About GSS

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  • Research Reports

    The Global Spa Summit team has developed a comprehensive list of spa, wellness, and related industry research projects, organized by geographical location. View

  • Education Programs

    Since the skilled labor shortage was identified as an important issues on the minds of delegates, the GSS has aggregated a list of spa training and management programs available around the world. View

  • Spa Associations

    Through a directory of spa, wellness, and related industry associations around the world, the GSS aims to connect spa and wellness industry professionals on an international level. View

  • Publications

    Looking to stay up-to-date on trade and consumer industry news? Peruse this list of spa and wellness publications, which include magazines, journals, and books. View

Overview

The Summit Is Born

At the beginning of the 2000's, a group of industry leaders decided to create and fund a conference modeled in part after the successful format of the not-for-profit World Economic Forum held each year in Davos, Switzerland, where leaders from all parts of the world gather to solve shared problems. Thus the Global Spa Summit was founded. The Global Spa Summit is held annually, beginning on the third Sunday in May.  Visit the archive to learn more about the 2007, 2008, and 2009 summits.

Format

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, speaker, 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.

Delegate Demographics

Number of attendees: The invite-only 2010 Summit was ‘sold out,’ with 250-plus delegates in attendance
Countries in attendance: a record 40-plus

Summit Mission

The Global Spa Summit (GSS) is an international organization that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively impact and shape the future of the global spa and wellness industries. The objectives of the Summit are to:

Create community by fostering relationships among global industry leaders; facilitate friendly dialogue and the exchange of ideas; act as a catalyst for continued conversations beyond Summit meetings.
Establish a common language and understanding across regions and continents, while respecting individual identities and market realities.
Create and endorse uniform measurement systems for performance tracking and benchmarking of spas worldwide.
Initiate, gather and trumpet quality industry research on a global basis
Provide accurate and reliable information for the investment community
Identify and assist in resolving issues affecting the spa and wellness industries
Function as a hub for global industry resources

Shaping the Global Spa Summit Agenda

Each year's Global Spa Summit agenda is exciting and unique.  The agenda develops over time right up until the Summit and, therefore, features the very issues of the moment, giving the GSS the vibrancy and relevancy that have become its trademark.  As invited delegates register, their expertise, interests, and areas of greatest concern are noted.  This information, global events, and industry trends are considered as the Summit agenda takes shape. The following past Summit programs provide a better idea of the agendas that emerge from this dynamic process:

Summit 2010: Bridges Worth Building, Istanbul, Turkey
Summit 2009: The Power of Collaboration, Interlaken, Switzerland
Summit 2008: Defining the Global Spa Economy, New York, NY
Summit 2007: Joining together. Shaping the Future. New York, NY