Simply Abu Dhabi XI

7 1 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I opportunity and to get increasing numbers of people interested in regular exercise. In fact, the London Olympics for the first time represented a long-term investment in a healthier country; alongside the Games, the City of London and the British Government have run a comprehensive program to encourage the population to take regular physical activity. This links in to our socially responsible commitment to promote physical exercise as a form of medicine.” It is this kind of commitment to the promotion of an all-round healthy lifestyle and participation in global events that really earns Technogym their slogan, ‘The Wellness Company’. And it is not only individual athletes who opt for Technogym either, but also international teams and professionals from mixed disciplines, such as football and motor racing. Ferrari Formula One drivers, such as Michael Schumacher, have been training with Technogym products for years. The players in international football clubs such as Juventus, Inter and ACMilan, Ajax, Real Madrid and Liverpool players all keep fit with Technogym’s many pieces of state-of-the-art equipment. As the years have passed and the company has steadily grown, the product has also evolved into more than machines for the gym. Alessandri has integrated a philosophy based on the wisdom of the Roman Poet Juvenal, which in Latin is “Mens sana in corpore sano” – literally translated as ‘A healthy mind in a healthy body’. Now the brand specialises in more than just gym equipment. Alessandri has researched nutrition and living a healthy life with a positive mental attitude and a healthy diet in conjunction with keeping fit. Now Technogym offers a wide range of products, software and services that comprise a Total Wellness Solution. The company can supply operators of gyms, including large chains and independents, as well as private individuals. Alongside the machine products Technogym can also provide added services such as interior design, training, marketing support, facility management, catering to all market sectors from fitness clubs to private homes, hotels, beauty farms and spas, rehabilitation centres, corporate gyms, military barracks, recreation centres, universities and sport teams gyms. They are the consummate fitness company. The pinnacle of this holistic approach so far is embodied by the Technogym Village – the company’s new headquarters that were opened in Cesena, Italy, last year. The opening ceremony for this incredible new development was held in the presence of the President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano and former President of the United States, Bill Clinton. The newHQ represents the world's first Wellness Campus and it includes a research and innovation laboratory, the production facilities and a large wellness centre dedicated to physical exercise and education. Designed by the renowned architecture studio Antonio Citterio, Patricia Viel & Partners, the entire project was inspired by the principles of health and wellness in the workplace. Alessandri describes his company’s new home saying, “The Technogym Village has been developed as a hotbed of ideas, where innovation and scientific research can be shared. It’s the world’s first Wellness Campus and it represents a global reference point for the Wellness lifestyle. It is inspired by the concepts of eco-sustainability and bio-architecture and the village combines the production sites, the company headquarters including our research and development centre, a Wellness centre including an avant-garde gym, a conference centre, and a restaurant serving zero-mileage food. For us the Technogym Village represents the starting point of a new era for the company.” Giorgio Napolitano, the President of Italy, has heaped praise on Alessandri, stating, “Not only in America, but also in Italy there are self-made men, and there is no better example thanNerio Alessandri. Together with his family, he represents one of those features of the Italian culture which make Italy stand out not only in Europe but also worldwide, focusing on the capacity to innovate, change, develop and produce.”