This weekend I was fortunate to be able to attend the 2020 IDEA World Fitness Convention. Of course, as with all other live events this year, the version I was looking forward to, in Anaheim, was turned into a virtual event. The question in my mind, would it be worth my time and money?
As a Shine Influencer, I received a complimentary registration to the IDEA World Fitness Convention.
Obviously, my money was not at stake, just my time, but thousands of others from around the world registered and paid for this event.
This would have been my seventh year attending the IDEA World Fitness Convention and I’ve always loved it. I have learned so much over the years, been inspired by the speakers, earned my CECs, and been refreshed and motivated by everything I’ve done. Plus I’ve made so many friends!
I'm sharing my experience at the @ideafit #IDEAWorld Virtual Fitness Convention! Was it as good as the live version? #fitnessClick To TweetI’ve done a lot of online learning in the last six months. I’ve done online classes and I’ve attended virtual training. Both have their advantages, but the virtual version has the bonus of a live instructor. Sometimes classes are quite large though, so even virtual classes are not as personalized as in-person training.
The Virtual IDEA World Fitness Convention. while scaled-down, was still quite ambitious. With 40 sessions, an opening and closing ceremony, a three-room expo, and a Mega Circuit exercise class, it was a huge endeavor. Participants had the opportunity to earn up to 13 CECs, which enough to renew most fitness certifications.
First Impressions of the Virtual IDEA World Fitness Convention
When you log into your account for the first day of the Virtual IDEA World Fitness Convention you enter into a huge lobby of a virtual convention center. I was blown away! It was very user friendly and right away I was able to maneuver around the site, find the Expo, check out the presentations (and set a reminder if I wanted).
Since participants come from around the world, it was scheduled to start early on the West Coast. Opening ceremonies started at 7:15. That was perfect for me as I was able to go for a short run, take a shower, then boot up my computer and listen while I was getting dressed. You can’t do that at a live conference!
I attended five educational sessions over the two days, which I’ll be talking about on Wednesday. I will say that they were very good and I feel I got just as much out of them as I would at a, well, conventional convention.
Shine On
As a Shine Influencer, I had a few required events to attend as well. We had some great sponsors and we were able to interact with their reps, plus catch up with blogging and social media friends that were also attending. Special thanks to Zone Perfect, My PT Hub, and FITposium for sponsoring Shine! In the evening we had a presentation by James of FITposium so we could learn about their online conference coming up in October.
The IDEA World Fitness Convention Expo
If you’ve ever been to a fitness conference expo, you know how it is. Up to hundreds of booths related to fitness: nutrition, equipment, clothing, supplements, and much more. How does that get transferred to a virtual atmosphere?
Quite well, apparently. It was easy to navigate to the Expo, click on any of the “booths,” and chat with the vendors. They all had specials going on and they were all very helpful. The only downside was that there weren’t any free samples!
The Mega Circuit
Many participants at the IDEA World Fitness Convention come just for the workouts. There are obviously limitations to this for a virtual event. That was resolved this year with the Mega Circuit. Participants could jump on the circuit where 12 different sponsors offered 5-minute workouts that could be done at home. In all honesty, I didn’t do the Mega Circuit but I think it’s a fabulous way to bring actual exercise to a virtual event.
Speaking of exercise, I should mention that many of the sessions were workshops and incorporated some kind of movement or exercise. So we did get to move.
What I Loved About the Virtual IDEA World Fitness Convention
There were many things to love about the Virtual IDEA World Fitness Convention. For one thing, the cost of travel was eliminated. I’m lucky that the convention is generally held in Southern California or Las Vegas (it was in Anaheim last year), so my expenses aren’t too bad. But as I mentioned, people come from around the world!
For another, life still can go on. While I’m not working, I do have a client I see three days a week. I was able to work around her and not have to cancel her session, which is a win for both of us.
I felt that I learned just as much as I would at a live conference. We were able to ask questions, which, since the teacher was live, they were able to answer quickly. There weren’t any distractions from people coming late, making noise, or anything else that can happen in the real world.
Every seat was a front seat. Those conference rooms can get full and it’s not always easy to see the instructor or the slides. Easy peasy in the virtual world.
Downsides of a Virtual Convention
There aren’t many, but there are a couple of downsides to attending a virtual fitness conference. Similar to working from home, the family doesn’t always “get it” that you are there but really not there. They ( in my case my husband) tend to pop in, ask questions, and need things.
Even when the family behaved, it was easy to try to multi-task and not pay as close attention as I should. That’s fine during the Opening Ceremonies, but during an education session, you really need to focus.
There were a few technical glitches, but that is to be expected and didn’t lower the quality of any of the presentations. The video or the sound would freeze for a few seconds but then it would start up again. A few things started a few minutes late (but that happens in the live version too).
Really the only downside that really can’t be corrected was, well that it was virtual. I couldn’t really see my friends and colleagues. I couldn’t hug the people that I’ve met over the years. We couldn’t sneak out and get a glass of wine together, or meet up for dinner, or be roommates, or take selfies, all things I’ve done over the years with my fitness and blogging cohorts. I’m sure this hurts more because it’s been off-limits now for six months, but it does hurt.
In Conclusion
The Virtual IDEA World Fitness Convention was a success! It was a great experience, delivered everything that was promised, and was a remarkable achievement. Kudos to all who were a part of creating the event, from the planning to the technical aspect. But please, next year IDEA, let’s go live. I need some of those hugs again.
Have you been to any virtual events this year?
Weekly Linkups
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That’s fantastic that you were able to get so much out of the conference. It’s a big undertaking to flip something like this to virtual. I would probably miss the interaction w the vendors and free samples of course!
Yes, I missed seeing real people but I am in awe of the job that they did to pull this thing together. Hopefully, we’ll be back live by 2021.
My pediatric nurse practitioner annual conference was virtual this year and it looks very similar to the IDEA event. The sessions I attended were great. But it was a virtual event and yep, there were some definite downsides to that. I missed networking with my colleagues and of course all the free samples at the exhibits. Still, in the time of COVID, it was a pretty good alternative to a live event!
I really missed the networking and just being around people (even as an introvert!). But yes, it was a good alternative. I hope we’re back live next year.