Memory Lane and a Crystal Ball

As one year ends and the next begins, I enjoy taking a moment to reflect and remember events that shaped the last 12 months and ponder what’s in store for the future. The results can often turn out to be a road-map to use in the New Year.

As the chairman and CEO of both the Global Wellness Summit and the non-profit Global Wellness Institute, please walk with me as we saunter down memory lane and gaze into my crystal ball!

Memory Lane:  

1.Tipping Point Reached

I am so very proud of how we have all come together to put wellness on the global agenda. I feel this year was a tipping point — people are no longer wondering what wellness is or questioning its importance. People finally understand wellness tourism, and wellness is finding itself on many priority lists. It has captured the attention of governments, corporations, schools, the medical community, and individuals everywhere. This is thanks to each of us, who have pushed the agenda forward; if you’re reading this email, this includes you! A special shout out to the Summit’s board, sponsors and attendees, the Institute’s supporters, initiative chairs, thought leaders, and every single person on our team.       

2. Prevention Unites 

In a year when views about wellness have been as varied as the world itself, there is one thing on which everyone seems to agree — the value of preventing disease. Inspiring people to take action with their own health and help others with theirs is a noble, worthwhile, and unifying goal. We are indeed building a well world together.

3. Research Clarifies

Research commissioned initially via the Summit and now increasingly through the Global Wellness Institute has provided a much-needed structure around the global wellness economy, allowing us to understand it more fully. This has contributed to discussions and strategic thinking on a global scale. We are all indebted to those who have made it possible to commission these research reports and make them available to the world for free. Finding out, for example, that the global wellness economy now contributes over $3.7 trillion annually is a strong statement that helps us all.  

4. Initiatives Ignite

The Institute’s initiatives are creating amazing momentum and accomplishing so much around the world. Currently standing at 16 initiatives, I want to offer a huge thanks to the passionate initiative chairs who work with their members creatively throughout the year. While each of them have made tremendous progress, some major milestones come to mind from this past year: Wellness for Cancer’s global expansion; the 2nd edition of Guide to Hydrothermal Spa & Wellness Development Standards from the Hydrothermal Initiative group; a growing mentorship program from the Career Development Initiative; a new think tank that grew from the Hot Springs Initiative; and a white paper from the Wellness Communities Initiative that has inspired our 2017 Research focus. We are becoming known for our leadership in all areas of wellness, which assures that those who participate with us are “in the know” — early. And soon there will be even more initiatives up and running! 

5. Collaboration Rules

When we celebrated 10 years of getting together annually during our Global Wellness Summit in Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria this year, I was reminded that the key to this momentum has been collaboration. The annual gatherings — attracting an ever-widening array of wellness sectors — have made a huge difference. I would like to offer my sincere thanks to everyone who has attended one of the past 10 Summits. Connecting with others has resulted in relationships, friendships, and business partnerships that have helped make this $3.7 trillion wellness economy visible and valuable to the world.

6. Thought Leadership Matters

I am profoundly grateful for all that took place at our Summit in Kitzbühel, Tyrol, Austria — the “cradle of wellness tourism.” Thanks in great part to our very talented co-chairs, we enjoyed a distinctive natural wellness atmosphere as we gleaned insights from the vast roster of speakers, presenters, and panelists under the theme of Back to the Future. Most importantly, we were able to discuss important topics amongst fellow delegates and connect with over 500 top executives from almost 50 countries. The Summit’s highlights have been captured to a great extent through available presentations and transcripts as well as a variety of videos . There are some amazing nuggets of wisdom and foresight in each — well worth viewing.  

7. Controversy Adds Sizzle

I am appreciative of the provocative themes and discussions that took place this past year — both on and off stage at the Summit, as well as at our roundtables and in the Institute’s Global Wellness Briefs. They are good food for thought. From David Bosshart’s opening keynote that was a bit unsettling for many, to the poignant disagreement between Omer Isvan and Neil Jacobs after Omer’s presentation in which he shared his view on the investment climate, to the rattling ideas presented by Austria’s Andreas Braun in remarks he titled, “Beyond the Ghettos of Wellness.” It’s a sign that we have smart thinkers among us, who are challenging us to broaden the conversation. In addition, Thierry Malleret brought our attention to the issue of unfairness rumbling underneath our optimistic conversations, and Jan-Emmanuel de Neve’s observation that we are talking about the very tippy-top elite three percent of the world’s population gave us pause.

