The documentary-style conference brought together speakers from around the world to discuss Building Communities. 

 “I knew we couldn’t replicate the Retention Convention in its traditional way, so we didn’t try. The event was a mix of pre-recorded and live material designed to be more like an extended webinar, with our fantastic speakers sharing their know-how on turning customers into communities,” said Bedford.

The convention was opened by award-winning Australian studio owner, Amanda Bracks’ session, ‘Making People Feel Like They Belong’.  Bracks’ top tips revolved around getting members to attend.  “For some people the gym is a place they go. For others it's a place they belong. This is what you want," she said. “Everything is about inclusivity and encouraging people to attend as much as possible.”

Other speakers included Lauren Moate, énergie’s Learning and Development manager; Gillian Reeves, owner of the Yoga Hub studio, and previously responsible for Virgin Active’s group exercise, as well as head of instructor development at EMD UK; and  Stacey Seward Vandiver, owner and CEO of US-based group fitness education and subscription brand, SoulBody Fitness.