The Global Wellness Summit Returns to the United States

Feb 27th, 2017

The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the world’s preeminent gathering of decision makers in the wellness industry, today officially announced The Breakers Palm Beach as this year’s host sponsor, a first for a hotel property, which will have a key role in shaping the content of the 11^th-annual conference, to take place in Palm Beach, Florida, October 9-11, 2017. The Breakers is supported in their GWS sponsorship efforts by two Florida-based institutions, Palm Beach Atlantic University and Cigna Corporation.

“Bringing the Summit back to the U.S., whose last gathering took place in collaboration with the Aspen Institute in Colorado, opens up great opportunities for a dynamic agenda that includes visionaries and entrepreneurs that make up one of the largest and most innovative wellness markets in the world. And easy international access to Palm Beach, as well as The Breakers’ inherent beauty and coveted beachfront location, will undoubtedly be a draw for our global delegation,” said Susie Ellis, GWS chairman and CEO. “However, we anticipate that the biggest impact The Breakers will have on attendees is understanding their unwavering commitment to the well-being of their team, community and environment, and how that ultimately drives guest satisfaction.”

GWS delegates, influencers from across the $3.72 trillion global wellness industry, will be given the unique opportunity to experience some of The Breakers initiatives first hand. Attendees will learn of the resort’s longstanding, committed owners and executive team, who have developed a wellness-focused business that empowers team members to attain professional and personal goals and reach their greatest potential. The result is an engaging, collaborative and high-achieving workforce, to which CEO Paul Leone attributes the resort’s success as one of America’s leading and most profitable independent hotels.

“We look forward to not only sharing our many initiatives – including our dedicated Wellness Team, unique wellness incentives, healthcare discounts, and financial wellness programs that include college and retirement planning – with Global Wellness Summit delegates, but anticipate engaging them directly in our spirit of community service and environmental advocacy,” said Leone.

Community and civic responsibility is a core tenet of The Breakers, and in 2016 alone, its team volunteered 20,670 hours to build homes for the homeless, provided support to enhance the welfare of individuals and families with start-up resources and advocacy, and raised awareness and funds to eradicate illnesses.

The resort’s sustainability initiatives include innovative water conservation practices, energy efficiency programs and highly impactful waste reduction measures designed to reduce landfill.

“Hotels and resorts, especially those with spa and wellness offerings, need to make the wellness of people and planet a priority. At The Breakers you can really see and feel that this is taking place and is part of their organizational DNA. It’s a great model,” said Ellis.

This year’s Summit is co-chaired by Professor Gerry Bodeker, PhD, clinical psychologist and public health academic (University of Oxford, UK; Columbia University, New York); Clare Martorana, formerly of Everyday Health and WebMD, now Digital Service Expert, United States Digital Service; and Maggie Hsu, advisor for U.S. online platform Zappos.

The Global Wellness Summit attracts leaders from every sector of the wellness industry: hospitality, tourism, spa, beauty, fitness, nutrition, finance, education, environment, medicine, architecture, workplace wellness, wellness communities and technology.

The Summit is an invitation-only gathering for senior executives.