A Respectful Disagreement on AI & Its Hype Cycle — LIVE from FIBO 2026 With Bryan O’Rourke, Pablo Viñaspre, & Marcin Obel
Release Date: 05/12/2026
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Chaos To Connection: Rethinking Fitness For A World That Needs Us With Bryan O'Rourke LIVE From Fitness Brasil
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In this episode of the Fitness + Technology Podcast, Bryan O'Rourke shares his keynote, "Chaos To Connection: Rethinking Fitness For A World That Needs Us," recorded live at Fitness Brasil Expo 2026 in São Paulo. Bryan lays out a practical case for how operators and innovators can build businesses that meet people where they actually are. With technology rewriting what it means to be human, he argues that the fitness industry has a larger role to play in this moment than most of us realize — and explains why it matters. An overview of Bryan’s talk on Chaos To Connection: Check out...
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In this episode of the Fitness + Technology Podcast, Bryan O'Rourke welcomes Frank van de Ven to the show. Frank recently retired as Chief Commercial and Chief Marketing Officer of Life Fitness, closing out a nearly three-decade run with the company that took him from EMEA Marketing Director to General Manager of Life Fitness Benelux, Managing Director for Continental Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and ultimately Vice President International, with responsibility for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia-Pacific. Born in the Netherlands and a veteran of Philips and GE Plastics before...
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In this episode of the Fitness + Technology Podcast, Bryan O'Rourke welcomes back Dave Wright to the show. Dave is the Founder and Owner of MYZONE, a wearable technology and social platform that rewards effort in physical activity. MYZONE is ideal for boosting member retention in health clubs, building communities across networks, and aggregating data for an employer, sports team, school, or gym. Dave's background spans being a multi-club health club owner and the owner of Creative Fitness Marketing (CFM), a global company with offices in the UK, Australia, and North America that has served...
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Simplify The Work & Amplify The Impact With JJ Creegan
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In this episode of the Fitness + Technology Podcast, Bryan O'Rourke welcomes JJ Creegan to the show. JJ is the Principal at Creegan Co., a firm that helps founders, operators, and investors scale multi-unit consumer brands. Over the past two decades, JJ has partnered with founder-led and private equity-backed businesses to take concepts from launch through institutional scale — growing brands to 100+ locations and leading global networks of 1,500+ sites that generate more than $1 billion in annual revenue. His focus is on value creation through revenue growth, retention, and customer...
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Private Equity Trends Shaping The Fitness Industry With Jeremy Hirsch
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Affirmation vs. Information: Rethinking Fitness Leadership With Chris Stevenson
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In this episode of the Fitness + Technology Podcast, Bryan O'Rourke welcomes back Chris Stevenson to the show. Chris is the Founder of , a consulting firm that helps health clubs, studios, parks and recreation departments, and fitness professionals reach their goals through speaking, workshops, and customized services. In this conversation, Bryan and Chris share observations from the field and explore technology, longevity, and the human side of the industry. Check out FIT-C's 2026 Digital Pulse Report: Learn more about Fitness Brazil 2026: One Powerful Quote: 11:30: “Sometimes I think...
info_outlineIn this episode of the Fitness + Technology Podcast, Bryan O’Rourke shares his panel discussion from FIBO’s Future Forum, “A Respectful Disagreement on AI & Its Hype Cycle.” Moderated by Hans Muench, Bryan is joined by Pablo Viñaspre of FitnessKPI and Marcin Obel of Qodeca for an honest conversation about what’s working in AI, what’s falling short, and what fitness operators should actually be paying attention to. Listeners will gain practical insights, candid perspectives, and a discussion that moves beyond the buzzwords surrounding artificial intelligence.
If you’re evaluating how AI fits into your business strategy, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Check out FITC’s 2026 Digital Pulse Report: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GTV2QT18
One Powerful Quote:
45:10: “Most businesses don’t have a strategy. They have a plan, and if you don’t think of it in that context, you’re never going to be able to benefit from the enablement of technology.”
4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:
4:41: Bryan and Marcin discuss the hype cycle surrounding the AI boom.
7:57: Pablo explains how AI can deliver genuine, measurable value for operators.
9:04: Marcin examines whether the challenge lies in the technology itself or in the expectations created by vendors and the media.
12:22: The panel discusses the evolution of language learning models and artificial general intelligence, including their potential as long-term investments and the question of credibility.
16:44: Pablo addresses plateaued product life cycles and how companies can continue building meaningful AI-driven growth strategies.
18:05: The panel agrees that the greatest barriers to AI adoption are people and organizational change management and not the technology itself.
24:29: The discussion explores where AI is genuinely improving fitness operations and member experiences and where it is being oversold or misapplied.
31:05: The panel debates whether mass personalization leads to better outcomes or simply higher engagement.
33:35: The conversation turns to accountability, governance, and risk management for operators and vendors implementing embedded AI technologies.
38:08: The panel discusses what minimum government standards for AI in the fitness industry could look like.
39:55: The speakers outline practical steps operators should be taking today to prepare their businesses for AI adoption.
45:50: The panel shares closing thoughts on the realities and the risks of overhyped AI.
Bullet List of Resources:
Guest Contact Information:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-muench-653346a/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pabloviñaspre/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcinobel/
https://www.bryankorourke.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/