Fitness enthusiasts and professionals from around the Philippines and South East Asia came to FitCon MNL 2018 – a three-day fitness industry event held at Green Sun Makati from May 18 to 20.
The fitness convention – the biggest in the country to date – brought 16 industry leaders in fitness and wellness from around the globe. Through more than 60 interactive workshops, attendees learned about the latest in sport science, nutrition and client interaction to help them build successful careers in health and wellness.
Fitness icons and experts who shared their expertise with participants were: Merrithew™ Lead Instructor Trainer for STOTT PILATES® and Total Barre® Vivian Zapanta, author and diet coach to the stars Nadine Tengco, fitness educator Glenn Ang of Singapore, director of Australian Strength Performance Benjamin Siong, international performance coach Mark Laws, master trainer of Body Art Garnet Suidy, Zumba Education Specialist Prince Paltu-Ob, head of PILOXING Asia Connie Colson and COO of Powerhouse Fitness Club Tony Howett, among others.
Among the highlights of the convention was an Activity Zone that was open to the public where guests could join group exercise classes conducted by Master Trainers for BOSU®, TriggerPoint, Zumba, STOTT PILATES®, Hedstrom Fitness and bodyART.
An exhibit area surrounding the zone introduced experts and enthusiasts to some of the best health and fitness brands currently in the Philippine market.
Now on its second year, the event was conceptualized and organized by Dynamic Duo Inc., a partnership between sports science professionals Rica Rodriguez and Divine Masinsin that aims to provide fitness education for individuals to become leaders in the field of fitness and sports training and empower coaches to achieve their maximum potential in their respective fields.
When asked what the impetus was to start FitCon MNL, Rica Rodriguez and Divine Masinsin shared that working in Dubai taught them the value of continuing education in the fitness industry. “We realized that there were a lot of other Filipino trainers coming in with 10, even 20 years of experience. But they often lacked certifications, and without that, they couldn’t be paid as much as others in the field. So we started FitCon MNL to help make fitness professionals from the Philippines globally competitive.”
Several delegates who come from Anytime Fitness – Mall of Asia attended the first run of the convention in 2017. When asked why they decided to attend this year’s FitCon MNL, they unanimously said, “We get to learn so much through this event. With speakers like Ben Siong [the director of Australia Strength Performance], we get updated on the latest in fitness, and that helps us with our jobs. It’s definitely helped give our branch an edge.”
Dan Duran, Executive Vice President of PTA Global, a global leadership and personal training development company from Denver, Colorado said he returned to the Philippines to speak at FitCon MNL because “It’s truly a pleasure to be back at FitCon MNL. Once again, it’s a very well-run convention full of hungry and passionate fitness professionals.” Commenting on FitCon MNL’s attendees, he said, “These trainers have it figured out; the more you learn the more you earn, and the better you can help people.”
Fitcon MNL 2018 is envisioned to be an annual event to spur the growth of fitness professionalism, fitness education and the industry.
Follow the writer on Twitter: [social link=”https://twitter.com/burnsports” icon=”62218″]
