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Race-Ready: How Fitness Competitions Are Reshaping Member Motivation

Fitness racing is exploding, from Hyrox to Metrix, as consumers seek challenge, purpose, and community beyond traditional gym routines. We’ll explore how clubs and studios are tapping into this momentum by hosting events, adapting programming, and creating pathways from training to competition. Walk away with strategies to boost engagement, build loyalty, and turn performance into a powerful retention engine.

Member Experience

Revenue Diversification

Consumer Behaviour

Author:

Toby Spooner

Co-Founder

Metrix Events

Author:

Jacob Tilly

Chief Operating Officer

HYROX

Read more about Race-Ready: How Fitness Competitions Are Reshaping Member Motivation

Toby Spooner

Co-Founder

Metrix Events

The Community Catalyst: How Connection Drives Retention, Revenue & Reach

In an era of digital everything, one timeless driver still outperforms: community. We’ll explore how top brands engineer connection through in-person rituals, digital micro-groups, and values-based programming to deepen retention, boost referrals, and expand reach. You'll walk away with strategies to operationalize belonging and turn it into a measurable growth engine.

Member Experience

Consumer Behaviour

Author:

Lucy Levy

Chief Consumer Officer

Zumba

Lucy Levy is a strategic leader with deep expertise in performance marketing,

business development, and global partnerships. As Chief Consumer Officer at

Zumba, she leads the consumer division and successfully scaled the Zumba

App—transforming how users engage with fitness content and local classes

Worldwide.

Previously, Lucy oversaw all operations across Latin America and Asia Pacific,

driving rapid growth in key markets through instructor acquisition, member

retention, and strategic expansion. She also led all instructor acquisition efforts

and channels in North America. Lucy joined Zumba in 2012 following a career in

advertising and marketing at Sony Pictures and NBC-Telemundo.

Known for her collaborative leadership and cross-cultural fluency, Lucy brings

nearly 20 years of experience to her work. She holds a Bachelor's in Behavioral

Science from Nova Southeastern University and lives in Miami with her husband

and two children. A passionate fitness enthusiast, Lucy loves working out,

especially running and outdoor activities.

Author:

Yael Dornbusch

Chief Subscription Officer

Zumba

Yael Dornbusch is the Chief Subscription Officer at Zumba Fitness, where she leads the global strategy, marketing, and execution for the subscription-based business unit—the largest at Zumba. She oversees revenue growth, customer acquisition, lifecycle marketing, and retention—driving a high-performing, customer-centric model that powers long-term engagement and business sustainability.

With nearly two decades of experience, Yael is known for scaling subscription businesses by blending brand storytelling with data-driven execution and operational rigor. Her work is rooted in building communities that stick—turning casual customers into loyal advocates.

Before taking on her current role, Yael held various marketing leadership positions at Zumba, having first joined the company as its very first employee in 2003. She left to pursue her MBA at Columbia Business School and later held brand management roles at Procter & Gamble, where she worked on premium affinity brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Gucci, Escada fragrances, and Iams Pet Food.

Across every chapter of her career, from beauty to fitness, Yael has focused on delivering value through emotionally resonant brands, compelling customer journeys, and scalable subscription strategies.

Author:

Jenna Hauca

Chief Marketing Officer

CrossFIt

Jenna is a seasoned executive currently serving as Chief Marketing Officer at CrossFit, LLC, where she oversees the company’s marketing and media strategy for CrossFit and the CrossFit Games, as well as the global partnerships and retail/merch business units.

In her role at CrossFit, Jenna leads one of the largest internal teams and is responsible for setting the overall marketing strategy for the company, including content strategy, brand activations and partnerships, community engagement, broadcast media, social media promotion, and press engagement. Jenna also spearheaded the launch of the CrossFit Store and hired the brand’s first retail team leader, laying the foundation for a new revenue stream for the company.

Read more about The Community Catalyst: How Connection Drives Retention, Revenue & Reach

Jenna Hauca

Chief Marketing Officer

CrossFIt

Yael Dornbusch

Chief Subscription Officer

Zumba

Lucy Levy

Chief Consumer Officer

Zumba

Innovation Showcase: Fitness, Wellness & Health Tech Start-Up Pitches

We’re on the hunt for the next big disruptor in fitness and health. In this fast-paced, high-energy session, five visionary early-stage start-ups will take the stage to pitch their game-changing solutions in front of our expert judges and live audience. This is your front-row seat to the future of fitness, health, and wellness tech.

Selection Committee

Eloiza Tecson, Founder & Managing Partner, EY Ventures Group
Jim Crowell, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, The SageHouse
Eric Bormel, Director of Consumer Healthtech, Solomon Partners

Author:

Eloiza Tecson

CEO

LWI Inc.

Eloiza Tecson is a strategic executive leader, advisor, and investor with a passion for helping people create healthier, sustainable lifestyle habits. She has a proven track record of success in the health, wellness, and sports industry, having led several organizations like Lindora Wellness as the Chief Experience Officer, Orangetheory Fitness as the leader of Global Operations and Strategy, Red Bull North America, ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and F45 Training to achieve significant growth and impact. Now, she has co-founded and actively leads a new boutique wellness concept, E20, that focuses on using electro muscular stimulation (EMS) technologies to improve movement and promote recovery. In addition to leading E20, Eloiza serves as the Chief Executive Officer of LWI, the largest network of Lindora studios across Southern California. Eloiza is a pioneer in the development of new and innovative health and wellness programs, the design of organizational growth strategies, the establishment of processes to achieve operational excellence, and the implementation of integrated client and team member experiences. She is also a sought-after speaker and consultant on health, wellness, equity, investment and leadership topics.

Author:

Jim Crowell

Co-Founder & Managing Member

The SageHouse

Jim is a sought-after investor and advisor with more than 20 years of experience in the fitness and wellness industry. His impressive background includes six years as CEO at OPEX Fitness, 15 years of advising and educating fitness and technology companies, four years of owning multiple gyms, and five years as a successful energy hedge fund trader. Jim's expertise and guidance are highly sought-after by fitness and wellness companies worldwide, because of his quiet confidence and engaging personality.

Jim holds his MBA from the University of North Carolina and a double BS in Finance and Economics from Penn State University where he played for the Big Ten Men’s Tennis Team. In another life, he competed at The CrossFit Games in 2015.

Author:

Eric Bormel

Director of Consumer Healthtech

Solomon Partners

Eric Bormel is an Investment Banking Director at Solomon Partners focused on the Consumer Healthtech sector.

With more than a dozen years of M&A and Capital Raise experience, Eric has advised 25+ clients in industry changing transactions with a combined value exceeding $15 billion.

Representative clients in the Consumer Healthtech sector include public companies such as Under Armour’s MyFitnessPal and Lululemon’s Mirror and innovative startups such as Willow Innovations and Wahoo Fitness.

Read more about Innovation Showcase: Fitness, Wellness & Health Tech Start-Up Pitches

A Seamlessly Connected Ecosystem: Omnichannel for Member Experience

Today’s member expects one brand and one experience whether they’re in a studio, on an app, or interacting with a partner platform. This session unpacks how leading fitness and wellness brands are building truly omnichannel ecosystems through shared data, unified UX, and seamless integration.

Member Experience

Data

Digitalization