Cologne, GER, April 12, 2024 – World Active has appointed IDEA® Health & Fitness Association CEO and owner Amy Boone Thompson as Chair of the global organization, advancing the group to it’s next phase. Representatives from more than 60 global organizations participated for the second annual World Active General Assembly and Summit April 12, during the FIBO Global Fitness convention in Cologne, Germany. Together, they elected the new World Active Council members, who are poised to guide this unique global initiative into its next chapter.

Thompson, newly elected World Active Chair and former Vice Chair, emphasized the significance of this gathering in the industry’s global history, acknowledging both progresses made and the work ahead. “We are eager to strengthen our collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and other international partners. Our mission remains clear: to inspire more people to engage in regular physical activity for improved public health worldwide. There’s much more we can achieve together, and we’re committed to making a meaningful impact.”  

Thompson will collaborate closely with the newly elected Vice-Chair, David Stalker, and Treasurer, Samir Kapoor, to drive the initiatives of World Active forward.

The World Active Council elections adhere to the provisions of the World Active Charter, a foundational document transparently endorsed by its founding members. The Council comprises representatives Jana Havrdova (Czech Chamber of Fitness) for Europe, Samir Kapoor (India Active) and David Stalker (EuropeActive) representing Asia and Europe respectively, Richard Beddie (Exercise New Zealand) for Oceania, and Amy Boone Thompson (IDEA® Health & Fitness Association) for North America. This commitment to continental representation underscores the principle of providing an independent platform where all stakeholders have equal voice and rights, with an invitation for associations and registrars across the sector to join World Active.

“It’s amazing to see what we can learn from one another,” says Thompson. “Last year we had the opportunity to represent World Active at World Health Organization (WHO) and that gave representatives a completely different perspective of how and why we need to work together if we really want to have an impact on global levels of physical activity. With many more countries on board, I believe we are moving in the right direction. Having World Active invited and recognized by WHO is a massive step forward in getting the industry recognized.”

The flagship event of the platform, the World Active Summit, is held annually. This gathering unites stakeholders worldwide to address common opportunities and challenges, advocate collectively, and advance global health and well-being through collaboration and innovation. The World Active Manifesto serves as the framework, outlining key goals, visions, and principles for future cooperation. Additionally, chairs of World Active’s working groups presented their framework and both short and long-term plans for their focus areas, demonstrating the ongoing commitment to advancing the goals of World Active.

For more information, please visit www.world-active.com or contact [email protected]

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About IDEA Health & Fitness Association  

IDEA® Health & Fitness Association has served as the world’s leading organization of fitness and wellness professionals for 43 years. We deliver world-class content and continuing education to fitness professionals, business owners and allied health professionals via our publications, including the award-winning IDEA Fitness Journal. We also power fit pros through our fitness, business and nutrition conferences, and with hundreds of streaming videos and digital courses available on ideafit.com. Additionally, with IDEA FitnessConnect®, we have the largest national industry-wide directory linking over 275,000 fitness professionals. We Inspire the World to Fitness® with the passion and dedication of IDEA Members in more than 80 countries.