- Elevate's 10th anniversary show drew nearly 200 exhibitors, staged 115 seminars and featured over 200 speakers, with attendance up 10 percent year-on-year, making it the busiest edition in the event's history.
- The show tackled the fitness sector's "image problem" head-on, highlighting that one in four people in the UK has a disability with an annual spending power of £446 billion, yet only 2 percent of fitness advertising features disabled people — leaving enormous room for improvement in industry inclusivity.
- With only 16 percent of people living with mental health conditions meeting WHO physical activity guidelines and 70 percent of the population having experienced trauma, Elevate dedicated its first-ever trauma-informed fitness sessions, signalling the industry's shift from purely physical training toward whole-person wellbeing.
- Experts demonstrated that adjusting breathing cadence can boost range of motion by 30 percent and accelerate recovery, while sleep was called "the number one recovery tool." Fitness professionals are poised to become trusted sources of sleep education — marking an industry-wide redefinition of what "health" fundamentally means.
UK’s leading fitness trade event draws nearly 200 exhibitors and record crowds, as industry confronts inclusion, mental health and the future of coaching.
Elevate, the UK’s premier trade event for physical activity, fitness, health and leisure professionals, has marked its 10th anniversary with its busiest edition on record. Hosted across two days at Excel London, the landmark show welcomed nearly 200 exhibitors, staged 115 seminars and convened over 200 speakers, with attendance figures up by 10 percent compared with the previous year.
Record-Breaking Scale and Industry Momentum
The 10th anniversary edition built on the momentum of Elevate 2025, which attracted over 6,500 delegates, more than 200 brands and 48 debut exhibitors across 8,000 square metres of exhibition space. This year’s expanded programme featured 12 dedicated content streams delivered across four Elevate-curated theatres — Debate, Generate, Accelerate and Collaborate — complemented by five partner-led stages.
Demand for the anniversary show had been evident well in advance, with over 60 percent of floor space reserved before the 2025 edition had even concluded — a testament to Elevate’s growing influence as the sector’s central hub for innovation, education and networking.
Headline Moments: Community, Legacy and Live Energy
Among this year’s standout features was a partnership with Intelligent Health to create a “Beat the Streets” trail, with interactive boxes placed on the stands of legacy exhibitors who have supported the event since its inception. Another high point was a live workout led by 1980s television fitness icon Mr Motivator, working alongside Innerva to champion the importance of engaging older adults in physical activity.
The theme resonated powerfully: Thursday’s panel discussion on strength training for older people drew a standing-room-only audience on the Debate stage, reflecting the industry’s deepening commitment to serving all demographics.
Confronting the Sector’s Hardest Questions
Beyond the exhibition floor, Elevate’s education programme tackled some of the most pressing challenges facing the fitness industry. A panel chaired by Future Fit’s Paul Swainson asked whether the sector has an “image problem” — a question that drew candid testimony from disability consultant Marina Logacheva, All About Obesity founder Sarah LeBrocq and Active Insight managing director Julie Allen.
Logacheva, who has published a report on Creating Welcoming Fitness Environments, highlighted that one in four people in the UK have a disability, representing an annual spending power of £446 billion — yet only 2 percent of fitness-related social media advertising features disabled people. “Creating a feeling of belonging starts with the ad. If you don’t see yourself then you feel like you don’t belong there,” she told delegates.
A separate panel on mental health, hosted by UK Active’s Marianne Boyle, celebrated the progress made over the past decade while acknowledging that only 16 percent of people living with mental health conditions meet WHO physical activity guidelines. Panellists stressed the need to upskill the workforce so fitness professionals feel equipped to have meaningful conversations while knowing when and where to signpost.
From Trauma-Informed Practice to Exercise Addiction
For the first time, Elevate dedicated sessions to trauma-informed fitness environments, with experts revealing that 70 percent of people have experienced trauma and 25 percent of women have experienced domestic violence. “There will be people in your clubs and classes who’ve experienced trauma,” said Fiona Roberts, founder of The Movement Charity. “And if not, it’s because they’re not getting through the barriers to your facility.”
Equally notable was a panel on exercise addiction — a condition affecting 8 percent of general exercisers and 9 percent of fitness professionals — chaired by exercise psychologist Dr Paula Watson and MyoMinds founder Dr George Mycock. Both urged the industry to reconsider the language used in fitness culture and to stress rest and recovery as fundamental, not optional, components of training.
The New Fundamentals: Breath, Sleep and the Role of Coaching
Thomas Hague, The Breath Coach, made the case for breathwork as “the missing performance skill,” citing evidence that simple changes to breathing cadence can deliver a 30 percent increase in range of motion while speeding recovery and improving emotional regulation. Sleep expert James Wilson cautioned against over-reliance on sleep trackers and urged fitness professionals to become trusted sources of sleep education — describing quality rest as “the number one recovery tool.”
As official Education Partner for Elevate 2026, the Future Fit Group curated sessions spanning GLP-1 medications, the “HealthSeeker” shift beyond traditional gym audiences, elite-to-everyday coaching transfer, and pre- and post-natal training. Carl Richards, Group Operations Director at Future Fit Group, captured the spirit of the programme: “Elevate is where the fitness industry comes to think seriously about what’s next. Education is the engine of progress in this industry.”
A Decade of Influence — and an Eye on the Next
“The response to Elevate has been phenomenal — from the energy on the show floor to the standing-room-only education sessions,” said Lucy Findlay-Beale, Event Director at Elevate. “As we mark our 10th anniversary, we’re more committed than ever to growing with the industry and delivering even more value to our community.”
About Elevate
Elevate is widely recognized as the UK’s leading trade event for fitness, sport, and physical activity, held annually at ExCeL London. The exhibition brings together thousands of industry professionals, including gym operators, fitness brands, sports technology companies, and health and wellness leaders, for two days of innovation, networking, and education. With over 200 exhibitors and a comprehensive programme of CPD-accredited seminars and live demonstrations, Elevate serves as a key platform for showcasing the latest developments in fitness equipment, training solutions, rehabilitation, and digital fitness technologies. It is a central meeting point for the UK fitness industry, connecting suppliers and decision-makers to drive the future of physical activity and performance.
For more information, visit www.elevatearena.com.
