Memory Lane & Crystal Ball

A Message from Susie Ellis

Each year I sit down to write this letter, staring at a blank screen, and wondering how to encapsulate 365 days and what it’s meant to have travelled once again around the sun, and what it might look like next time around.

It’s daunting! I do it, encouraged by colleagues and friends, because I have a vantage point that affords me a unique perspective. I recognize it’s a privilege and a responsibility.

This past year has felt like a seismic shift in the industry.

How to extract the most meaningful memories. How to capture not just the big ideas but also the small moments. All of which, in my case, I hope add up to a life with some impact for my family, friends and perhaps the industry that has been my life’s work.

The distinction between wellness and medicine has long been a point of discussion and debate. I think back to 2013 when the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) released a major research report introducing Wellness Tourism as distinct from Medical Tourism (or Health Tourism). It was then, and still is now, an important difference, even more so as the lines between medicine and wellness converge. Then add longevity to the mix.

This dilemma between wellness and medical reminds me of some of the conversations that took place at our 2025 Global Wellness Summit (GWS) in Dubai this past November. The theme was “Longevity Through a Wellness Lens”. We had a great mix of medical doctors, wellness professionals, biohackers, scientists, technologists and hospitality executives share their views on topics that touched on this wellness/medicine issue.

Where does longevity – which includes diagnostics and medical oversight, sit in comparison to the spa and wellness arena? The global wellness economy is now valued at $6.8T USD – the latest figures from the GWI – and the growth projections going forward are significant.

In addition to the GWS experience, I attended the Roundtable of Longevity Clinics at the Buck Institute (San Francisco) that took place in December. There were many lively discussions that seemed to mirror some of the challenges and opportunities between the medical and wellness worlds that were discussed in Dubai. The good news: I am feeling a positive spirit of collaboration that will benefit us all. This felt new to me, no longer was medicine looking down on the wellness industry, and the wellness industry no longer has its nose pressed against the glass of medicine.

We’re sitting together now, in the waiting room, working collaboratively on what’s to come.

With this as a foundation for both the past year and the new one we are welcoming, I am happy to share my memory lane and crystal ball lists.

MEMORY LANE

  • In January of 2025, we released The Future of Wellness 2025 Trends, with insights on Teens, Supplements, Water, Longevity & Work, Sauna, Analog Wellness, Tackling Addiction, Middle East, Cruise & Rail, Augmented Biology (the ones in bold were run-away hits!)
  • At the EHL Hospitality Business School in Lausanne Board meeting, Maggie Chen, PhD introduced her book, “Hospitality Vibes” and I knew immediately we wanted her at our 2025 Summit!
  • I visited Therme Vals in Switzerland; this iconic Pritzker Architectural prize-winning spa has been on my bucket list for a long time.
  • I attended the Lake Nona Impact Forum, and the resounding takeaway: AI is changing everything.
  • I attended my first Formula 1 race in Miami and got a taste of what “thrilling” can look and feel like.
  • We held our team retreat at Sensei Porcupine Creek in Rancho Mirage, CA. I loved introducing our GWS/GWI team to the ultimate in luxury. After all, this is Larry Ellison’s previous residence.
  • The GWI Initiatives continue to do important work, and I am proud to showcase their top 5 trends in each of their categories.
  • I presented on biophilia at Serenbe, a remarkable wellness community just outside Atlanta, Georgia. Anyone who is creating a wellness community absolutely must visit.
  • Toured Preserve Life – the new community being created near Serenbe that is simply a wow, in an understated way.
  • We held our 6th Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium in New York. People flew in from all over the world—United Arab Emirates, India, Italy, etc.
  • Released Build Well to Live Well: The Future research report. This is an update from 2018 and a “must read” for anyone in this space. And for the first time, a companion report of Build Well to Live Well: Case Studies was published.
  • I attended the Rancho La Puerta board meeting, and one of the best parts of these meetings is that I get to bring someone with me, and for years now I have brought my son, Nicholas. It’s a very meaningful time for us. The Ranch is over 85 years old; and more impressive all the time.
  • Before the Dubai Summit, I went on the pre-tour curated and arranged by Kathryn Moore. We spent a day seeing places such as SIRO, Clinique La Prairie, and several Longevity Clinics. This reminded me of the importance of visiting these destinations in person. I have visited over 1,000 places, and it’s one of the reasons my vantage point is so unique.
  • My twin sister, Katrine, hosted a girlfriend’s weekend in Las Vegas: Bruno Mars at night, and The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere during the day. Talent is talent. AI Technology continues to impress. Yes, Katrine supplied ruby slippers for us all.
  • I attended Penn Center for Neuro Aesthetics Board Retreat: The field of neuro aesthetics is gaining momentum.
  • I proudly opened the online Africa Summit. Africa really does have its own wellness culture, and we are lucky to learn from it.
  • Another Katrine moment: Diana Ross at Huston Tillotson University Fundraiser in Austin, TX. My sister curated and financed this event, and I was as proud of her as she is of me when she attends our events.
  • GWS 2025 in Dubai: Longevity Through a Wellness Lens. The foundations of wellness: movement, nutrition, reducing stress, sleep, and community, figure into the longevity programs. This is a moment of great satisfaction, after decades of beating this drum!
  • Family reunion in Dubai: cousins, nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters, daughters and grandchildren—an annual bonding trip, hosted by my generous twin sister.
  • Bringing the wise and wonderful Deborah Szekely (now 103) into our Dubai Summit via video. A nod to true longevity, and perfect punctuation to end the 2025 Summit.
  • The grand announcement of Phuket, Thailand, as the location for the 20th anniversary Summit in 2026.
  • Thanksgiving dinner for two: Each year I cook a full Thanksgiving meal – enough for 10 – just for my husband and me because we love it.
  • Spending Christmas in Phoenix at the home of our nephew Josh and his family.

