Sold out conference’s theme is
“Fast Forward;” event takes place in Morocco Sept 10-12
New York,
NY – August XX, 2014 – The Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) today
announced that the final agenda and daily program for its 8th annual conference
has been released. When industry leaders from over 45 nations gather at the Four
Seasons Resort Marrakech, Morocco, the conference will take a creative and
strategic look at the future, exploring a range of topics from technology,
design and brain science to retailing, marketing and investment trends to
corporate wellness and wellness tourism.
“This year we challenge the
industry and ourselves to pause and take a good hard look at where the world,
and, of course, spa and wellness in particular, is headed,” said Susie Ellis
GSWS Chairman and CEO. “We are also thrilled to be presenting updated data on
three critical, global industry sectors: the wider wellness industry, the spa
industry and the wellness tourism market.”
Agenda at a Glance
Day 1 Highlights:
· The 2nd annual Global Wellness
Tourism Conference kicks off with a welcome from Morocco’s Minister of Tourism,
Lahcen Haddad. Discussions will center on how the spa & wellness industry can
work to drive recognition of this segment at both global and national levels.
·
Ministers of Tourism showcase their countries’ history of spa and wellness and
outline their plans for promoting and marketing wellness tourism in the future.
· A look into Africa’s spa culture past, present and future with Magatte
Wade, writer for The Guardian, Huffington Post and Barron’s and was named one of
the 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa by Forbes and a Young Global Leader by the
Davos Global Economic Forum.
· Paul Price, CEO of Creative Realities,
explores how technology is changing retailing forever – and how to be ready for
the future.
· A studied reflection on the history of wellness with two of
its founding fathers, Donald Ardell, PhD and Dr. John Travis. Peter Greenberg,
Travel Editor, CBS News moderates.
· Dedicated sessions for corporate
wellness, destination spas, hotel spas, hot springs spas, hydrothermal, and spa
education take place, giving global leaders from these key sub-sectors the
opportunity to strategize on how best to solve their biggest challenges and
collaborate to expand opportunities.
Day 2 Highlights:
· 6th Annual Student Challenge competition kicks off the morning. Four
universities compete in designing a spa/wellness concept that encompasses North
African culture and is viable for a global roll-out.
· The real story of Moroccan
argan oil as told by reigning expert Zoubida Charrouf, PhD, Professor,
University of Mohammed V, Morocco.
· Renowned Moroccan artist, Yahya
Rouach, enlightens delegates about the use of light in spas and how it could, in
the future, make a huge impact on the spa experience.
· Kjell Nordstrom,
PhD, Swedish Economist and author presents “Funky Business of the Future:
Prepare Yourself for the Urban Express.”
· 2014 Spa & Wellness Economy
Research Report presented by SRI International. Data to cover the wider wellness
industry, the spa industry and the wellness tourism market, as well as several
sub-segments, including hot springs spas.
· First-ever “Tech Jam” gathers
delegates together to share and explore wearable wellness devices from Misfit
Shines to weighted hula hoops to Fitbits and Jawbones.
· Architecture
maverick Bjarke Ingels of BIG, Denmark presents his perspective on the future of
sustainability in architecture dubbed “Hedonistic Sustainability.”
· A
special videotaped message from Dr Oz on the Future of Wellness.
Day 3 Highlights:
· Louie Schwartzberg, filmmaker and founder of
Blacklight Films, recently featured on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday, whose work
reveals the heart of the human soul through nature, shares how he is applying
his unique vision to spa and wellness.
· Dr. Daniel Friedland of SuperSmartHealth,
an expert on evidence-based medicine, brain science and mindset, explores the
impact of brain science has on leadership, beauty and spas
· The
afternoon has a sharp focus on wellness communities/wellness living and the
investment opportunities and hurdles in spa and wellness
· The first-ever
Wellness Awards are announced; categories include Wellness Innovator; Leader in
Sustainability; Leading Women in Wellness.
· Summit closes with a wrap up
from Edie Weiner, a futurist consultant who has lectured at Wharton, Harvard and
the World Economic Forum in Davos and has co-authored four books, the latest of
which, FutureThink, was a global bestseller.
The 2014 GSWS co-chairs are
Anna Bjurstam, Vice President of Spas & Wellness, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas
and Owner, Raison d’Etre, and Neil Jacobs, CEO, Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas.
The full 2014 agenda can be accessed here.
To learn more
about the 2014 GSWS, visit: www.gsws.org
About the
Summit: The Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) is an international
organization representing senior executives and leaders from over 45 countries,
joined by a common interest in driving economic development and understanding of
the spa and wellness industries. Delegates from diverse sectors, including
hospitality, tourism, health and wellness, beauty, finance, medical, real
estate, manufacturing and technology, attend the organization’s annual Summit,
which is held in a different host country each year. After just seven years, the
GSWS is now considered the leading global research and educational resource for
the $2 trillion spa and wellness industry. It is known for introducing major
industry initiatives such as WellnessEvidence.com, the world’s first online
portal to the medical evidence behind common spa and wellness therapies. For
more information, visit www.gsws.org.
