On the back of the reliably successful FILEX convention in April – the FILEX Immersive Series was created and backed by Fitness Australia. The goal of this unique event was to offer opportunities for fitness professionals to deepen their existing industry knowledge and skills.

Here is a report from Gym Click Media’s own Eugene Downing, who attended this industry-first event.

The FILEX Immersive series was comprised of two single-day events:

• The Business Owner and Manager Event on Saturday 13^th October; and
• The Fitness Professional Event on Sunday 14^th October.

What was interesting during the build-up of the event was FILEX Immersive’s descriptive tagline to raise awareness of the event, which read:

“To stay ahead of the game in a competitive fitness landscape, it’s essential to keep abreast of the latest information available. In order to be the best, it helps to learn from the best.’’

And the event delivered exactly that!

The Gym Click Media team attended the, what we presume was the inaugural FILEX Immersive event, and whilst there we witnessed Australia’s finest fitness industry leaders in action as they connected with delegates, answered questions, and delivered practical and actionable content in an intimate learning environment.

Delegates were treated to a super-charged, attention-grabbing, opening keynote by world renowned educator and coach Craig Harper, who successfully set the tone for the rest of the event. Harper’s opening delegate address was thought-provoking, inspirational and delivered in a truly authentic way, which added immense value to the event.

The topic of ‘Leadership’ was then explored by some of the fitness industry’s most high-profile trailblazers including Greg Sellar, Chantal Brodrick, Andrew Simmons and Paul Taylor; each of whom currently play an enormous role in driving innovation and change in both the Australian and global fitness industry.

Day 2 started off with an early morning workout, delivered by Vanessa Leone, followed by a superb keynote address by the neuroscience master himself, Paul Taylor. These sessions were followed with presentations from

• Vanessa Leone
• Ben Siong
• Dr Cam McDonald
• Eleni Psillakis
• Kira Sutherland.

I’m pleased to share some of the golden nuggets of information that the team wrote down during our relentless note-taking.

Craig Harper explored change and self-management, suggesting that:

• motivation alone is not enough to create long-lasting personal change
• in order to become good at something, you have to do it – even if you don’t like it (e.g. public speaking)
• we need to change our internal dialogue and set non-negotiable rules in order to drive behavioural change
• most people create their own anxiety and fears about a situation/experience
• we are consistently creating our own reality based on our own beliefs, values, etc
• the biggest challenge for you is to manage yourself
• when we operate from a place of love, service, kindness and happiness will naturally follow.

The key is understanding that motivation is only temporary, and being honest with yourself at all times. Start by asking yourself:

• What do you want?
• Why do you want it?
• Do I walk the talk?

If you have the best knowledge in the industry but you can’t connect, inspire, be authentic, and be a good communicator, then you won’t ever be the best in your field.

We are living the luckiest life that has ever been possible when you consider the technology and endless learning opportunities that are available to us. So here’s a checklist to help you become your best:

• Identify your values
• Live in alignment with them
• Know what success is for you
• Take time to hit the pause button
• Ask great questions – be a good communicator
• Create opportunities for yourself where you will be challenged and learn
• Set non-negotiable rules in place
• Set a 12-month goal and turn decisions into action.

Some of the feedback we gathered on the day of the event included:

• “This is brilliant – and FILEX came to us this time!”
• “I always wanted to see these fitness industry icons in action.”
• “I’ve learned more about leadership in one day, than in all my time [seven years] in the industry – what a great event!”
• “If I have to be honest with myself, I never take enough time to upskill; it’s always go-go-go, and this event just gives everyone here a whole new perspective of how important quality personal development really is. I have so many notes to put into action now.”

FILEX Immersive provided a unique opportunity for FILEX delegates to take a seriously deep dive into one topic for an entire day. And despite the vast range of experiences and specialty areas among the presenters, every one of them who took the stage reinforced the importance of implementation as a prerequisite for success.

If you missed FILEX Immersive, make sure you’re connected with FILEX on social media, to ensure you remain up-to-date with all things FILEX 2019, as they evolve.