The Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) recently announced the final agenda program for its annual conference to be held at The Oberoi, Gurgaon,in New Delhi NCR, from October 5-7, 2013. With 30-plus high-profile keynote addresses and presentations, noteworthy industry panels and research reports packed across the three-day event, the 2013 conference will represent the richest slate of content in the Summit’s seven-year history.
The 2013 theme, “A Defining Moment”, captures the Summit’s recent, expansion of focus from “spa” to “spa and wellness.” Delegates will hear from dozens of thought-leaders across the investment, tourism, technology, medical, government, consumer retail and real estate sectors, who are now making moves into the fast-rising wellness sector, as well as the key opportunities and innovations emerging from their corners. The program agenda is designed to create “defining moments” both professionally and personally for attendees by balancing honest, hard-hitting business information with inspirational presentations. “We listened to our delegates from this highly diverse industry about what matters most to them. Every aspect of this year’s program is designed to give attendees an intense education in where spa and wellness has been, where it is today, and where it’s heading,” said Andrew Gibson, GSWS board member and 2013 agenda co-chair. “And the provocative, practical and personal are interwoven throughout.”
“When the first Summit was held in New York City seven years ago the dominant discussion was defining the word ‘spa.’ How far this industry and conference have come? Now we’re welcoming leading business minds from across nearly every market sector rushing to the ‘wellness well,’” said Susie Ellis, GSWS chairman and CEO. “The agenda reflects our leadership role in bringing together these varied industries and businesses that want to collaborate on capitalizing on the wellness boom and bring more wellness to the world.”
Speakers:
On Day One, speakers include K Chiranjeevi, Minister of State for Tourism in India; Thierry Malleret, Global Economist and Strategist; Jean-Claude Baumgarten, Former President, World Travel & Tourism Council; Amitabh Kant, Former Joint Secretary, Minister of Tourism, India and creator of the successful “Incredible India” campaign; Costas Christ, editor/columnist, National Geographic Traveller and sustainability ambassador, Six Senses Hotels Resorts and Spas; Josef Woodman, CEO, Patients Beyond Borders and Curtis Schroeder, founder, Intermedika and former CEO, Bumrungrad Hospital, Thailand.
Day Two highlights include a key note address by Dalai Lama, Nobel Peace Prize winner and one of the world’s most distinguished spiritual leaders, followed by a Q&A moderated by Kenneth Pelletier, author and clinical professor of Medicine.Other speakers include Analjit Singh, Chairman, Max India Group; Raymond Bickson, Managing Director and CEO, Taj Hotels & Resorts; Kapil Chopra, President, The Oberoi Group and Yoshiharu Hoshino, CEO, Hoshino Resort Co., Ltd.
Day Three speakers include Subhash Chandra, Chairman and Founder, Veria Living; Trent Walsh, Managing Director, Leading Quality Assurance; (already mentioned above) and Kenny Tomlin, Founder and CEO, Rockfish. A top representative from the government of Bhutan will explain his nation’s visionary “Gross National Happiness Index,” and what it means for the future.
Global Industry Forums:
Dedicated sessions for destination spas, hotel spas, hot springs spas, hydrothermal, spa retail and spa education will take place across the Summit, and will represent the first time that global leaders from these keysub-sectors will gather to strategize on how best to solve their biggest challenges and collaborate to expand opportunities.
Global Wellness Tourism Congress (GWTC):
The first ever Congress will define, benchmark and shape the best strategies to grow this packed-with-potential tourism sector. The session will be facilitated by Bonnie St. John, U.S. Olympic medallist and best-selling author and will culminate with Peter Greenberg, renowned travel editor for CBS News (and formerly for NBC’s Today/MSNBC), leading an intensive “What’s Next?”
Research Reports:
Ophelia Yeung, Co-Director, Center for Science, Technology & Economic Development, SRI International, will present the landmark research report, “The Global Wellness Tourism Economy,” the first to size the global and (50) leading international wellness tourism markets. David McCaughan, EVP, McCann Japan and Director, Truth Central Asia Pacific, will present new key research, “The Truth About Wellness,” with global survey findings on how consumer beliefs about wellness create the biggest market opportunities.
Expert Panels:
Day Two will include expert panels on “Ancient Healing Traditions across the Indian Sub-Continent,” (featuring experts like Dr. Isaac Mathai, Founder, SOUKYA International Holistic Health Centre), “Spas, Wellness & Sustainability, Taking It to the Next Level” and “Corporate Social Responsibility—That Feels Good”. On day three, Susan Harmsworth, Founder and CEO, ESPA International, will moderate a no-holds-barred panel, “Straight Talk from Serious Investors in Hospitality and Spa,” with powerhouses, Omer Isvan, president, Servotel Corporation; Paul Scialla, Founder, Delos Living LLC; Nitesh Shetty, Chairman and MD, Nitesh Estates; and Manav Thadini, Chairman, HVS South Asia.
