Alan and Steven Schwartz These two generations have served both their business and their industry well. by Patricia Amend March 16-19, 2011, is quickly approaching! Those are the dates during which IHRSA's much anticipated 30th anniversary celebration will take place at the IHRSA Convention and Trade Show in San Francisco. As the momentous event approaches. CBI continues to gather stories on how IHRSA came to be-and grew to become the blockbuster of the global fitness industry. IHRSA now has 9500 member clubs in 73 countries, and more than 600 suppliers who are associate members. It has partnerships with regional associations in the US and 15 related international organizations around the world. Two industry innovators, Alan and Steven Schwartz of Chicago, have played integral roles in IHRSA's development. Alan, a legend in international tennis and the chairman of TCA Holdings, LLC, used his experience from the tennis industry to help structure the association, as well as plant the seeds for many of the programs and benefits that now distinguish IHRSA. His son, Steven, president and CEO of TCA, grew up in the tennis business and has taken part in IHRSA events, even as a college student. One of his contributions has been to help create financial standards for the industry. Then... and now As many members know. IHRSA traces its beginnings to 1981, when The National Indoor Tennis Association (NITA), headed by Mary Johnson, and the National Court Club Association (NCCA), headed by Chuck Levy, chose to merge. Alan Schwartz worked with Dale Dibble, Rick Caro, Todd Polk, Norm Cates, Curt Beusman, Jennifer Wayt-Saslow, and Peter Donohue to create a structure for the new organization. Another group, which included Dick Trant, John Wineman, and Bob Fitzgerald, served as advisors. Alan remembers clearly why John McCarthy, a former tennis club owner, was chosen to lead the fledgling association. "We saw that John was a visionary. At the time. he was director of the New England Indoor Tennis Association (NETA), and doing a great job at it. Our biggest hurdle was to get NETA to release John. When they did, he became IHRSA's first executive director. Mary and Chuck helped ensure a smooth transition." Because many of those who created IHRSA had been members of NITA or NCCA, or both, they each had pertinent opinions on key issues—including the authority of the executive director, the voting structure, the importance of conferences and trade shows, and pitfalls to avoid, Alan recalls. Alan, himself lent an immense amount of expertise, McCarthy points out. "Alan understood the importance of compiling industry data, with the oversight of an accounting firm. Lenders, prospective investors, would-be entrepreneurs, and club operators used it to evaluate development projects. Standard data also gave the industry credibility with banks and insurance companies, and encouraged them to finance loans." These efforts were the precursor of IHRSA's Industry Data Survey, the results of which are published annually in Profiles of Success. The senior Schwartz also encouraged IHRSA to affiliate, as had NTA, with a university for management education; to create one voice on the legislative front; and to forge reciprocal usage agreements among clubs. Such were the roots of the IHRSA Institute for Professional Management, public-policy initiatives, and the IHRSA Passport Program. IRSA honored Alan Schwartz with its Distinguished Service Award in 1987. Building TCA and IHRSA Today, TCA has three divisions: Proactive Partners manages 20 corporate centers and hospital wellness programs for clients including McDonald's, Kraft Foods, Travelers Insurance, Henry Ford Health System in Detroit, ProMedica Health System in Toledo, and Mercy Health Partners in Cincinnati. Columbia Equities is a real estate and health club investment company with seven clubs and several other retail and industrial buildings. And Tennis Corporation of America (TCA) owns and operates the company's 10 upscale Midtown Athletic Clubs. Just as the Schwartzes contrubuted to IHRSA's expansion, likewise, the association has played a part in TCA's development. "This is a family business, so I was involved at the dinner table every night, since the company's founding in 1969," Steven muses. "I was still a student at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration when IHRSA began. I went to my first convention then, and have attended most of them ever since." After graduation, he worked as a financial analyst for a consulting firm in the hospitality industry, then as director of development for Hyatt Hotels. He joined TCA in 1987, working in real estate, then management contract development and financing and expansion. Later, he moved into operations, becoming president in 1995, and CEO in 2001. "When I joined TCA, it was extremely helpful for me to learn the landscape of the club business at IHRSA. I met successful club owners, equipment manufacturers, and other suppliers. And the speakers... I remember the late Bob Dedman telling me how he financed ClubCorp with initiation fees on a tax-free basis. It was brilliant." In addition, Steven attended the IHRSA Institute for Professional Management. He and his father have also served as presenters. Like Alan, Steven has helped to strengthen IHRSA as an organization, serving as a director, vice president, and treasurer. In the late 1990s, he chaired the committee that authored the "Uniform System of Accounts for the Health, Racquet and Sportsclub Industry," which further enhanced the industry's credibility. It was a well-done effort by many IHRSA members who were CFOs and accountants," Steven says. Looking back over 30 years, what has been the biggest benefit of working to make IHRSA what it is today? The lifelong friendships," Alan and Steven both agree. Patricia Amend pamend@aoLcam Club Business International December 2010