Matthew Januszek opens the Escape Your Limits Podcast's FIBO 2023 coverage from Cologne, Germany, sitting down with prominent members of EuropeActive at the European Health and Fitness Forum. EuropeActive — a 21-year-old association with an ambitious mission to get more people, more active, more often — brought together some of the most consequential voices in global fitness under one roof, and Matthew was there to capture what they had to say.
The episode spans conversations with senior leaders from organizations including Les Mills International, Basic-Fit, Deloitte, AUSActive, IDEA Health and Fitness Association, and the European Parliament, covering how the industry must evolve to serve younger generations, how digitalization is reshaping everything, and why holistic well-being is displacing a narrower focus on fitness alone.
About EuropeActive at FIBO 2023
EuropeActive has been operating for 21 years as the continent's primary membership organization for the health and fitness sector. Its work spans advocacy in Brussels, research, professional standards, and industry-wide initiatives designed to grow participation in physical activity across Europe.
The European Health and Fitness Forum at FIBO serves as EuropeActive's flagship annual convening — a space where the association brings together CEOs, policymakers, academics, and operators to set the agenda for the year ahead. The 2023 edition drew an especially wide range of perspectives, from boutique operators to publicly traded fitness chains to members of the European Parliament.
Among the featured voices in this episode: David Stalker, President of EuropeActive; Phillip Mills, Founder and Executive Director of Les Mills International; Rene Moos, CEO of Basic-Fit; Karsten Hollasch, Global Private Equity Leader in Financial Advisory of Deloitte; Dita Charanzová, Vice President of the European Parliament; Barrie Elvish, CEO of AUSActive; and Amy Thompson, Owner and CEO of IDEA Health and Fitness Association.
Key Insights from the Conversation
- The fitness sector faces a meaningful challenge in attracting and engaging younger generations, and leaders at FIBO 2023 argued that the industry needs to develop fresh strategies rather than assuming younger people will naturally find their way to existing facilities.
- Digitalization is reshaping the fitness landscape at every level — from how clubs engage members to how programming is delivered and how data informs decisions — and the organizations that navigate this shift most effectively will hold a competitive advantage.
- The industry is undergoing a crucial shift away from a narrow focus on fitness toward a more holistic approach that places overall health and well-being at the center — a framing that opens new market opportunities and demands different infrastructure.
- Perspectives from a European Parliament Vice President underscore that physical activity policy is increasingly a governmental and public health matter, not just a commercial one.
- Investment and private equity interest in the fitness sector, as reflected in Deloitte's analysis, remains active — but investors are applying more scrutiny to business models and unit economics than in previous cycles.
- The international scope of this episode — drawing voices from Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Europe, and beyond — illustrates how genuinely global the fitness conversation has become.
- David Stalker's framing of EuropeActive's mission — more people, more active, more often — provides a simple but powerful lens for evaluating every strategic decision the sector makes.
Why This Conversation Matters
Matthew Januszek has always believed that Escape Fitness's role is larger than selling equipment — it's about contributing to an ecosystem where more people can access quality fitness experiences. The vision articulated by EuropeActive at FIBO 2023 maps directly onto that belief, and these conversations informed how Matthew thinks about growth and responsibility in the sector.
As he builds Escape Fitness USA and continues developing the LIFTS Podcast alongside Mo Iqbal, the themes from this episode — digital integration, holistic health, generational engagement — remain central to the work. Watching what Europe's leading operators and policymakers are doing provides real strategic signal for what the US market will face next.
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube
Related Episodes & Interviews
About Matthew Januszek
Matthew Januszek is the co-founder of Escape Fitness, the functional-training equipment brand he built from a UK startup into a global name supplying many of the world’s leading gyms, studios, and hotel fitness spaces. Following the separation of the UK and US businesses, Matthew’s focus today is Escape Fitness USA and the next chapter of the brand in North America. He hosted more than 300 episodes of the Escape Your Limits podcast and now co-hosts the LIFTS Podcast with SweatWorks founder Mohammed Iqbal, covering the business, science, and technology shaping the fitness industry. Explore more interviews and episodes on MatthewJanuszek.com.
About The Author
