Theme and First Keynote Speakers Announced for 20th-Anniversary Global Wellness Summit in Phuket, Thailand

Under the banner of "The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness," the conference will explore the deepest foundations of wellness and its fast-evolving future. High-profile speakers will tackle both the science and soul of the industry—from new directions in longevity science to the role of the arts in human wellbeing, with music, performance and film hitting the stage as never before

MIAMI, May 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the foremost gathering of leaders in the global wellness economy, will hold its milestone 20^th-anniversary event at the Angsana Laguna Phuket in Thailand from November 10 to 13. This year's conference will bring together CEOs of wellness companies, doctors and academics, investors, tech innovators, policymakers and artists of all kinds, for the largest, most content-rich event in the Summit's history. It will be a global celebration of the last two extraordinary decades of growth for the wellness movement and market, as well as for an organization that has been instrumental in shaping the wellness economy since its modern boom.

Today, the GWS unveiled its 2026 theme, "The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness," an inclusive framework to explore both wellness's core pillars and its emerging future possibilities, with as much emphasis on spirituality—and the "soul" of wellness—as on the latest scientific breakthroughs.

The first keynotes have been announced. They include Dan Buettner, Emmy Award-winning producer and five-time New York Times bestselling author, renowned for identifying the five regions of the world—known as blue zones—where people live the longest, healthiest lives. Also keynoting: William Heinecke, founder and chairman of Minor International, a global powerhouse in hospitality, food and lifestyle, and Andrea Maier, MD PhD FRACP, one of the world's leading experts on longevity medicine and Oon Chiew Seng Professor in Medicine, co-founder of NUS Academy of Healthy Longevity at the National University of Singapore and founder of Singapore's Chi Longevity clinics. Cathy Feliciano-Chon, managing partner at FINN Partners Greater China, will lead a conversation with Ronald Akili, co-founder of Potato Head Bali, and Huy Huong, founder of Japan's Shishi-Iwa House, on how Asia's indie hospitality brands are trailblazing the future of wellness travel.

More on the Theme: The 2026 agenda, interweaving science, art and soul, reflects the vibrancy and wide vision of the industry, and all leaders working across the many spaces in wellness and preventative health will connect with the content. Science and evidence—and the latest in medical-wellness and longevity—will be a crucial component, but equal time will be given to wellness's spiritual and emotional dimensions. The arts—music, film and performance—will play an unprecedented role, including experts on eye-opening developments in neurowellness, the neuroarts and neuroaesthetics. The agenda will explore what we've learned from the breathtaking growth in wellness in the last two decades: if the Global Wellness Institute found the spa economy to be $60 billion back in 2007, wellness is now an 11-sector, $6.8 trillion economy evolving at breakneck speed. The theme also captures the essence of the host nation, Thailand, whose wellness landscape unites science and soul, from millennia-old wellness traditions to cutting-edge medical-wellness destinations.

"We're building an exciting agenda that unpacks the many powerful lessons learned from these last 20 years of wellness while gathering high-profile experts to explore what the next 20 years might hold," said Nancy Davis, executive director and chief creative officer of GWS. "We have incredible plans to really celebrate in Phuket and there will be many surprises."

More About the Keynotes:

Dan Buettner discovered the five places in the world—the blue zones—where people lived the longest, healthiest lives and shares this information with the world. He's an explorer, National Geographic Fellow, Netflix Host and co-producer of the three-time Emmy Award winning "Live to 100: Secrets of the Blue Zones." He's also a five-time New York Times bestselling author (from "The Blue Zones: Lessons for Living Longer from the People Who've Lived the Longest" to "The Blue Zones of Happiness"). He's keynoted at TEDMED, Google Zeitgeist, and at the Davos World Economic Forum (where he was chosen as "One of the Best of Davos"). He works with municipal governments, large employers, and health insurance companies to implement Blue Zones Projects in communities, workplaces, and universities.