8. Honors Humble 

My walk down memory lane this year also includes the very humbling experience of being honored during the Swarovski gala in Austria for what we, together, have accomplished these past 10 years. I offer my deepest appreciation to Nancy Davis, who orchestrated the tribute that touched me mightily. It is amazing to be thanked for something that is the greatest privilege of my life — to answer what I consider a calling and working with so many great people in such an exciting and important industry that’s having a positive impact on the world.    

9. Closed Doors Open Others

A personal and professional milestone took place in the fall when my husband, Peter, and I decided that Blackhawk Network Holdings, a global gift card distributor, would acquire Spafinder Wellness. It was quite a ride working together for over 15 years and growing a company from a niche travel agency, with a magazine, into the world's largest marketing and media company for the spa and wellness industry. We’re proud that, together with a talented team, we were able to expand Spafinder’s global network to 26,000-plus partners; launch a successful gifting program that helped grow spa participation worldwide; and seeded a successful, pioneering spa and wellness booking company.

We helped guide Spafinder's growth through some turbulent years post 9/11 that included a market that no longer favored print and a climate where technology was increasingly important. Indeed, it was ultimately the importance of technology that was at the heart of our decision. We saw that the partners in our network would have greater distribution and enjoy increased business with a parent company that has the resources and solutions to stay ahead of the technology curve. 

Saying goodbye to Spafinder Wellness from a leadership point of view opened a new chapter, and I could not be more excited to have the opportunity to focus solely on the Global Wellness Summit and the Global Wellness Institute.

10. Personal Wellness Benefits Realized

And finally, my walk down memory lane would not be complete without acknowledging the value that being involved with the wellness world affords all of us — a chance to improve our own wellness and happiness as well as that of those around us. How lucky we all are for this huge advantage in life. I wish we could harness this message and trumpet it collectively to help attract the hundreds of thousands of people needed to fill the future jobs in our industry. 

Crystal Ball:    

1.8 Wellness Trends Point to the Future

The trends that our team identified and showcased as top takeaways from the recent Tyrol Summit provide an ideal starting point for a discussion about the future. In my mind, it is worth reading the entire 50-page report and pondering its implications; it’s certainly a brilliant way to stay ahead of the curve. As one person said to me, “These aren’t just trends, they are movements!” Each of the following are discussed in detail in the report: Sauna Reinvented; Wellness Architecture; Silence; Art & Creativity Take Center Stage; Wellness Remakes Beauty; The Future is Mental Wellness; Embracing the C-Word; and Beyond the Elite "Ghettos" of Wellness.  

2. The 2017 Summit Looks to Inspire Wild Collaboration!  

Already, the Global Wellness Summit — to be held at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida on October 9-11— is shaping up to be a blockbuster. The co-chairs — one from Zappos, one from the White House, and one from Oxford — are thinking outside the box. Our early registrations are at an all-time high, which lets us know that the 11th annual gathering is going to be an exciting mix of enthusiastic thinkers and doers. It will possibly be our most focused look at the future. (And there will be dancing!)    

3. New Initiatives and New Directions

New Institute initiatives are in the works — each brimming with opportunity. They include Wellness for Children, Wellness and Low Income Communities, Women in Leadership, and Mental Wellness. Each one is being launched with a charismatic and passionate chair, whose vision stirred us to support their cause. Some existing initiatives promise progress in new directions: Workplace Wellness is creating a tool kit; Wellness and Government is launching a video series; Wellness Architecture, Wellness for Cancer, Wellness Tourism, and Wellness Communities are hosting roundtables in various parts of the world that will result in cutting edge white papers; and we look forward to some others surprising us with creative and innovative contributions for 2017. (Hint: Look for the Institute to launch a Global Wellness Speaker’s Bureau!)

