Medi-Wellness Congress 2025 explores longevity and healing

Medi-Wellness Congress 2025 took place on April 28-29 with 130 delegates joining the event from across Europe.

The fourth edition of the unique networking congress, held at Hilton Geneva Hotel & conference Centre in Switzerland, addressed topics from the medi-spa, wellness and hospitality sectors.

It featured international speakers including Dr Filippo Ongaro, Ozgur Cengiz, Alina M Hernandez, Dr. Tamas Gulyas, Wojciech Tworek, Martin Goldmann, Dr Claudio Tavera and Hans-Peter Veit.

Organised by HaB France, in collaboration with the industry veteran Vladi Kovanic, founder of Forum HOTel&Spa, the congress marked a key moment for the sector.

The event offers a platform where experts, brands, and professionals come together to explore the future of wellness.

Integrating mental wellbeing into the spa ecosystem

This year’s theme, focusing on integrating mental wellbeing into the spa ecosystem, resonated with the attendees and provided delegates with many takeaways for enhancing their businesses.

With a gala dinner, networking and an expo with 19 wellness brands, it was an opportunity for learning, connecting and doing business.

As official media partner, European Spa had the opportunity to try Capsix robotic massage and were impressed by the potential of this kind of touchless technology in a fitness space, as well as in the spa sector.

Other brands exhibiting included: Gharieni, Kerstin Florian, Gaia Skincare, Landsberg, Yon-Ka, NovoThor and MyBlend.

Read on for highlights fom the speaker sessions at Medi-Wellness Congress 2025…

The importance of muscle mass for longevity

Dr Filippo Ongaro, CEO and founding partner, Metodo Ongaro 

Dr Filippo Ongaro discussed his transition from sports medicine to space medicine, highlighting the accelerated ageing effects on astronauts, which mirror those on Earth but at a faster pace. Key factors include gene expression modification, loss of muscle and bone mass, exposure to radiation, and circadian rhythm disruption.

He emphasised the importance of muscle mass for longevity, noting that astronauts’ health has improved with advanced weight training equipment.

“Muscle mass is the organ of longevity, [one important factor is] insulin resistance. Insulin receptors are in muscles. As soon as you start losing muscle mass, you will lose insulin sensitivity, and from there, many other metabolic problems can arise.”

Ongaro stressed the need for lifestyle changes, particularly weight training, to combat chronic diseases and extend healthy life expectancy, advocating for a shift from traditional medicine to proactive health management.

Integrating traditional and modern healing modalities

Ozgur Cengiz, global director of wellness development, Gurok Tourism Group

Ozgur Cengiz, a seasoned hotelier with over 20 years of experience, discussed the development of Joali Being, the first wellness retreat in the Maldives, which opened in 2021.

The retreat integrates traditional and modern healing modalities, focusing on four key pillars: mind, skin, energy, and microbiome. He highlighted the rise of traditional practices like Ayurveda and shamanic healing, and the need for personalised, holistic care.

“Rather than viewing [traditional and modern practices] as opposing systems, this approach explores how they can complement each other to create more holistic, effective and personalised care,” he said.

Joali Being’s approach combines ancient wisdom with modern evidence-based medicine, aiming for comprehensive, lasting wellness effects.

The evolution and benefits of ozone and IV therapies in medical wellness

Dr Claudio Tavera, founder, Potenziativa

Dr Claudio Tavera, an anti-ageing and regenerative medicine specialist, discussed the evolution and benefits of ozone and IV therapies in medical wellness.

He highlighted the recognition of these treatments by Italian and German health ministries, citing 5,000 scientific papers and strong clinical studies.

Dr. Tavera emphasised the integration of high-tech modalities, such as virtual reality, to enhance and improve patient outcomes when administering IV infusions.

“The virtual reality experience is specifically designed to help patients relax and lose anxiety during the medical procedure. The VR headset provides an immersive experience that keeps patients entertained while receiving their infusion. There are also publications showing improvements in brain cortex activity through VR application,” he said.

The role of spas in promoting emotional balance

Dr Christine Pfeiffer, medical director at Longevity Center Zürich

Dr Christine Pfeiffer discussed the importance of mental wellness in longevity, revealing that chronic stress impacts biological aging and health.

She highlighted the role of spas in promoting emotional balance and nervous system recovery through methods like heart rate variability diagnostics, floating therapies and biofeedback.

Pfeiffer shared a case study of a 45-year-old executive who experienced significant stress reduction and improved wellbeing through personalised protocols. She introduced the 5S framework (space, silence, science, sensory, story) for designing mental wellness environments and advocated for integrating art and science to create transformative spa experiences.

“Space means how the design and aesthetics influence the nervous system. Spas can become safe spaces for emotional re-connection,” she said.

Following the success of the event, Hab France has announced that the fifth edition of Medi-Wellness Congress will take place in Geneva at the end of April 2026 in Geneva.

For more information click HERE