How to host a fitness event in NYC – A Blogger’s Guide by Molly Teshuva!

I can safely say that a year ago I never would have expected to be sitting here writing an article about the steps behind organising a fitness event overseas in the big apple. I created @progresspure whilst studying at University to hold myself accountable for all the ups and downs I experienced along my fitness journey. AKA an online diary to remind me that ordering Dominos after a night out was something to be avoided! Along the way I started connecting with hundreds of other likeminded girls who were seeking to not just get fit, but also learn to love and appreciate their bodies for what they were and what they could do. Because of Instagram, I’ve made lifelong friends from all over the world and been fortunate to experience some unbelievably exciting opportunities, like hosting an event in NYC!

I’ve decided to document my findings about how to go about hosting an event abroad in order to encourage more women to take the plunge in doing something social, exciting and helpful. So here are ProgressPure’s 7 steps to doing just that:

Be an opportunist 

Use any opportunity you’re given in life to try and spread the word about your healthy message, be it big or small. I knew I was already going to be travelling to NYC in August so I got brainstorming about how I could use this opportunity to my advantage and I decided to throw myself into the deep end and attempt to throw my first ever fitness event.

Do your research  

New York is not my home city and I’ve only been a few times so I had to get down to business about key factors like if I wanted to get co-hosts involved, where I wanted to host the event, what the purpose of the event was and who to invite.

Weightlifting is my game but you’ve got to think strategically, I knew putting a bunch of people into a sweaty gym wasn’t going to work so I started thinking about spaces which could accommodate lots of socialising, exercising and of course, eating! After discovering my passion for spinning at Spinn-off London I started doing my research into spin studios in the city. I came across CYC spinning studio, which was recommended to me by a friend, did my research and knew that it would be the perfect location to host the event.

Be clear about its purpose 

CYC can fit 45 people to a class so I had to be clear about who I wanted to invite and what was the actual purpose of it? What was the event celebrating? Make sure you have a clear purpose in mind, everyone likes to have fun at events but it’s more fun when we know exactly why we’re taking part. So looking back on the last year, in such awe and excitement at how far my blog has come, how many amazing women I’ve been fortunate enough to meet and how much Instagram has helped positively revolutionise fitness it was obvious to me that I wanted to host an event celebrating the power of social media.

Get in contact 

Once I had my sights set for CYC straight away drafted up an email to them pitching the idea. Remember that the person you’re getting in contact with may very well have never heard of you or your blog so get down to basics about what you stand for and what you’re trying to achieve with it. It’s also vital to get across how passionate you are about what you do, so be creative about how you express yourself… it’s refreshing for people to read a genuinely exciting email!

Find a place to stay 

Success!! CYC responded that they would love to help celebrate the power of social media with me and use one of their studios as the location space. Right, so I’m hosting a fitness event, in New York, for 45 people, WHAT! Let the exciting times roll on. Having received a confirmation from CYC needed to find a place to stay in the city. Luckily one of CYC studios is located in an awesome 4 star hotel right in the heart of Times Square, Row. I seriously lucked out with this one, if you haven’t heard of Row then I definitely recommend checking the hotel out, they’re equipped with a fitness studio, CYC spinning studio, photobooth (essential for an Istagrammer) and Glam&Go styling bar. Yes this place is heaven. Row is ideal if you’re a fitness fanatic like myself and need somewhere that’s got access to a gym, in great location for healthy lunch spots and, that’s affordable. Particularly tricky in NYC!

Get organising 

This is the most challenging step, just because if you’re a busy bee like myself, it can be hard to sit down and plan something which is weeks away. Stressing the ‘insta’ in ‘instagram’ I’m used to getting stuff done instantly, so long-term planning is a skill which I’m trying to get better at. But the ball is in your court now so you’ve got to take responsibility. You want to host an event which you would love to attend, where the goodie bags leave people snapping pics, and socialising with likeminded people was more than worth taking a few hours of your Sunday. So make a list of ‘extras’, which will be included at the event and get organising, for example:

–       Co-hosts

–       Goodie bags

–       Invite list

–       Food & drinks

–       Speechs, talks

–       Live music

Spread the word 

Once the ball is rolling start spreading the word through your blog, Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, wherever that is relevant to let people know about this awesome event you’re hosting. Even if you’re not publically selling tickets to your event, the whole point of social media is to let people across the world know what you’re doing instantly. People want to be part of a team and to feel involved, so tell them what you’re doing and if there’s anyway they can help. Even if that’s just by hitting the <3 button on Instagram and sharing the love!

Feeling inspired? Head over to Molly’s blog https://progresspure.com and be sure to follow her on instagram @progresspure