Speakers for the physical activity facilities forum Scotland 2023
Malcolm McPhail, CEO
KA Leisure Ltd
Chairing the Seminar
I’m a former international athlete, a Master’s degree holder, an award-winning business leader of nearly 30 years, a storyteller, an author, a leadership coach, an adviser, and a public speaker.
I’ve rapidly worked my way up from PE teacher to Group CEO within the global leisure industry.
Robin Strang, Chair
Community Leisure Scotland
'The Energy Crisis and How it Impacts on the Scottish Leisure Industry'
With energy prices escalating and this impacting on leisure provision causing closures and reduction in service, this presentation will look at solutions and a way forward for the industry and consider the wider agenda of how the leisure sector can move towards being carbon neutral.
The presentation will also explore further the strategic coordination between health and leisure at a national level in Scotland.
Marianne Boyle, Head of Partnerships & Strategic Lead Infrastructure
ukactive
Bridging the gap – Physical Activity Sectors role in National Renewal
The sector currently provides essential fitness and leisure opportunities for over 10 million people…but now is the time to meet the needs of an even bigger group of customers in the UK. Examining the role the sector plays in providing significant value to society we will also explore the practical roles the sector can play with specific examples of some of the incredible programmes having a huge impact on people’s health and wellbeing, programmes that we should be seeking to scale so that the sectors role as the ‘first mile’ of healthcare in the UK is realised.
Patrick McMahon, Partner & Harrison Avery, Architect
FaulknerBrowns Architects
'Reducing Barriers to Active Spaces'
The presentation will discuss international trends and recently completed buildings which have informed how FaulknerBrowns approach an ever evolving leisure centre typology. Presenting a series of precedents which aim to reduce the perceived barriers to active spaces through design and urban planning decisions. The evolution taking place within the industry has stemmed from a change in attitude towards participation in sport, moving from Elite performance to more community focused offers. The themes of the presentation portray how active spaces of the future can attract increased participation in sport whilst also acting as catalysts benefitting their communities as part of a holistic approach to wellbeing.
Jonny Curley, Senior Business Development
Alliance Leisure
'Protecting the Sport and Leisure Provision Through a More Commercial Approach'
Protecting the future of the sport and leisure provision in Scotland with decreasing funding and increasing build and running costs is now extremely challenging. With comprehensive planning, needs analysis and carefully planning of the proposition we can maximise the potential income for differing facilities. This in turn raises the necessary income to fund key sporting and leisure activity.
Dr Tim Anstiss
Virtual Health Labs
'Clicks and Mortar. How Digital Coachbots Can Help Deliver Better Outcomes'
NICE* recommends Brief Interventions to helping people change. Behaviour changes the sector wishes to see include people becoming more active, engaging more in local programmes, and joining and staying as members. Virtual Health Labs has developed a suite of customisable, automated conversational agents to help nudge people towards change around physical activity, diet, weight loss, smoking, hazardous drinking and better mental health/wellbeing.
In this presentation I will explore the role of coachbots in behaviour change and their potential benefits – for instance, if they help increase membership retention they could save a leisure provider several thousand pounds each month, offering a good return on investment.
*National Institute for Health and Care Excellence