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Global Wellness Summit Will Focus on 2021 Theme:
“A New New Era in Health & Wellness”

Annual event co-chairs Michael Roizen, MD, first chief wellness officer of the Cleveland Clinic, and Victor Koo, a leading China-based wellness entrepreneur, will work with GWS to shape the agenda

Miami, FL – August 3, 2021 – The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the foremost gathering of international leaders in the multitrillion-dollar global wellness economy, today announced that its 2021 conference, taking place in Boston, Massachusetts, from November 30 to December 3, will focus on the growing intersection between health and wellness. The theme for the 2021 Summit is “A New New Era in Health & Wellness.”

In a recent McKinsey survey, 79% of respondents reported that wellness is now important to them, with 42% considering it a top priority.[1] While another new report from Deloitte predicts a major shift in health spending as the US rebounds from the pandemic and addresses its full impact: By 2040, 60% of spending will shift from care and treatment toward proactively improving health and wellbeing (creating a “$3.5 trillion wellbeing dividend”), and spending on wellbeing will then make up nearly two-thirds of the total health spend.[2]

“The pandemic woke the world up to the extraordinary importance of both health and wellness, creating a new era in which these sectors and industries will work more closely together for the greater good of all,” said Nancy Davis, GWS’s chief creative officer and executive director. “The 2021 agenda will focus on exploring this convergence, and the theme will come to life in Boston, a city recognized for its far-reaching innovation; its unique investment landscape in bio-tech; and as home to renowned educational institutions such as Harvard and MIT, both of which have given birth to countless start-ups in health and wellness.”

Registration for the 2021 Summit (in person + virtual) is now open – learn more.

Wellness trends researchers at GWS essentially foresaw this year’s theme, writing, “With the threat of COVID-19 still looming around the world, people are staying true to their amped-up health and wellness routines, while at the same time, healthcare companies are shifting focus to prevention and wellness practices, which are being further grounded in scientific evidence” in their mid-year update of the 2021 Global Wellness Trend dubbed “The Self-Care Renaissance.”

Working with the organization’s Nancy Davis and Susie Ellis, chair and CEO, on the 2021 Global Wellness Summit’s content and agenda will be co-chairs Michael Roizen, MD, the first chief wellness officer of the Cleveland Clinic, and Victor Koo, a wellness-focused entrepreneur/investor from Hong Kong.

Roizen, who is also the author and co-author of numerous books focused on health and longevity, including What to Eat When and the New York Times best-seller RealAge: Are You as Young As You Can Be?, embodies this year’s theme of marrying healthcare with wellness.

“Living long well is dependent upon making positive choices, including eating right, sleeping well, exercising regularly, and having friends and purpose. I’ve long-touted the importance of combining commonsense and evidence-based wellness with standard healthcare practices to prevent illness. Your wellness program is even more important with the coming of the ‘great age reboot’ where positive choices will significantly impact your ability to live younger longer,” said Michael Roizen, MD, who currently serves as chief wellness officer emeritus at the Cleveland Clinic. “I’m looking forward to working with the 2021 GWS team to further this significant conversation.”

Koo, a successful entrepreneur who sold his China-based start-up to Alibaba Entertainment, is committed to sharing the benefits of wellness with the world by investing in and supporting innovation that promotes health and sustainability. Koo is chairman of Heyi Holdings and the co-founder and CEO of Tianren Culture, the Global Wellness Institute’s Wellness Moonshot partner in China.

“The importance of health and wellness has taken center stage in all of our lives—and there is recognition that prevention is far better than cure. Given the interconnected, global nature of our world, I know how important it is to work across borders and cultures for the common good of all people,” said Victor Koo. “The Global Wellness Summit is a key voice and source of influential and innovative ideas around global public health and wellness policies. I look forward to bringing GWS’s message to more wellness seekers around the globe.”

Look for announcements on keynotes, panels and presentations in the lead-up to the Summit. You can find full bios and headshots of the 2021 GWS co-chairs here.

Learn more and register for the 2021 Summit here.


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.


[1] https://sgbonline.com/mckinseys-future-of-wellness-study-identifies-six-wellness-trends-gaining-momentum/

[2] https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/health-care/future-health-care-spending.html

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