The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) unveiled the final agenda for the three-day conference being held at Kohler’s Old Course Hotel in St Andrews, Scotland from November 4 to 7, 2024.
“‘A Watershed Moment for Wellness’ has been an exciting challenge to capture in an event,” said Nancy Davis, chief creative officer and executive director for GWS. “The theme has inspired thinkers and doers to come together in St Andrews to explore the possibilities: what can the wellness industry do now, with its collective muscle and financial might, to mitigate some of the most pressing global issues of our time? Climate, mental well-being, physical health and so much more. This ‘watershed moment’ is a call to gather, to share ideas about the future, and to act.”
New Topics, New Speakers
With the release of the full agenda, GWS has unveiled more topics and high-profile keynote speakers, including:
- Louie Schwartzberg, filmmaker and CEO of Moving Art, will kick off each day with powerful films that celebrate the natural world, Schwartzberg will focus on “Water in Every Form” on Day 1.
- Lindsay Madden-Nadeau, senior director of wellness strategy at Red Sea Global, will moderate the panel “Leadership in Action: Inspiring a New Era of Wellbeing,” featuring Michael Acton Smith, co-founder of Calm, Lina Almaeena, co-founder of Jeddah United Sports, and Vanessa Fuss, managing director, strategy and insights, VML Intelligence.
- J. Carl Ganter, founder of Circle of Blue, the internationally recognized center for original reporting and research on water resource issues, will keynote on “The Challenge of the Century: Water.”
- Rebecca Robbins, MD, sleep scientist and co-author of Sleep for Success, will present new research in her talk, “AI-Powered Wellness and Sleep: Not the Strange Bedfellows You Might Think.”
- Anna Bjurstam, wellness pioneer at Six Senses, will lead a conversation with George Goldsmith (co-founder and CEO, Boundless Productions; co-founder, Compass Pathways plc) and Ekaterina Malievskaia, MD (co-founder and president, Boundless Productions; co-founder, Compass Pathways plc) on “Neuroaesthetics in Mental Wellbeing: Explorations for a Better Future.”
- Neil Jacobs, CEO of Six Senses, will keynote on “The Future of Hospitality is Not What You Think.”
- Freddie Moross, founder & CEO of Myndstream, will lead a unique session, “Heart Felt: The Art & Science of Sound” on the transformative power of music and breath, featuring Grammy Award-winning artist Peter Kater and producer Jordan Galvan.
- Jeremy Jauncey, founder of Beautiful Destination, and Greg O’Hara, chairman of the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) will discuss “Pulling Back the Curtain on Wellness Tourism’s Global Impact.”
- Beth McGroarty, VP of research and forecasting for GWS, will join Amy Eisinger, head of content for Well+Good, Olivia Houghton, trends analyst at LS:N Global, and Vanessa Fuss, managing director at VML Intelligence, to forecast wellness trends for 2025.
- David Stewart, founder and CEO of AGEIST, will present new research on “The Scientific Evidence for Optimism.”
- Cathy Feliciano-Chon, founder and managing director at CatchOn – a Finn Partners Company and managing partner at FINN Partners Company Limited, will discuss the future of wellness tourism with Jeremy Jauncey.
- Luuk Melisse and Gabriel Olszewski, the duo behind global fitness phenom Sanctum, will explore “The Transformative Power of Communal Wellness.”
- Martin Penrose, managing director of UK’s Benchmark Furniture, and Timothy Anscombe-Bell of the Sustainable Design Collection, will have a conversation on “Saving the Planet: One Chair at a Time.”
- Melisse Gelula, founder of Well+Good will present a reflective journey into the art of memoir writing, exploring how the form reshaped her understanding of family and self.
The recent agenda additions expand on prior announcements by GWS, including the details of this year’s theme, “A Watershed Moment for Wellness” and its deep exploration of the H2O experience economy, the global water crisis and the wellness industry.
Related: Global Wellness Summit Reveals The Future of Wellness 2024 Trends Report
New Wellness Market Research to Be Unveiled
Katherine Johnston and Ophelia Yeung, the Global Wellness Institute’s senior research fellows, will unveil the Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2024, with all new market data on the world’s wellness market (and all of its 11 sectors), including projections through 2028. The 100-plus page report details regional and national market numbers and answers questions such as which wellness sectors are growing fastest and why and how the global wellness industry stacks up to major consumer markets, whether healthcare spending or sports.
Shark Tank Competition & Wellness Awards
The Summit will feature the eighth annual “Shark Tank of Wellness” student competition, where three student finalists will present their innovative idea in wellness for cash prizes. The Summit will recognize outstanding contributions in wellness with several prestigious awards, including: the Leading Woman in Wellness Award; the Leader in Sustainability Award; the Debra Simon Award for Furthering Mental Wellness and the Bennett Family Award for Collaboration in the Science of Wellness.
Networking Opportunities and Experiences
The Summit offers unparalleled networking opportunities, including hosted “table topic” luncheons with industry leaders, a welcome reception hosted by Kohler and the Old Course Hotel (GWS 2024 Host Sponsors), focused on Scottish culture; a “dine-around” evening where delegates will hit St Andrews for the best of authentic Scottish cuisine, and a closing gala celebration at an amazing Scottish barn, Falside Mill.
Delegates can experience daily wellness activities, including early morning “walkshops” hosted by economist Thierry Malleret and his partner, Mary Anne Malleret; powerful morning energizers hosted by Sanctum; a special yoga sessions led by Ashley Kohler; cold plunge experiences from Kohler; and a special wild swimming session in the Scottish sea.
Summit on Demand
In-person attendance is completely sold out for this year’s Global Wellness Summit; however, those unable to join in person can register to receive the Summit on Demand, providing access to all three days of keynote presentations and panels.
