Ireland’s leisure, health and fitness industry will gather at The Johnstown Estate in County Meath tomorrow, Friday, November 6th, for the 2026 Ireland Active Annual Conference and National Quality Standard Awards, with a programme spanning entrepreneurship, physical activity, marketing, resilience and the changing expectations of fitness consumers.

The annual gathering has become an important meeting point for operators, suppliers and industry leaders working across one of the most important elements of Ireland’s physical activity infrastructure.

Ireland Active CEO Karl Dunne will open proceedings at 10.15 am, following a morning networking session featuring 28 exhibitors representing businesses supplying products and services to the sector.

One of the early highlights will be a fireside conversation with Brian Lee, founder of TRYKA and Freshly Chopped, whose entrepreneurial experience building consumer-facing businesses will offer perspective on leadership, growth, and the importance of understanding changing customer expectations.

The conversation will be followed by Dr Aisling Farrell of UPMC Sports Surgery Clinic, who will present Movement is Medicine – Helping Ireland Move. The session will explore the wider importance of physical activity and its role in creating a healthier population, a subject closely aligned with the ambitions of both the leisure industry and national sports policy.

The morning programme will also include the announcement of the winners of the Sustainability and Community Engagement Initiatives Awards, recognising projects that demonstrate the sector’s contribution beyond the walls of individual facilities.

Susan McEntegart of Creating Sparks will then present Beyond Attention – Marketing That Moves People, looking at how businesses can move beyond simply attracting attention to building meaningful connections that inspire action and engagement.

Pádraig O’Hora will deliver the afternoon keynote, Resilience Under Pressure – Building Mental Toughness from Sport to Business. Drawing on his experience in high-performance sport, the session will examine lessons applicable to business leadership, teamwork, and responding to adversity.

The final conference session, The New Rules of Fitness, will feature Charlton Clarke and Lucy Ferris of Les Mills UK, exploring how fitness operators can attract, engage and retain the modern member.

It is a subject of particular commercial relevance as the sector responds to changing consumer behaviours, competition for discretionary spending and an increasing emphasis on experiences, community and personal wellbeing.

The conference will close at 4 pm, before delegates return for an evening drinks reception and the National Quality Standard Awards dinner.

This year’s awards carry added importance as Ireland Active celebrates 25 years of the National Quality Standard, first established in 2001 and previously known as the White Flag Awards.

The programme provides an independent framework through which leisure, health and fitness facilities can demonstrate their commitment to quality across areas including customer service, management, health and safety, and operational standards.

Facilities achieving Gold, Silver and Bronze accreditation will be recognised during the evening, alongside wider industry awards acknowledging the people, organisations and businesses helping raise standards across the sector.

Sport for Business Founder and CEO Rob Hartnett will host the awards ceremony, which will begin at 8 pm following a reception in The Orangery.

With participation, customer experience, and community wellbeing becoming increasingly important elements of both public policy and commercial strategy, the Ireland Active gathering offers an opportunity to consider how the sector can continue to develop while maintaining its central role in keeping Ireland moving.

The Ireland Active Annual Conference and National Quality Standard Awards take place at The Johnstown Estate, Enfield, County Meath, on Friday, November 6th.

 

Sport for Business Perspective

The leisure and fitness industry is an essential part of Ireland’s sporting landscape, providing facilities, employment and opportunities for participation that extend well beyond organised competitive sport.

Tomorrow’s conference programme captures the diversity of that responsibility. Brian Lee’s entrepreneurial experience, Dr Aisling Farrell’s emphasis on the health benefits of movement and the commercial insights of Les Mills UK point towards a sector in which business performance and wider public benefit are closely connected.

The 25th anniversary of the National Quality Standard also reminds us that quality, consistency and trust are central to building a sustainable industry.

At a time when increasing physical activity remains a national priority, the collective expertise represented by Ireland Active and its members has an important contribution to make in shaping how Ireland moves in the years ahead.

 

 

 

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Image Credit: Finn Harps

 

 

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