Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal took the LIFTS Podcast to the European Health and Fitness Forum at FIBO 2025 in Cologne, sitting down with a panel of leaders spanning market research, franchising, technology, and international expansion to take the pulse of an industry in confident motion.
This first part of their EHFF coverage covers the headline findings from a comprehensive European market report, the consumer shift toward hybrid fitness and mental health awareness, and what brands need to understand about Gen Z and Gen Alpha if they want to stay relevant in the decade ahead.
What This Episode Covers
The European Health and Fitness Forum is staged annually alongside FIBO, the world's largest trade show for fitness, wellness, and health. It brings together C-suite operators, investors, data researchers, and franchise leaders to share strategy and intelligence at the highest level of the industry.
EHFF 2025 in Cologne attracted leaders from across Europe, Australia, and North America, reflecting the increasingly global nature of fitness industry decision-making. Topics ranged from merger and acquisition activity to the role of emerging technology in personalizing member experiences.
For fitness brands with international ambitions, the Forum functions as an annual benchmark — a place to understand not just where Europe is, but where the broader global market is heading.
Key Moments from the Conversation
- The European fitness market is growing through mergers, acquisitions, and membership increases, signaling a consolidation phase that rewards operators with scale and brand clarity.
- Consumer behavior is shifting toward hybrid fitness models that blend in-facility and digital experiences, and toward a broader emphasis on mental health and holistic wellness.
- A comprehensive European market report presented key performance indicators that give operators a clearer data foundation for strategic planning.
- Consumer fragmentation — with members splitting time and spending across multiple fitness providers — is creating both a challenge and an opportunity for differentiated operators.
- Supply-side fragmentation and ongoing innovation are reshaping how fitness brands compete on product, service, and experience rather than on price alone.
- International market expansion carries distinct challenges around local regulation, franchise infrastructure, and cultural expectations.
- Technology platforms are becoming central to fitness operators' ability to manage and scale their businesses internationally.
- The expectations of Gen Z and Gen Alpha — around technology integration, personalization, and comprehensive health solutions — will define the next competitive battleground for the industry.
Why This Conversation Matters
Understanding the European market is directly relevant to the work Matthew Januszek and Escape Fitness USA are doing as they focus on the brand's North American chapter — many of the consumer behavior shifts and technology adoption curves playing out in Europe serve as a leading indicator for what operators on other continents will face.
LIFTS was built to surface exactly this kind of high-signal industry intelligence in an accessible format, and this live recording at EHFF 2025 captures the thinking of some of the most influential voices in global fitness at a moment of genuine market momentum.
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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.
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