasha Eason is joined by Sally-Ann Turner from Bodyline Clinics, Kenny Butler from ukactive, Jenny Patrickson from Active IQ and Morgan Toerien from Bodyline to talk about GLP-1s and their part in the fitness landscape.

GLP-1 receptor agonists have reshaped our approaches to weight health, but their long-term success depends on integrating them into sustainable lifestyle changes. Understanding their origins, mechanisms, and impact is crucial for individuals, fitness professionals, and the sector as a whole.

By removing stigma, addressing side effects, and providing holistic support and signposting, GLP-1s can become a tool for lifelong health and part of the fitness landscape rather than a short-term fix.

The panel will consider:

  • How GLP-1 medications work, how they can impact co-morbidities and common side effects.
  • What role the fitness industry can play in supporting people on GLP-1s.
  • How we can ensure clinical and fitness professionals collaborate to help people considering their weight health to look at positive and sustainable life style changes.
  • The challenges of disclosure, stigma, and long-term adherence.

 

The importance of professional status to the fitness sector: Unlocking the power of fitness, sport and physical activity professionals

When - 13:20 - 14:00

Where - Collaborate Stage

Tara Dillon is joined by CIMSPA’s Associate Director for Business Engagement Clare Dunn, Rachel Frances Thomson from Biomechanics Education, Dr Davina Deniszczyc from Nuffield Health and Ruth Jackson from The Gym Group to discuss how the development of professional status for sport and physical activity professionals is set to revolutionise our sector’s impact and perception.

Led by CIMSPA, this panel discussion will highlight how launching professional status can drive greater recognition of the sector’s crucial role in enhancing community well-being and contributing to national health and development. The panel will highlight the benefits of professionalisation, the pathway to achieving it, and the transformative effect it can have on workforce credibility and sector-wide influence.

Our strategy

Individual and collective professional recognition for the sport and physical activity workforce.

READ OUR STRATEGY