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11th Annual Global Wellness Summit Returns to USA at
The Breakers Palm Beach, Host Sponsor and Shining Example
of Wellness-driven Enterprise
2017 Summit makes unprecedented choice of lead sponsor — a hotel property versus a destination; delegates to be immersed in wellness-focused resort business that prioritizes employee well-being and social responsibility above all
Miami, FL – February 22, 2017 – The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the world’s preeminent gathering of decision makers in the wellness industry, today officially announced The Breakers Palm Beach as this year’s host sponsor, a first for a hotel property, which will have a key role in shaping the content of the 11th annual conference, to take place in Palm Beach, Florida, October 9-11, 2017. The Breakers is supported in their GWS sponsorship efforts by two Florida-based institutions, Palm Beach Atlantic University and Cigna Corporation.
“Bringing the Summit back to the U.S., whose last gathering took place in collaboration with the Aspen Institute in Colorado, opens up great opportunities for a dynamic agenda that includes visionaries and entrepreneurs that make up one of the largest and most innovative wellness markets in the world. And easy international access to Palm Beach, as well as The Breakers’ inherent beauty and coveted beachfront location, will undoubtedly be a draw for our global delegation,” said Susie Ellis, GWS chairman and CEO. “However, we anticipate that the biggest impact The Breakers will have on attendees is understanding their unwavering commitment to the well-being of their team, community and environment, and how that ultimately drives guest satisfaction.”
GWS delegates, key influencers from the $3.72 trillion global wellness industry, will be given the unique opportunity to experience some of The Breakers initiatives first hand. Attendees will learn of the resort’s longstanding, committed owners and executive team, who have developed a wellness-focused business that empowers team members to attain professional and personal goals and reach their greatest potential. The result is an engaging, collaborative and high-achieving workforce, to which CEO Paul Leone attributes the resort’s success as one of America’s leading and most profitable independent hotels. Thanks to Leone’s leadership (since 1994) and the owners’ relentless dedication and unrivaled investment of over $30 million each year in capital improvements, The Breakers stays on a path of continuous renewal to thrive in the highly competitive hospitality market.
“We believe that the heart and soul of an organization drives its long-term success – a belief that was instilled in our culture over 120 years ago by our founder, Henry Morrison Flagler,” said Leone. “We look forward to not only sharing our many initiatives – including our dedicated Wellness Team, unique wellness incentives, healthcare discounts, and financial wellness programs that include college and retirement planning – with Global Wellness Summit delegates, but anticipate engaging them directly in our spirit of community service and environmental advocacy.”
Leone also thanked The Breakers’ co-sponsors Palm Beach Atlantic University, a comprehensive, interdenominational Christian university, and Cigna Corporation, a global health service company dedicated to helping people improve their well-being.
Community and civic responsibility is a core tenet of The Breakers, and in 2016 alone, its team volunteered 20,670 hours to build homes for the homeless, provided support to enhance the welfare of individuals and families with start-up resources and advocacy, and raised awareness and funds to eradicate illnesses.
The resort’s sustainability initiatives include innovative water conservation practices, energy efficiency programs and highly impactful waste reduction measures designed to reduce landfill.
“Hotels and resorts, especially those with spa and wellness offerings, need to make the wellness of people and planet a priority. At The Breakers you can really see and feel that this is taking place and is part of their organizational DNA. It’s a great model,” said Ellis.
This year’s Summit is co-chaired by Professor Gerry Bodeker, PhD, clinical psychologist and public health academic (University of Oxford, UK; Columbia University, New York); Clare Martorana, formerly of Everyday Health and WebMD, now Digital Service Expert, United States Digital Service; and Maggie Hsu, advisor for U.S. online platform Zappos.
The Global Wellness Summit attracts leaders from every sector of the wellness industry: hospitality, tourism, spa, beauty, fitness, nutrition, finance, education, environment, medicine, architecture, workplace wellness, wellness communities and technology.
To learn more about the 2017 GWS, visit: https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com/2017-summit.
For sponsorship, contact Michelle Gamble.
About the Global Wellness Summit: The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) is an invitation-only international gathering that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $3.7 trillion global wellness economy. Held in a different location each year, Summits have taken place in the U.S., Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico and Austria. The next will be held at The Breakers, Palm Beach, Florida from Oct. 9-11, 2017.
About The Breakers Palm Beach: The Breakers Palm Beach is an iconic, luxury oceanfront resort, renowned as a destination of world-class hospitality and service, and seaside glamour. Situated on 140 acres in the heart of Palm Beach, Florida, the hotel features 538 guest rooms and suites, which includes the private-access Flagler Club, an ultra-luxury boutique hotel nestled atop the resort. Its multi-faceted amenities and services include nine distinctive restaurants; two championship golf courses and a golf academy; a new luxury spa; a Mediterranean-style beach club with poolside bungalows for daytime rental, four oceanfront pools and watersports, tennis, a Family Entertainment Center and an extensive program of family and children’s activities; and 11 on-site boutiques. The Breakers also features 70,000-square feet of meeting and event space and services, including an oceanfront conference center, ballrooms, executive meeting rooms and outdoor venues. Thanks to the dedication of its longstanding family ownership the resort continues to thrive independent of chain affiliation, re-investing over $30 million each year in capital improvements and revitalization.