NEWS

WIRES

OTHER

First-Ever Zumba Fitness Concert(TM) Takes Fitness to an Unprecedented Level

More Than 1,000 Zumba Fitness Instructors Gathered for One of the Most Exciting and Inspiring Fitness Events in History

Zumba® Fitness, the world's largest dance based fitness program, hosted its first-ever Zumba Instructor Convention which took place October 31st through November 2nd, 2008. The three-day convention held at the Peabody Hotel in Orlando, Florida brought together more than 1,000 Zumba Instructors from around the world. The event was a great success that included a Saturday night Zumba class, Zumbathon, featuring "El Equipo," a live 20-person band. The Zumba Fitness Concert flawlessly incorporated the concept of fusing fitness and entertainment into one.

Selling out in just 30 days, the Zumba Instructor Convention consisted of large training workshops, including the launch of several new Zumba training programs, products, and educational sessions. New programs introduced at the convention offer Zumba instructors a variety of new techniques and resources, adding versatility to their routines in an effort to re-energize their clients' experiences. Some of the new programs, created for instructors to further their Zumba education, included Zumba Basic Level 2 and Zumba Toning (incorporating light weights to the traditional Zumba curriculum).

All proceeds from the Zumbathon concert, a colossal Zumba class with more than 1,000 Zumba instructors, directly benefited HealthCorps®, which addresses the crisis of obesity in America through school-based peer-mentoring, as well as community events and outreach programs to underserved populations. HealthCorps® was founded by Dr. Mehmet Oz, renowned heart surgeon, best-selling author and future host of syndicated talk show "The Dr. Oz Show," to revolutionize America's concept of health by prioritizing prevention and personal responsibility.

"We had an overwhelming response at the first-ever Zumba Fitness Concert and Instructor Convention," said Alberto Perlman, CEO of Zumba Fitness. "We are elated with the turnout and are looking forward to many future Zumba Fitness events."

A special thanks to event partners Staples, Lady of America, and HealthCorps®, as well as to event exhibitors, Silver&Fit and Shoes4Fitness.

About Zumba® Fitness

Zumba's whirlwind entrance into the fitness industry took everyone by surprise. In a few short years, Zumba Fitness® has sold millions of DVDs and made its presence known in thousands of facilities in over 35 countries worldwide with more than 20,000 Zumba Fitness® instructors. Zumba has been featured thousands of times in worldwide media such as the New York Times®, CNN®, The Today Show®, and more. Zumba Fitness LLC estimates that there are over 4 million people taking Zumba classes on a weekly basis.

About HealthCorps®

HealthCorps® www.HealthCorps®.org is a proactive health movement responding to the crisis of obesity in America through school-based peer-mentoring, as well as community events and outreach to underserved populations. It was founded in 2003 by Dr. Mehmet Oz (cardiac surgeon and host of the upcoming syndicated "Dr. Oz Show" from Harpo Productions.) For the future, HealthCorps® plans to bring its 45-school program to additional states, launch a consumer education program and evolve into the most trusted brand for proactive health and wellness in America by prioritizing prevention and personal responsibility.