A new four-day “celebration of physical activity” – combining a conference, awards night and a two-day programme of events, designed to get communities active – is to replace the Flame Conference and Awards this year.
Taking place from 20 to 23 June,
Active Uprising looks to bring more than 1,000 industry leaders to a “festival of insight, debate and action” held at the Manchester Central conference venue.
ukactive CEO Steven Ward said: “Every year ukactive brings its members and partners to celebrate the best of our sector – and Flame has long been a pinnacle of the year for a subset of the physical activity movement.
“But in recent years, our sector has evolved and expanded on a global scale into areas it never has before. Active Uprising will match these elevated ambitions with a revamped and expanded format.”
The schedule of events will include the Active Uprising Conference on 21 June, combining keynotes from leaders in business, politics and media.
Among the conference agenda will be the return of Ignite, a series of educational leadership workshops for fitness managers, designed to help them thrive in a rapidly changing sector.
Innovation and technology will also take centre stage with the culmination of the ActiveLab start-up accelerator programme. Now in its second year, the mentoring initiative aims to revolutionise the way physical activity is delivered by matching startups with leaders in business and the fitness industry.
The finalists of ActiveLab will battle it out at Manchester in a live-pitch competition, in front of an audience of 800 key influencers.
Also taking place during Uprising is Sweat North – bringing the London-based boutique fitness event to Greater Manchester – to discuss how the boutique fitness boom has become a national phenomenon, and exploring how other regions of Britain can become “boutique powerhouses”.
Meanwhile, the conference’s Active Communities strand will look to offer insight on the grassroots level, exploring programmes and investments transforming communities across the UK.
The ukactive Awards have also been revamped. Taking place on the evening of 21 June, there are a raft of new categories, widening the awards to celebrate achievements in all aspects of the physical activity sector.
Active Uprising will then conclude with a two-day push to “match the words with action”. The plan is to get communities active by mobilising schools, workplaces and community leisure facilities in Greater Manchester on 22 and 23 June to get people moving with an array of activities.
Supported by local government stakeholders, ukactive will work with local activity partners, such as GreaterSport and GM Active, to engage local communities by offering a range of free events with the aim of getting thousands of people moving, building off the format that has powered National Fitness Day.
GreaterSport CEO Yvonne Harrison added: “Active Uprising signifies a real step change in the ambition of the sector. That ambition is matched by the drive here, to get Greater Manchester Moving.”
To find more about Active Uprising and its programme,
click here for the event website.
