SpaFest 2021 concludes with heartfelt pledges to protect people, planet and health

SpaFest 2021, held at the five-star eco-resort Gwel an Mor in Cornwall, UK has been declared a great success by organisers and participants alike.

Connecting people, planet and health, the immersive industry event, attended by 100 spa and wellness leaders and professionals, offered those present a chance to reconnect with colleagues, with nature and with their inner purpose.

Providing empowering educational sessions and thought-provoking talks, the conference opened with an introduction from SpaFest founder Amanda Winwood and Sarah Camilleri, publisher and founding editor of European Spa and SpaFest partner. Cherilyn McCory MP then gave an insight into the work she is doing to bring health and wellbeing to the forefront of government policy.

A highlight of the first day was a keynote discussion between Sarah Camilleri and Sue Harmsworth, MBE, founder of iconic spa and wellness brand ESPA, who gave a frank account of her business and personal journey to date and spoke about current trends and why she doesn’t like the word ‘wellness’.

Other speakers included Claudia Roth, founder of Soul Luxury; Iain Bell, founder of Executive Fitness Foundation; Teresa O’Farrell, spa director at Coworth Park; Lesley Bacon, group health club and spa manager for Hand Picked Hotels; Marian Harvey, managing director of Thalgo; and Dr Neil Carpenter, founder of NMC2.

The event included an inspiring day-long session by mental performance coach and founder of Trained Brain, Jamie Edwards, who focused on ‘leading yourself and others beyond crisis’.

All attendees also had the chance to immerse themselves in the wellbeing benefits of spa therapies offered by the event’s sponsors: Made for Life Organics, HydraFacial, La Rue Verte, Gharieni Group and Elemental Herbology. Other sponsors included: BC Softwear, Dröm UK, Thalgo, Camellia’s Tea House, Clinic Must Haves and Wildlife Botanicals.

Before breakfast and during the afternoon sessions, attendees were offered a range of immersive mental wellbeing workshops, including forest bathing, yoga, tai chi, wild swimming, and wave meditations on the beach. Creating meaningful connections, these sessions were engaging, inspiring and are a popular element of what makes SpaFest so unique.