As 2025 ends, I find I have a better balance between work and my personal life along with a renewed commitment to my own health and wellness. The secret? It wasn’t so much the quantity of time dedicated to work or home or health, but the quality. Nancy and the team are so capable and that helps tremendously; my husband, Peter, and I have achieved our own balance and I do feel blessed.

That’s a wrap on 2025. So, what’s next? What’s in the Crystal Ball?

CRYSTAL BALL

Here’s my list for 2026…so far:

  • The Future of Wellness 2026 Trends: be prepared for some surprises.
  • More discussion around the GWI diagram regarding Longevity and Wellness
  • Longevity, scientific advancements, AI, and wellness collaborations bear fruit.
  • Wellness Evidence is having a moment on the global stage.
  • New York Press Event, January 27 – GWS’s The Future of Wellness 2026 Trends and GWI’s Country Rankings research, usher in a new era.
  • Circadian Science and the impact on longevity. Join our webinar on February 4, and learn from an astronaut, hospitality leaders, scientists, sports legends and more.
  • Wellness Real Estate and Communities Symposium, May 12, in New York City. It’s definitely a global gathering now.
  • Beauty and the Brain Symposium, NY: Likely in the fall. This is the year to launch this new event focused on what we see as a way to understand beauty, art and wellness for the future.
  • A possible trip to hike in Switzerland and visit a new great niece or nephew in Italy.
  • 2026 Global Wellness Summit, November 10-13, Phuket, Thailand – our 20th anniversary! Once again, the gathering of top-level thinkers in the wellness and medical arena.
  • Opening the time capsule of predictions from all attendees of our Summit 10 years ago. (I wonder if anyone would have predicted the impact of AI?)
  • Framing the longevity conversation in the wellness world more concretely.
  • Inspiring those of us in this arena toward a higher level of health and wellness personally.

Well, I know that was a long read, but I wanted to present a thorough look at where we’ve been and where I think we’re headed. I hope some of this resonates with you, and more importantly, I hope it inspires you to keep going—do what you do, do what you love, bring all of it to bear on this wonderful industry, and join us, as we continue to bring together the best thinking and doing in the world.

Wishing you and your loved ones a healthy, happy and peaceful New Year.

XO
Susie