GLOBAL WELLNESS SUMMIT LLC
MIAMI, FLORIDA

At the beginning of the 2000’s, a group of industry leaders decided to create and fund a conference where leaders from all parts of the world gather to solve shared problems. Thus the Global Wellness Summit was founded. The Global Wellness Summit is held annually. A variety of interactive sessions are on the Summit agenda. They include panel-led discussions, general sessions, small group breakout sessions, and hosted dining conversations. Efforts are made to ensure that all attendees participate at whatever level they choose: observer, panelist, contributor, questioner, or table host. Standard business attire is recommended for all Summit sessions. For social events, delegates may dress in business casual. Interpreters will be made available for groups upon request in the online registration questionnaire. Summit Mission The Global Wellness Summit is an international organization that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively impact and shape the future of the global wellness industry. The objectives of the Summit are to: Facilitate healthy growth for the industry and its individual businesses The “spirit” of the Global Wellness Summit is one of shared purpose rather than individual gain. It is a willingness to put aside our competitive egos and personal business goals while we join together and spend time shaping the future of the wellness industry. Designed to be a high-level gathering of top industry executives, the invitation-only Summit brings together decision makers from around the world. Everyone contributes his or her time and expertise, as well as resources to help fund the Summit and make it a success. All Summit delegates are asked to attend the entire Summit so that conversations and problem solving can build. All delegates pay registration fees and travel and accommodation expenses are covered by everyone individually including the Summit Advisory Board. Only in rare cases where a delegate attends a single session in order to provide expertise, or a speaker has been expressly invited to share knowledge on a specific topic, would there be any exceptions. Speakers, presenters and panelists have been asked to refrain from promoting themselves and their businesses during presentations. Because of the intimate setting, and the efforts to provide numerous networking opportunities, we feel that there is no need to mention one’s own company during presentations, speeches or discussions from the podium. Self-promotional efforts of any kind are considered a serious breach of the spirit of the gathering. Although contact information is provided through the delegate notebooks to encourage relationships post-Summit, no electronic mailing lists are sent out, and any effort on the part of a delegate to aggregate email addresses for promotional purposes would be considered cause to be excluded from future Summits. Each year we welcome a few major sponsors. These important supporters are, in essence, partners who share the mission of the Summit and generously help offset costs. While physical visibility for sponsors is limited, we heartily encourage delegates to personally thank them during and after the Summit and support them with their business whenever possible. This illustrious group of business leaders has worked to make the Global Wellness Summit a reality. Founder & Chairman Emeritus, Global Wellness Summit, United States Pete Ellis, a founder of the GWS, has devoted his career to creating better experiences for consumers. In 1994–95, he launched the first automotive buying and research website, Autobytel.com, effectively revolutionizing an entire industry. After taking Autobytel public in 1999, Ellis formed Jubilee Investments, which became the majority shareholder of SpaFinder, Inc. – a company that under his leadership was transformed from a niche spa information business to the world’s largest spa and wellness marketing and media channel. Pete Ellis’ Internet technology innovations are part of the Permanent Research Collection at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. Founder, Chairman & CEO, Global Wellness Summit Susie Ellis is the co-founder, chairman and CEO of the Global Wellness Summit, an international gathering of senior executives and leaders, which will hold its 12 Anna Bjurstam has always been dedicated to wellness and has worked in the business for 25 years. With hands-on expertise in wellness and a Master Degree in Business, she has successfully led Raison d’Etre Spas to become one of the leaders in the spa industry. In addition, she has taken over the reigns of Six Senses Spas, which has 30 locations worldwide. Gina Diez Barroso de Franklin is president & CEO of Grupo Diarq, a Mexico City-based firm with a vision to promote and develop Mexican creativity. Over the last 20 years, the firm has grown to nine subsidiaries with more than 500 employees, running the gamut from real estate development to the creation of the University of Design, Film & Media. Grupo Diarq’s publishing house GYA published the book Harmony, Serenity, Balance: Spectacular Spas of Mexico. Sue Harmsworth has over 40 years of spa industry experience, with a portfolio of over 500 spas in 60 countries, including ESPA’s wellness flagship in London, ESPA Life. The ESPA brand is renowned for its extensive natural product range, its innovative and effective treatments, its unsurpassed post-graduate therapist training, and its spa design and management division. She is a GWS advisory board member. Mia Kyricos is president and founder of Kyricos & Associates LLC, a boutique advisory firm providing strategic guidance to wellness, hospitality, tourism and lifestyle companies on a global scale with a specialty in brand strategy. With over 20 years of experience, Mia has helped to develop, operate, and market wellness-related brands and facilities across 100+ countries, and has worked for industry pioneers including Spafinder Wellness, Inc., Canyon Ranch Health Resorts, Exhale, EXOS and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. She also regularly advises owners on the development of wellness communities, is a Global Wellness Summit Advisory Board Member, an Advisory Board Member for the University of California Irvine, and the Brand Architect of the Global Wellness Institute.