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GWI and GWS to host Wellness Real Estate and Communities Symposium in NYC

03 Apr 2025 On 17 June 2025, the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) and the Global Wellness Institute (GWI) will bring together leading industry figures in New York City for the fourth annual Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium.

The event will see specialists in real estate, investment, architecture, design, public policy, technology, medicine and sustainability gather to examine how health and wellness are reshaping the built environment – spanning homes, communities, cities, workplaces, hospitals, senior living and student housing.

A market on the rise
Wellness real estate is the fastest-growing sector in the US$6.3 trillion global wellness economy (€5.7 trillion, £4.8 billion). The market skyrocketed from US$225 billion (€202.4 billion, £170.6 billion) in 2019 to US$438 billion in 2023 (18 per cent annual growth). The GWI projects further expansion at 15.8 per cent annually through 2028, when it is expected to reach US$913 billion (€821.6 billion, £692.4 billion).

“We’re curating an agenda reflective of the growth and investment in this sector throughout the world,” said Nancy Davis, chief creative officer and executive director of the GWS and GWI.

“Through keynotes and conversations, this symposium will demonstrate the depth and breadth of wellness real estate projects and the collaboration at the heart of this booming wellness sector.”

New research unveiled
The symposium will feature the release of Build Well to Live Well: The Future, the first update to GWI’s landmark research since 2018. This new edition will deliver fresh data, insights, key trends and case studies shaping the global real estate landscape.

Keynotes and panels
Speakers will explore how wellness real estate has evolved far beyond spa amenities in luxury developments.

Topics will range from regenerative habitats and longevity-focused residences to home-integrated healthcare and wellness-driven student housing.

Speakers on the agenda include:
• Manvendra Singh Shekhawat, founder of Dhun, will share insights on building a regenerative community that maximises human potential, drawing from his 500-acre bioreserve project near Jaipur, India.
• Horst Schulz, hospitality icon and founding member of The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, and Isaac H. Jones, DC, a longevity expert, will introduce Centagio, a pioneering longevity residence merging luxury living with cutting-edge health optimisation.
• A super-panel on emerging technologies and healthcare at home will feature leaders from Destination Medical Center – a US$5.6 billion (€5 billion, £4.2 billion) initiative transforming Rochester, Minnesota, into a global health and wellness hub.
• Angus Kearin and Anthony Mellalieu of London-based Urbanest will join GWI research fellows Katherine Johnston and Ophelia Yeung to explore how wellness is reshaping student housing.
Joanna Frank, who leads the global expansion of Fitwel, will present on the growing role of healthy building certification.

Venue and networking
The symposium will take place at West End Labs (WEL), a cutting-edge life science and innovation hub housed in a reimagined 1920s Chrysler facility near Lincoln Center. The venue boasts LEED Gold, WiredScore Platinum and Fitwel certifications.

Attendees are also invited to a VIP networking reception on 16 June (6–8 PM) at BBC Studios in Manhattan, home to BBC Storyworks, producers of the award-winning In Pursuit of Wellness series for GWI.

Register here for either in-person or virtual attendance, with discounted rates before 15 April.