Full Agenda Revealed for the GWS's 2026 Wellness Real Estate Symposium on May 12

From a deep look into how neuroaesthetics is transforming the built environment, to the newest concepts in "longevity living," to innovations in affordable wellness housing, age-friendly cities and AI for building well—a powerful lineup of speakers will explore the very different future ahead for wellness real estate

MIAMI, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) today unveiled the agenda for its fifth annual Wellness Real Estate and Communities Symposium taking place Tuesday, May 12, 2026, at The Assembly in New York City.  

View the full agenda here.

Centered on the theme "Real Estate Through a Wellness Lens," the event will bring together high-profile leaders across real estate, investment, architecture, design, public policy, technology, medicine and sustainability to explore the newest ideas and capital flows shaping the rapidly expanding $548 billion wellness real estate sector—by far the fastest-growing market in the wellness economy, expected to surpass $1 trillion by 2029.

As the category evolves in bold new directions, the symposium will tackle how diverse new concepts in health-focused design are transforming the built environment—from residential developments to hospitality, from entire cities to affordable communities. It will be a full day of immersion in the projects and pioneers that are placing human wellbeing, longevity and quality of life at the core of development.

Agenda highlights include:

• Kicking things off, GWS chair and CEO, Susie Ellis, will present a "Global Glimpse" of 75 incredibly diverse wellness real estate projects from around the world.
• Susan Magsamen, executive director of the International Arts + Mind Lab, Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Deron Triff, founder of VELUM; Ari Peralta, innovation director at the COCUN Wellness Research Institute; Freddie Moross, founder and CEO of Myndstream; and Heidi Moon, VP of marketing and communications at GWS and GWI, on "How Neuroarts and Neurowellness are Redefining Longevity Design."
• Syd Kitson, chairman and CEO of Kitson & Partners, on sustainable innovation at Babcock Ranch.
• Mark Rivers, CEO of Canyon Ranch, on the future of healthy living at the upcoming Canyon Ranch Austin, Texas.
• A keynote conversation with Sam Nazarian, founder and CEO of sbe Entertainment, on his longevity-focused concept, The Estate.
• John Beard, director of the International Longevity Center at Columbia University, on "The Age-Friendly City."
• Teri Slavik-Tsuyuki, principal at tst ink, and Dennis Steigerwalt, president of the Housing Innovation Alliance, on "The Housing Innovation Challenge: Bringing New Solutions to Life." Slavik-Tsuyuki will also keynote on the need for a wellness real estate "humanifesto."
• Bernhard Bohnenberger, CEO and co-founder of the new Discover Collection, on "Membership, Magic, and Meaning: A New Era in Hospitality."
• Joseph G. Allen of Harvard's T.H. Chan School of Public Health on the impact of AI in creating healthy environments.
• Deron Triff on "Immersive Entertainment Spaces: Unlocking Wellness in the Built Environment."
• Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross, chief design officer for Consumer Devices at Google, on "Your Brain on Architecture."
• Neil Jacobs, founder of Wild Origins, on the reinvention of hotels.
• Anjan Chatterjee, founding director of the Penn Center for Neuroaesthetics, on "Biophilic Design and the Seductive Allure of Neuroscience."
• Steve Nygren on the global influence of Serenbe.
• Amy McDonald, CEO of Under A Tree, and Martin Boudreau, president and founder of 44 Productions, on "Designing Transformation: Where Immersive Experience Meets Wellness Real Estate."

"This is where the future of real estate comes into focus," said Nancy Davis, executive director and chief creative officer of GWS. "We've brought together a stellar slate of developers, designers, academics, scientists and investors to explore just how far wellness real estate is evolving beyond luxury amenities for the few, and heading in eye-opening, and much deeper and inclusive, directions—where designing for human health is becoming the very infrastructure of every type of built space. The leaders on this stage are setting the pace—rethinking not just what we build, but why and for whom."

New Research: The Global Wellness Institute will unveil new data on the global wellness real estate market along with Build Well to Live Well: Case Studies, Volume 2, an in-depth look at groundbreaking wellness real estate projects across the Middle East.

New Design Challenge: In partnership with the Johns Hopkins University Center for Applied Neuroaesthetics, GWI will introduce a global design challenge focused on neuroscience and the built environment. Susan Magsamen and Nancy Davis will unveil the initiative and announce its jury. The winning concept will be recognized at the 2026 Global Wellness Summit in Phuket, taking place November 10–13.

Special Networking Evening: The event begins with an intimate reception the evening prior (May 11, from 6 to 8 PM) at The Greenwich by Rafael Viñoly, one of the famed architect's final works, and a powerful example of wellness-led design. His son, Román Viñoly, will offer attendees an exclusive glimpse into his father's vision for the remarkable space—the perfect setting for a night of networking among industry leaders.

Space for the May 12 symposium is very limited, register here.

Accredited media can apply to attend here.

About the Global Wellness Summit: The Global Wellness Summit brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $6.8 trillion global wellness economy. In addition to an annual conference held at a different location around the globe, GWS also hosts annual in-person events such as the Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium, along with virtual gatherings, including Wellness Master Classes and Wellness Sector Spotlights. The organization's Future of Wellness report forecasts the top wellness trends for the year ahead and is oft-quoted in the media. The 20th annual Global Wellness Summit will be held in Phuket, Thailand, November 10-13, 2026.

SOURCE Global Wellness Summit