Retail, Architecture, Technology and Brain Science Feature Prominently at 2014 Global Spa & Wellness Summit
New York, NY (PRWEB) August 27, 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 (access full agenda here)
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, named one of the 20 Youngest Power Women in Africa by Forbes and a Young Global Leader by the avos 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: http://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 $1.9 trillion spa and wellness industry.
Beth McGroarty, rbi creative, 213.300.0107, [email protected]
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