PERSPECTIVE : REFLECTIONS OF INDUSTRY LEADERS
BETTER TODAY THAN YOU WERE YESTERDAY Raising the bar for fitness professionals is about more than disseminating knowledge – it ’ s about getting involved in , and with , and for , your industry , says Network ’ s Learning & Development Manager , Alisha Smith .
W earing ripped jeans and a crop top , she flew across the
step , all long legs and effortless calm . The dark room was packed and heaving , sweaty bodies whooping and hollering , their elation so thick you could almost clutch it .
Standing in the back of Parkside Ballroom , a too-big Event Crew t-shirt dwarfing my miniature frame , I watched presenter Rebecca Small deliver a step session that almost blew the roof off the Sydney Convention Centre . As clichéd as it may sound , I knew in that moment that I just had to be an even bigger part of whatever this FILEX thing was .
Eleven years on and I ’ m writing this Perspective piece from my desk in the Network office , surrounded by some of the very same people I ’ ve been privileged enough to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with at FILEX events for the past decade . We ’ ve laughed through heavy lifting , human hands turning into human chains the moment a call for help went out ; we ’ ve cross-checked and fact-checked and reference-checked together , in an effort to make sure that even the smallest of details and possibilities have been accounted for ; and we ’ ve collectively exhaled , exhausted , slumping into chairs and kicking shoes off of blistered feet as the doors closed behind the last delegates , presenters and suppliers for another year .
I ’ ve witnessed the seeds of countless friendships , business opportunities and career direction changes being planted in the hallways and hangout spots of the Sydney and Melbourne convention centres . I ’ ve seen nervous , uncertain , firsttime presenters rise to become confident , accomplished authorities in their fields . I ’ ve watched thousands of delegates burst out of sessions , fizzing with new ideas , new perspectives and new energy . And I have no doubt that all these things will continue under new direction because , at its heart , that ’ s what FILEX is , and has always been , about . It ’ s the end of an era for Network as we pass the torch to a joint venture group led by Fitness Australia and move onto narrowing our focus , to do even better work on what sits at the very core of our business – helping you and every other fitness professional we serve to be the absolute best you can be . We believe that we can achieve this through our information , membership and education , and we ’ re excited about continuing to generate new and interesting ways to do that . Watch this space for the new programs and offerings we ’ ll be unveiling throughout 2018 .
But educating our wider industry is about more than simply disseminating knowledge . It ’ s about getting involved in , and with , and for , your industry . It ’ s about continuing to be better today than you were yesterday . It ’ s about being open-minded , and welcoming , and making this industry grow in innumerable ways . It ’ s about sharing what you know and what you ’ ve experienced .
So many of you have been shining examples of all of these qualities and more , and for that , you have our heartfelt gratitude . Whether you ’ re a presenter who has spent countless hours crafting the perfect presentation ; an Event Crew member who has tirelessly moved Fitballs for the umpteenth time in one day ; a supplier , sponsor or supporter , without whom we honestly could not have made FILEX happen ; or a delegate who truly understands that the investment of time and money to attend the event is about so much more than just the hard facts you walk away with – thank you . You have all helped stoke the fire that is FILEX , and in doing so , kept our industry ablaze .
Alisha Smith has 14 years of industry experience across a range of hands-on training , development and management roles . As Network ’ s Learning and Development Manager , she has been responsible for curriculum development and delivery , and conference programming . Alisha is also a Master Instructor for Animal Flow , and the Co-Director of Integral – The Aerial Arts Group , a ground-breaking movement studio on Sydney ’ s Northern Beaches .
6 | NETWORK SUMMER 2017