Top 2011 fitness events: FIBO, IDEA, Zumba, Wanderlust

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For fitness pros, FIBO and IDEA offer the biggest industry events of the coming year, while the ever-popular Zumba celebrates 10 years of booming success. Yoga remains a hot trend in 2011, and this year gorgeously located BaliSpirit and Wanderlust draw some of the trendiest crowds for music, yoga, and connection with limber, like-minded individuals.

7th International Fitness Showcase (IFS)
March 25-27
Winter Gardens
Blackpool, UK

The 7th annual program packs more than 235 different fitness sessions into three days, designed for fitness instructors, trainers, and the public. Comparable to Inner IDEA in the US, IFS is one of Europe's biggest fitness conventions and expects around 6,000 participants from Asia and Europe with fitness and health champions leading classes on The Fit Zone, Gravity, Modern Pilates, and much more. Early registration tickets available now: a three-day is priced at £99/€117.
http://www.chrysalispromotions.com/


4th BaliSpirit Festival
March 23-27
The Purnati Center for the Arts, Batuan, Bali, Indonesia

BaliSpirit Festival is an annual four-day event that celebrates global yoga, dance, and music with more than 95 workshops (including yoga trance dance, African drumming, traditional Balinese dance, and hip-hop), nightly world music concerts, and The Dharma Fair, an eco-bazaar including massage, healing, health food, and much more for the entire family. While deep-pocketed yogis have a variety of far-flung locales and events to choose from, BaliSpirit attracts a devoted crowd of more than 4,500 to one of the trendiest yoga spots on the planet. Early tickets are now available via the event website. Gold passes, which allows entrance into all workshops, classes, and concerts are $450/€336. VIP passes, which include transportation shuttles to and from festival venues and a goody bag, are $680/€508.
http://balispiritfestival.com/


26th FIBO
Essen, Germany
April 14-17

FIBO celebrates its 26th anniversary as Europe's key health, fitness, and wellness trade event. Essen will welcome over 30,000 health industry professionals and an additional 20,000 individuals interested in overall health from 60 countries including health specialists (physiotherapists, orthopedists, cardiologists, internists) for the FIBOmed section. This expo brings together the latest in training equipment, intelligent health promotion concepts, nutrition, fashion, cutting-edge sessions, and events focused around a variety of fitness and health trends, including pole fitness, Zumba, cycling, powerlifting plus a wellness marketplace with innovative new products. Advance online day tickets are €14; to purchase tickets and learn more about FIBO and the FIBOmed section visit:
http://www.fibo.de


5th Evolution Asia Yoga Conference
June 9-12
Hong Kong Convention & Exhibition Centre, Hong Kong

Evolution Asia brings together yoga enthusiasts and masters worldwide to explore the world of yoga through practice with a range of beginning and intense classes, plus the yoga bazaar offers discounts on cutting-edge yoga wear and gear. There are also educational sessions on spiritual cleansing, body balance, Thai yoga therapy, and much more. The event usually offers a hip-hop dance class and trance dance party. While not as large as the US-based Yoga Journal conference held every year in four US cities (which has taken a hit in recent years due to the troubled US economy), the concept is similar and is the largest of its kind in Asia, and will likely expand in coming years as Westernized yoga, and major yoga brands such as Lululemon, continue to expand. The event attracts master teachers such as Seane Corn, Dharma Mittra, and Ana Forest. 2010 four-day passes sold for HK$ 4,799 (€463.75) or onsite at the event for HK$5,299 (€512). Stay tuned for more details and when tickets become available: http://www.asiayogaconference.com; http://www.facebook.com/pages/Evolution-Asia-Yoga-Conference/51686488013


9th Mind Over Madness Yoga
June 21
Times Square, New York City, US

This annual summer solstice event is selected on the merits of its originality - an all day free yoga festival, attended by thousands, in the center of one of the most frenetic places on earth, New York's Times Square. Now in its ninth year, Mind Over Madness partners with dozens of local yoga studios and attracts a solid showing of celebrity yoga teachers on the longest day of year. The goal is to find "tranquility and transcendence in the midst of the urban energy of the world's most commercial and frenetic place" with one of the day's scheduled free yoga classes (available from 7:30am to 6pm). Since it is Times Square, where anything and everything is known to happen, there is a waiver you need to sign as well as RSVP for a class.
http://www.timessquarenyc.org/about_us/events_solstice.html

3rd Wanderlust
June 23-26
Bondville, Vermont, US

July 28-31
Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, California, US

Wanderlust is one of the biggest yoga parties on the planet and aims to provide stiff competition to the plethora of summer music festivals in the area. The third annual festival held at the peaks of Squaw Valley is all about yoga, music, and nature. This year it is expected to draw more than 5,000 yogi partiers, and the event has expanded to include a two-day retreat in Vermont, US. Days are for downward dog with 40+ yoga instructors including the Village Anusara with YogaSlackers, a play lounge, hoop dance and meditation. At night, dance to live musical acts that in 2010 included Moby, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar and much more. Other similar yoga/party events include Ojai Yoga Crib, Bhakti Fest, and Evolve Music and Yoga Festival, but Wanderlust reportedly attracts the largest, most hedonistic crowds. Tickets for 2011 go on sale in 2011 but in 2010, a full pass, called "Sage" cost $450 (€356), and day passes (or "Pilgrims") ranged from $90-140 (€71-111) depending on the day.
http://www.wanderlustfestival.com


10th  Zumba Convention
July 7-10
Orlando, Florida, US

2011 will be another hot year for Zumba, a global fitness craze that combines a variety of dance and cardio elements. Zumba oganizers are holding its biggest members-only party to help fitness professionals share new Zumba techniques (Aqua Zumba, Zumba Toning and Zumbatomic) , fashion, foods, and music. The four-day festival is described as a "Zumba playground" with over 3,500 Zumba network professionals in attendance.
http://convention.zumba.com


27th IDEA World Fitness Convention
August 11-14
Los Angeles Convention Center, LA, California, US

The 27th annual IDEA World Fitness Convention is the largest and oldest trade event for fitness professionals. More than 5,000 influential fitness and wellness professionals from 65 nations will participate in 350 sessions devoted to new fitness trends (Bollywood Step, Alphabics, Kranking). 2010 highlight events included celebrity Mario Lopez, tennis star Andre Agassi and the US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin, MD. After this event, fitness centers globally will be introducing new classes, techniques and products.
http://www.ideafit.com/conference/idea-world-fitness-convention-2011


6th Inner IDEA
October 6-9
San Diego, California, US

Inner IDEA celebrates its sixth annual event centered on mind, body and spirit wellness. The international professional event is designed for health and fitness professionals with sessions based on integrative health and wellness including 100+ interactive sessions on Pilates, yoga, nia, gyrokinesis, integrated movement, meditation, nutrition, and the wellness marketplace. Ticket pricing for 2010 varies from $495-675 (€371-538), to register and learn more, go to:
http://www.inneridea.com/conference/inner-idea-conference-2010