The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) has revealed the theme for its 16th annual event, taking place in Tel Aviv, Israel on October 31 – November 3. The event, set to be held at the Hilton Tel Aviv, will explore the theme  of ‘Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open for Business’, with a roster of expert speakers sharing the latest thinking set to positively shape the future of the $4.4 trillion wellness industry. 

Over the course of three days, Tel Aviv will play host to delegates from around the world, who will hear from industry leaders, academics and business founders on diverse topics such as the future of food, new longevity and preventative health approaches. 

Meanwhile, Tel Aviv itself will serve as a source of innovation, collaboration and culture for attendees. Having recently been ranked as seventh in the world for global tech eco-systems, the city is currently making waves in welltech exploration, and according to US research firm Start UP Genome, boasts an impressive start-up scene estimated to be worth $120 billion. 

Open hearts and minds

Held in a different location every year, European Spa magazine is proud to have served as media partner for the Global Wellness Summit and has reported on its key findings since 2009.

Speaking from the Nike Innovation Center in Israel, GWS chief creative officer and executive director Nancy Davis told European Spa: “Our theme this year in Tel Aviv is ‘Open Minds, Open Hearts, Open for Business’, and we will be delivering on these promises.

“Since the GWS launched 16 years ago, many conferences on targeted wellness markets have appeared in digital health, food, fitness, spa and travel. The Summit is the only conference that brings together the most creative entrepreneurs and serious thinkers from across the wide world of wellness and preventative health.

“We want to open people’s minds beyond their industry ‘bubble’ – to create new, unexpected collisions, conversations and collaborations between extraordinary people working in so many wellness arenas.”

GWS chair and CEO Susie Ellis added: “Personalised wellness and prevention is really driving wellness technology here in Israel. They’re really walking the walk to bring together medical experts and tech entrepreneurs to incubate new ideas in wellness technology. Our Welltech Pavilion at this year’s Summit will be very significant.”

From Harvard to the Red Sea 

The 2022 edition of GWS will include keynote speeches on the latest wellness thinking from Levi Shapiro, founder of mHealth, Israel’s largest community of health-tech innovators, as well as Aradhana Khowala, chairwoman of the Advisory Board for Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea Project, one of the world’s most regenerative tourism projects to date. 

Other speakers include Michelle Williams, dean of the faculty at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Rick Stollmeyer, founder of Mindbody, a wellness experience platform worth nearly $2 billion, with more speakers to be announced in due course. 

“Our goal is to immerse attendees in the best and brightest ideas being developed by companies across the wellness spectrum,” said GWS co-chair and Welltech Ventures Amir Alroy. “I’m excited to welcome everyone to Israel, not only the Start-Up Nation but also a beautiful, vibrant, ethnically-diverse culture of warm people.”

Shaking up spa industry and wellness tourism 

Hot topics for this year’s event include the future of women’s health and femtech, as well as new wellness frontiers including the entertainment industry and the rising role of spirituality and faith. 

Wellness hospitality, travel and real-estate development will also be high on the agenda, with contributions from GWS co-chair for this Summit Ömer K. Isvan of Servotel Corporation, as well as high-profile industry figures Sue Harmsworth, MBE; Six Senses’ Neil Jacobs; and Catchon & Company’s Cathy Feliciano-Chon, whose presentations are promised to “shake up the wellness industry”.

“I’m passionate about how wellness infuses with real estate and hospitality,” said Isvan. “Destination wellness and the evolution of wellness travel is of growing importance to hospitality today and very much part of our thinking and the future investment map around the world.

“We will also address other emerging wellness economy asset classes, including residential wellness communities and workplace wellness, as well as discussing the trends that have staying power.”