Career Lab by Coach360 Live returns January 22 and 23, 2027, in Las Vegas, with two days built around the part of a fitness career that nobody certifies you for. The business of it, the direction of it, and the question of what you want the next year to actually look like.
The real career shift starts when technical skill is no longer what holds a coach back. You can run the room, hold the clients, and keep them coming back for years, and none of that automatically gives you the relationships, the visibility, or the business context that turns strong coaching into a long career.
Most industry events are built around what you teach. This one is built around how you make a living doing it.
Kathleen Ferguson, Founder and CEO of Coach360, built the event around that gap.
“We have an industry full of talented coaches who know how to change lives, but we haven’t done enough to help them build lasting careers. That’s why we created Career Lab. It’s about opening doors, creating meaningful connections, and showing coaches what’s possible beyond the gym floor. When we invest in the people who power this industry, we raise the standard for everyone.”
— Kathleen Ferguson, Founder & CEO, Coach360
What the Two Days Hold
Day One covers career, leadership, business, and industry pathways. It opens with a movement experience and welcome remarks, then a keynote on building impact beyond the client roster. Midday panels address career velocity, building income beyond hourly coaching, and where AI fits into a coaching business. The afternoon brings a panel on industry advocacy and policy, followed by a choice of five hands-on breakout labs on building, operating, and scaling a business.
Day Two turns to performance, physique, and coaching excellence. It starts with an optional community lift at a landmark bodybuilding gym. It then moves into a keynote and panels on coaching credibility, working with high-performance athletes, and a fireside conversation with an Olympia champion. The afternoon covers physique fundamentals and women in bodybuilding, then workshops on brand, coaching, and revenue.
Session times, speakers, and panelists are confirmed separately, and Coach360 will announce the venue soon.
Built So You Do Not Just Sit There
The format runs on three pieces. Breakouts are small and focused, which means you can ask a real question and get a tailored answer rather than a general one. Workshops are hands-on, where you work on your own offers, pricing, content, and career strategy with support in the room. Move and Mingle is a group workout, because a room full of fitness professionals sitting in chairs for two days is its own kind of irony.
CECs are included and recognized by major certification bodies, which matters for anyone whose renewal is coming due. You can grow the business and keep the credential current in the same two days.
Who It Is Actually For
Trainers, group instructors, studio owners, online coaches, and wellness professionals, along with new and aspiring fit pros still working out where they fit. Anyone who needs CECs. And anyone who has been doing this long enough to want clarity about where it is going.
Most coaches do not stall from lack of hunger. They stall because they do not have enough access to people who can explain what actually changes a career. Career Lab is built to close that gap.
Ferguson has watched that gap hold good coaches back.
“I’ve seen incredibly talented coaches struggle to move forward in their careers, not because they lack ability, but because they lack access to the right people and opportunities. That’s what I want Career Lab to change. I want people to leave with meaningful connections, a clearer vision of what’s possible, and actual opportunities to take their careers to the next level.”
— Kathleen Ferguson, Founder & CEO, Coach360
Arrive With Better Questions
The event creates access, and what you do with it is still yours to decide. Coaches who arrive with “how do I grow” tend to leave with a longer note file. Coaches who arrive with something specific tend to leave with a plan.
Worth thinking through before you land:
- What role you want next
- What proof you need to show to get it
- Which skills are missing from your current path
- What kind of coach you are becoming
- Which brands or operators actually fit your values
The panels on hiring and readiness reward that preparation. Listen for the language leaders use when they talk about advancement, the behaviors they reward, and what makes someone easy to trust with more responsibility. Those patterns rarely show up in a job posting.
The cue is simple. Do not collect contacts. Leave with a next move.
The Honest Part
The room does not build the career for you. You still have to introduce yourself, ask the specific question, take notes that turn into action, and follow up in February when the momentum has worn off.
Career Lab compresses the learning. The execution stays yours.
The Stage Is Open
Coach360 is casting the 2027 lineup now, with an open call for a keynote speaker, moderators, and panelists.
That is worth a serious look if you have been building expertise and waiting for an invitation. Open casting means the lineup is not closed to people already inside an existing circle. The Day One and Day Two topics give a clear sense of what fits: career building, income beyond the hourly model, AI in coaching, advocacy, coaching credibility, physique work, and women in bodybuilding.
Apply to speak at Career Lab 2027.
Securing a Seat
A fifty-dollar deposit reserves a spot. The ticket covers both days, breakfast, lunch and snacks, all workshops and breakouts, the Move and Mingle workout, networking, and CEC credits.
Las Vegas is served by Harry Reid International Airport, which is LAS.
You spend every day serving other people’s goals. Two days on your own is not indulgent, and the calendar rarely offers it unless you take it.
Reserve your seat for Career Lab 2027.
Related: Absolute Recomp and the Infrastructure Behind Scaling a Fitness Career
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Frequently Asked Questions
When and where is Career Lab by Coach360 in 2027?
Career Lab by Coach360 Live runs January 22 and 23, 2027, in Las Vegas. The venue will be announced soon. The nearest airport is Harry Reid International, LAS. A fifty-dollar deposit reserves a seat, and the ticket includes both days, meals, workshops, breakouts, the Move and Mingle group workout, and CEC credits.
Does Career Lab offer continuing education credits?
Yes. CECs are included and recognized by major fitness certification bodies, which makes the event useful for professionals with renewals approaching. Attendees earn credits while working on business and career strategy rather than choosing between the two.
Who should attend Career Lab?
Trainers, group fitness instructors, studio owners, online coaches, and wellness professionals, along with people new to the industry or considering entering it. The programming is built around career direction, business growth, and coaching excellence rather than around a single modality, so it suits anyone who wants a clearer plan for the year ahead.
Can I apply to speak at Career Lab 2027?
Yes. Coach360 has an open casting call for a keynote speaker, moderators, and panelists for the 2027 event. The two-day programming covers career and leadership, income models beyond hourly coaching, AI in coaching businesses, industry advocacy, coaching credibility, high performance, and physique work, which gives applicants a sense of where their expertise might fit.
Jessica H. Maurer writes on business strategy and career development for Coach360News.
About Jessica H. Maurer
Jessica H. Maurer is a keynote speaker, author, and wellness consultant who helps people move from exhausted to energized. Named the 2026 IDEA Fitness Leader of the Year, Jessica brings that hard-won perspective to international stages, corporate workshops, and consulting engagements. She is the author of The Happiness Handbook: A Guide to Designing Joy, serves as Director of Education for the Mental Wellbeing Association, and co-hosts the Fit & Flustered podcast. Her approach blends real science with a warm, human belief that a life and career worth having are built on purpose, not by accident.