4. Big Players Join the Mix

We expect some really major players to join us this year at both the Summit and the Institute, including insurance companies, consulting firms, large corporate players, and a new collaborative relationship with medical institutions around the world. 

5. A Beauty Bombshell is Poised to Drop – Welcome The Aesthetic Brain by Dr. Anjan Chatterjee

The most recent research report showed us the size of the “beauty and anti-aging sector” of our industry — USD $999 billion. This huge value has sparked a renewed focus on this segment and is already resulting in some new conversations. The discussions that are beginning to take place are rooted in the science of—and increasingly the neuroscience of — beauty. Our industry has a chance to reimagine a way of looking at and enthusiastically embracing beauty. We are going to have to be bold and brave to do so, and I anticipate a fair amount of controversy along the way.    

6. Technology Transforming Health

It is time to face the fact that while the world is zooming ahead with technology and science, the wellness world is hardly out of the starting gates. While we continue to trumpet unplugging, we need to also be more fearless in embracing technology, medicine, science, engineering, and communications. It’s time to take the plunge and this is the year. I see strong efforts in innovation, health and fitness wearables, smart pills, mental health apps, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, DNA Testing, measuring telomeres, and more. You’ll learn about this throughout the year, culminating in the 2017 Summit.

7. Wellness Communities – The Next Frontier

The elusive conversation about a trend in people wanting to live in wellness communities and embrace healthy building and lifestyle real estate will get the attention it deserves later this year. Why? Well, for the first time ever, there will be numbers associated with this reality. Thanks to the first movers and our Global Wellness Institute researchers who are studying this and sharing their findings, there will be a shift from theory to reality. Look for locations like these to lead the way: BedZED, NW Bicester, and One Brighton in the UK; Lake Nona, Serenbe, Grow Community, Destination Medical Center, The Cannery, and The District in the U.S.; TAO Inspired Living and Tres Santos in Mexico; Avira and Boga Valley in Malaysia; and Dr?mg?rden in Sweden. 

8. Feeling Successful Workplace Wellness

You will soon know the amazing success of the Workplace Wellness program at The Breakers in Palm Beach, Florida. They are at the forefront of a trend in a country leading the way globally because of the runaway health care costs that are largely paid for by employers in the U.S.. The experience of seeing and feeling the culture that has been created by the Breakers team throughout their storied history is going to be one of the major “ah-ha’s” of the 2017 Summit. For now, you will have to take my word for it!

9. Ready for its Close Up!

One of the key reasons wellness is being taken more seriously around the world is that, increasingly, people are getting educated about the evidence-based medicine that is at the foundation of many of the modalities. A website created almost five years ago, www.wellnessevidence.com was introduced at our Summit in Bali and is becoming even more important today. It may actually have been a bit ahead of its time and now deserves a renewed focus, some refurbishment, and an expansion into additional arenas such as mental wellness and behavioral science. Look for the medical and non-medical communities to contribute to renewed progress and greater transparency that will result in more education and additional growth. 

10. Wellness and Well-Being: Room for Both

Many years ago, I asked someone I considered to be a visionary to describe to me what it feels like to have a vision that others might not yet see. Here is the description he gave me: â€œIt feels like I am standing on the rungs of a ladder where there is a layer of clouds at my waist level. While everyone on the ground can’t see above the clouds, being on the ladder allows me to see very clearly what is happening above all those clouds. In fact, there is blue sky and sunshine and I see clearly what is ahead. I have learned that the people not standing on my ladder just can’t see what I am seeing…no fault of their own…the clouds are in the way. However, it is possible to describe to others what I am seeing, and if I do it well enough, then it can be extraordinarily helpful.”

For me, the vision I see above the clouds on my ladder is in the arena of spa and wellness — in fact, it has always been in this sector for me. And what I see standing on that ladder is that, in the future, there will be a distinction between the terms wellness and well-being and that we have a chance to help shape that distinction. Wellness will become more associated with health, and well-being will become more associated with happiness. Both are important, and the growing distinction between the two will allow for a greater variety of ways to contribute to helping people thrive and flourish. It’s going to be an important and exciting ride!

I wish you and those you love a healthy, prosperous, and peaceful 2017.

Very best,

Susie