More people are demanding that the places where they live and work be purpose-built to foster physical, mental and social wellbeing
MIAMI (PRWEB)
October 27, 2021
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the foremost gathering of international leaders in the multitrillion-dollar global wellness economy, today announced another key topic for its upcoming conference: the powerful connection between the built environment and our physical and mental health and the many directions that the “building well” trend is now taking.
The conference will bring together leading architects, academics, investors and researchers to discuss how new building and design trends, including the science and innovations behind them, are transforming the built environment–and are leading to unprecedented wellness real estate investment opportunities and development pipelines.
Joanna Frank, President & CEO, Center for Active Design, will keynote on health and wellbeing as a key value driver in the built environment, while Harvard professors, Joseph G. Allen and John Macomber, will have a fireside chat discussing findings from their recent book, “Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity.” Wellness designer, Clodagh, an early and vocal advocate of incorporating healing modalities in the built environment, will share insights from her recent projects. Veronica Schreibeis Smith (writer of the 2021 Global Wellness Summit trend, “Spiritual and Numinous Moments in Architecture”) will be in conversation with Dr. Phillip Tabb about the ways thoughtful design and architecture can positively impact our brains, while Richard Carmona, MD, the 17th surgeon general of the U.S., will discuss the hard science for how the built environment impacts our overall wellbeing.
The Summit takes place in-person in Boston, Massachusetts and virtually from Nov. 30 to Dec. 3 (view the evolving lineup of speakers). In-person attendees will also have an opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with speakers during the GWS interactive lunches, where speakers host tables covering various aspects/trends related to their specific wellness specialty.
“Pre-pandemic, the concept of ‘building well’ and wellness real estate were gaining traction, but the pandemic has added a sharp sense of urgency to the issue and created extraordinary momentum for the global market. Now more people are demanding that the places where they live and work be purpose-built to foster physical, mental and social wellbeing,” said Susie Ellis, chair and CEO of GWS. “We will explore many angles of this fast-evolving sector and look at how projects around the globe are being re-imagined with human health and wellness at their core.”
More about the speakers:
Joseph G. Allen is an Assistant Professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the Director of the Healthy Buildings program. He began his career conducting forensic health investigations of sick buildings, leading teams of scientists and engineers to investigate and resolve hundreds of indoor environmental quality issues. His academic research focuses on the critical role the indoor built environment plays in our overall health and Allen is the co-author of “Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity.”
Richard Carmona, MD, was the 17th Surgeon General of the U.S. He is also a decorated U.S. Army Special Forces Veteran and a distinguished professor with a wide range of training and experience in health care management, clinical care and research. Currently, he is chief of health innovations of Canyon Ranch, and serves as director on several publicly-traded corporate boards and private companies. His keynote will explore the negative and positive effects the built environment can have on our epigenetics.
Clodagh, Founder and CEO, Clodagh Design, has been ahead of the curve with eco-friendly designs since she began her career. She is acclaimed for her life=enhancing minimalism and “wellness by design” tenets. She was one of the earliest adopters of healthy building modalities, including feng shui, chromatherapy, aromatherapy, biophilia and the science of light.
Joanna Frank, President and CEO of the Center for Active Design (CfAD), is focused on advancing design and development practices to foster healthy and engaged communities. Before launching CfAD, Joanna worked for the City of New York, where her positions included Director of Active Design and Director of the NYC FRESH program. Her career started in real estate development as a partner at Bright City Development, LLC.
John Macomber is a Senior Lecturer in the Finance unit at Harvard Business School. His professional background includes leadership of real estate, construction, and information technology businesses. At HBS, Mr. Macomber’s work focuses on the future of cities, particularly as aided by the private finance and delivery of public infrastructure projects in both the developed and emerging worlds. He is the co-author of “Healthy Buildings: How Indoor Spaces Drive Performance and Productivity.”
Phillip Tabb, Ph.D., is Professor Emeritus of Architecture at Texas A&M University. Tabb is the master plan architect for Serenbe Community, and author of six books covering topics such as biophilic design, numinous architecture, soulfulness in design, sustainable urbanism, sacred places, and the extraordinary experiences in everyday architecture.
Registration is now open for the in-person event at the Encore Boston Harbor; space is extremely limited. The 2020 GWS pioneered new ways to keep attendees safe at a conference, and 2021 will be no different. All delegates must provide proof of vaccination.
Virtual delegates from around the world will be hosted by Anna Bjurstam, Six Senses Wellness Pioneer and a GWS Board Member, who provided the dynamic virtual experience during last year’s event. Virtual attendees will have access to the entire on-stage agenda—live and on-demand—as well as special breakout sessions and online networking opportunities. Register to attend virtually here.
Editor’s Note: The GWS will issue speaker announcements weekly in the lead-up to the 2021 event. To apply to attend the Summit in person or in person as media, please fill out the media accreditation form. In-person attendance is limited.
About the Global Wellness Summit —The Global Wellness Summit is the premier organization that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $4.5 trillion global wellness economy. Its future-focused conference is held at a different global location each year and has traveled to the US, Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico, Austria, Italy and Singapore. GWS also hosts regular virtual gatherings, including Wellness Master Classes, Wellness Sector Spotlights and Investor “Reverse Pitch” events. The organization’s annual Global Wellness Trends Report offers expert-based predictions on the future of wellness. The 2021 Summit will be held in Boston from November 30–December 3.