The all-day event is expressly designed to give attendees a comprehensive, cohesive view of the entire “building well” landscape. One cornerstone will be new research from the GWI, the International Well Being Institute, and the Center for Active Design on how the demand for wellness homes and communities has been supercharged by the pandemic.
The agenda will also bring together experts from every sector of the market -architects, designers, developers, investors, medical leaders and analysts- to tackle the big questions. How do we define this market? Who is investing and why? What are the biggest opportunities and trends? What do people want? Who are the key demographics? What are the most eye-opening new ideas in design and programming? How global is this business, and how are different regions innovating? What’s the real impact on people and the planet? The packed day of keynotes and panels will feature everything from videos from the developers of incredibly diverse new wellness real estate projects all over the world to a panel with high-profile media on the most crucial trends they see unfolding in the space.
Check out the preliminary agenda - which will be updated with new speakers and topics weekly.
The symposium is a hybrid event, offering both in-person and virtual registration, and will take place from 8 AM–4 PM, September 28, at etc. venues (601 Lexington Ave. NYC). In-person attendees are also invited to a VIP reception at Delos’ NYC headquarters (the event’s marquee sponsor) the evening before.
Registration is open, and space is limited.
“This will be the first event that analyzes this sector from the ground up: We’re pulling in the big experts to identify the big opportunities - and they’ll challenge us to think differently about the built environment, the power of nature and connection, the air we breathe, the way we work and live, and the extraordinary ‘return on wellness’ that underpins investments from the Middle East to the Midwest. This won’t be speculative ‘talk.’ Industry leaders will share real projects and numbers,” said Nancy Davis, GWI chief creative officer and executive director. “Today, we’ve laid the foundation for an exciting day both in New York City and virtually. If you’re an architect, a developer, an investor, an innovator, this is the place to be.”
A few agenda highlights:
- Dr. Richard H. Carmona, 17th US Surgeon General and Chief of Health Innovations, Canyon Ranch, will explore the profound, unexpected impact of the built environment on human health with his keynote, “Epigenetics and the Built Environment.”
- Alfredo Carvajal, Grupo Espiritu’s Advisor and Delos Executive VP, will present a timely look at “Rancho La Puerta Residences, Mexico: Case Study in Opening During the Pandemic.”
- Clodagh, founder and CEO of the award-winning design firm Clodagh, designer of a portfolio of major sustainability- and wellness-focused projects across 24 countries, will deliver a provocative keynote: “What Is Real Estate?”
- Rachel Hodgdon, president and CEO of the International WELL Being Institute, a global leader in transforming building and communities in ways that help people thrive, will share new data - and trends and technologies - now shaking up real estate and design.
- Katherine Johnston and Ophelia Yeung, Senior Research Fellows at the GWI, will present “Sizing the Global Wellness Real Estate Economy: Looking Beyond COVID-19” - all-new data on the current global wellness real estate and communities markets and the projected growth post-COVID. Attendees have exclusive access to this report.
Steve Nygren, founder of pioneering wellness community Serenbe, which has successfully demonstrated that projects that interlace green space, agriculture, art, homes and retail are both economically successful and the very future of communities, will present: “Biophilic Design: A Foundation of Wellness Real Estate.”
Veronica Schreibeis Smith, CEO & founding principal of Vera Iconica, a global innovator in wellness architecture and design, will shake things up with her keynote: “Reframing the Assumptions of Architecture.”
