After a three-year hiatus, FIBO’s return on 7-10 April 2022 heralded a strong restart for the world’s largest health and fitness trade fair.

The event kicked off with a sell-out edition of the European Health and Fitness Forum, organised in partnership by FIBO and Europe Active, which featured presentations by research partner Deloitte.

The four-day trade show attracted 51,270 people from 109 countries, including Spain, France, the UK, South Africa, Australia and the United Arab Emirates, with the attendance being seen as a strong baseline from which to rebuild as the industry comes out of the pandemic.

Visitors reported brisk business and an energetic and positive atmosphere.

“For the fitness industry, FIBO 2022 proved the kick-start everyone had long been waiting for,” said Silke Frank, event director. “Over the past two years, many products have been developed, which could now finally be showcased to the industry at large.”

While the event usually attracts over a thousand exhibitors, this year it welcomed around 500 who were “thrilled with the high number and high quality of visitors”, said Frank. Innovative products, investment proposals and project plans were the order of the day, with “health is wealth” as the major theme of the event.

“FIBO 2022 has clearly shown the industry is looking ahead to new concepts and new target groups, driven by an increasing integration of health in all market segments,” said Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein, CEO of RX Austria and Germany – the rebranded Reed International – which owns the show.

Digital solutions were particularly prevalent, with gaming ranges, member management and app-based training in high demand. “FIBO has also shown how high the demand for digital solutions is – for business customers just as much as for our private visitors,” added Frank.

The all-time high attendance profile for FIBO, pre-pandemic,from was around 150,000 visitors across 135 countries.

Next year’s FIBO is due to be held from 13-16 April 2023.