William E. Heinecke, founder and chairman of Minor International, led the company's transformation into one of the world's largest hospitality and restaurant groups, operating in over 60 countries, with a market cap of $5 billion and a global team of over 78,000 people. Today, Minor Hotels operates more than 600 hotels in 65 countries, while Minor Food and its affiliates boast over 4,000 outlets across 24 countries. Heinecke has received numerous major awards, from the Trailblazer Award from the Asian Business Leadership Forum to being named HOTELS Magazine's Corporate Hotelier of the World. Through initiatives like the Heinecke Foundation, the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation and the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation, he champions education, wildlife welfare and marine conservation.

Andrea B. Maier, MD PhD FRACP, is Oon Chiew Seng Professor in Medicine and co-founder of NUS Academy of Healthy Longevity at the National University of Singapore and Professor of Gerontology, Human Movement Sciences, at VU Amsterdam. She is a global authority in geroscience and precision geromedicine with more than 500 peer reviewed publications. Maier is an invited member and advisor of international academic and health policy committees and funding agencies, including the World Health Organization, evaluating the United Nations Decade of Healthy Ageing and Hevolution Foundation. In 2023, she co-founded the NUS Academy for Healthy Longevity to promote education and knowledge in geroscience and precision geromedicine. In 2022, she founded Chi Longevity, Asia's first evidence-based precision geromedicine clinics, to bring this field into clinical practice, and in 2024 she established Maier's Longevity in The Netherlands.

Keynote Conversation: "How Asia's independent hospitality brands are pointing the way to future of wellness travel," moderated by Cathy Feliciano-Chon, managing partner of FINN Partners Greater China, with Ronald Akili, co-founder of Potato Head Bali, and Huy Huong, founder of Japan's Shishi-Iwa House. They will explore how pioneering Asian hospitality brands are creating a new future for wellness travel, one with a deep focus on social connection, sustainability and "soul": a more profound connection with nature, culture, the arts and creativity.

Cathy Feliciano-Chon, a co-chair of this year's conference, is managing partner of FINN Partners Greater China, with offices in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Beijing. A marketing and communications expert with more than 30 years of experience, she leads global campaigns and market-entry strategies for leading hotel groups, hospitality companies and consumer brands. She also drives the firm's thought-leadership initiatives, producing research and insights on topics including travel and tourism, the future of food, smart cities and wellness. She is recognized for her keen insights on trends in Asia's consumer and travel landscape.

Ronald Akili is co-founder of Desa Potato Head in Bali, a sustainable "creative village" exemplifying the particularly Southeast Asian values of taking care of each other, where "wellbeing has always been about feeling—not fixing," and where culture, community and hospitality are built to give back. Serving over 1,000 people a day while diverting 99.5% of its waste from landfill, their programming spans music, art and design festivals that are a big draw for the uber-cool set to their "Sweet Potato Lab" that turns waste into art, furniture and amenities. The Desa is carbon-neutral in partnership with the United Nations since 2017 and certified B Corp since 2023. It has been included in The World's 50 Best Hotels list for three consecutive years, and Akili has been recognized in Condé Nast Traveller's 20 People Taking Action for the Planet and TIME's 100 Climate Leaders (2025).

Huy Huong founded Shishi-Iwa House, a collection of three architectural masterpiece retreat houses in Japan's Alps designed by Pritzker-Prize winning architects. They were founded on the premise: Can beautifully designed architecture amid breathtaking nature promote wellness? In an age when luxury is often associated with excess, SSH redefines it as the quiet presence of beauty, craftmanship and nature. Known for their bespoke hiking trails, food and wine tours and kintsugi workshops celebrating beauty in imperfection, they offer experiences that bring together local farmers and artisans. Huong spent over three decades in investment banking and hedge fund management and Shishi-Iwa House grew out of lessons learned from that intense career in finance, inviting guests to slow down, connect and rebuild the mind. They've garnered prestigious recognitions, from One Michelin Key Award (Michelin Guide 2024 and 2025) to Tatler's Best 100 Hotels in Asia-Pacific (2024 and 2025). SSH is expanding, with five more "houses" slated to open by 2028.

Registration for the Summit is open. Apply 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