IHRSA Releases 2015 Threat and Opportunity Reports
Posted: February 18, 2015 in IHRSA
IHRSA: Success By Association
BOSTON, MA – Every year, state legislatures propose laws that affect health club operations. Many of these proposals threaten club operations and profitability. Threatening proposals include sales taxes on memberships and/or dues; restrictions on membership contracts, unreasonable mandates and more. However, many states also propose laws that would promote physical activity and hence increase health club membership numbers. These proposals include financial incentives to exercise or join health clubs, sales tax repeals, and policies that would improve general wellness.
To help its membership understand, track and either support or fight bills in each state, IHRSA has released two advocacy reports, The 2015 Threat Report that shows where IHRSA’s Public Policy Team expects to see proposed legislation that could harm the industry, and The 2015 Opportunity Report that shows where IHRSA expects pro-industry legislation to be introduced.
To create these reports, which inform IHRSA’s state legislative activity for the legislative session, the IHRSA team combs through thousands of pieces of legislation looking for bills that could affect health club operations. While most bills have no effect on our industry, the team’s research digs up about fifty to a hundred bills across the country that could impact club operations. And in addition to researching every bill, the team works with each of IHRSA’s state lobbyists to identify possible threats and opportunities. Then they review every piece of relevant legislation that’s been considered over the past several years to look for trends in each state. The results of all this research, trending and forecasting are the two new reports.
IHRSA members are invited to download the 2015 Threat Report here and the 2015 Opportunity Report here.
And, for easy visuals on each report, slideshares on each are available:
IHRSA members clubs are invited to attend the Industry Leadership Council Meeting, taking place during IHRSA 2015 to discuss the opportunities and threats to the industry, as well as actions being taken to Grow, Promote and Protect the industry. To attend this meeting, please RSVP by email to Meredith Poppler. To register for the IHRSA 2015 Convention, go to IIHRSA.org/go2015 or call (800) 228 – 4772.
