As the global wellness economy soars to a projected $9 trillion by 2028, how are hospitality giants, major airlines, travel services and others embracing the rise of wellness tourism? We’ll explore the trends driving the category’s explosive growth, over $900M in revenues as of 2024; how consumers are defining wellness experiences when they travel; and how top brands are reinventing themselves to offer next-level health experiences for their guests.

Susie Ellis
Chairman and CEO, Global Wellness Institute

Kelly Groehler
CEO/Creator, Producer & Host, Grayler LLC/The WTAF Show: Women. Travel. Art. Food. (Moderator)

Natalie Compton
Travel Reporter, Washington Post

Carol Stratford
Company/title: Managing Director, Consulting Arch Amenities Group

Lou Zameryka
Co-Founder and CCO Alively

In todays competitive wellness landscape, the brands winning arent just offering workouts or recoverytheyre curating experiences. This panel brings together visionary founders who are embedding hospitality into the core of fitness and wellness. From luxury recovery lounges to immersive social wellness clubs, these leaders are proving that connection, design, and community are as critical as training protocols and tech stacks.

Robbie Bent
Co-Founder and CEO, Othership

Brian Mazza
VP of Brand Performance / Founder, Life Time / HPL Ventures

Jay Galluzzo
Partner, SABRE Business Consulting (Moderator)

Mark Rivers
CEO, Canyon Ranch

As wellness tourism continues to grow, hotels and resorts are rethinking their offerings to meet the evolving expectations of health-conscious travelers. This panel will explore how the worlds leading operators are designing next-level fitness and wellness experiences that go beyond the traditional hotel gym. From immersive recovery spaces and workout offerings to outdoor wellness retreats and personalized programming, discover how hospitality brands are elevating the guest experience. Industry experts will share insights on emerging trends, guest preferences and strategies for integrating fitness and wellness into a modern travel experience.

Amanda Al-Masri
Global Vice President, Wellness, Hilton

Danny Dulkin
VP of Development Services, Arch Amenities Group (Moderator)

Barak Hirschowitz
President, International Luxury Hotel Association

Shafi Syed
Global Head Hotel Development & Acquisitions, Equinox Hotels

Wellness and recovery amenities are transforming fitness facilities, from HVLP giants to boutiques to luxury clubs, into more than just gyms. But to stand out from competitors, operators must think beyond the basics. In this panel, procurement leaders and industry experts reveal how top brands are integrating modalities like cold plunges, halo therapy, and infrared sauna along with more advanced, under-the-radar modalities to drive revenue, elevate experiences, and boost retention. Plus, get inside strategies on how to select the best modalities for your business needs and discover how to differentiate your offerings through strategic design.

Lisa Semerly
Chief Revenue Officer, Halotherapy

Andy Dunn
Senior Director of Sales - Wellness, Wellness JK

Nick Herrild
Brand President U.S., Anytime Fitness – Purpose Brands, LLC

Ani Oksayan
Vice President, Fitness Chuze Fitness

Brynn Scarborough
Founder and CEO, Alchemy Leadership Lab (Moderator)

For fitness and wellness brands, franchising has emerged as a speedy, potentially lucrative means of pursuing nationwide growth. But there are tradeoffs, most notably a lack of top-down control. Some brands therefore opt to stay corporate-owned, sacrificing some growth potential for a tighter grip on operations. Which choice is right for your brand? In this panel, executives from Solidcore (corporate-owned), Orangetheory Fitness and MADabolic (franchisors), and SWTHZ (franchisor-corporate hybrid) make their cases for three distinct models of ownership.

Brandon Cullen
Co-Founder and Chief Concept Officer, MADabolic

Bryan Myers
President and CEO, [solidcore]

Lauren Cody
Brand President, Orangetheory Fitness – Purpose Brands, LLC

Mike Tan
CEO, SWTHZ

Jay Siano
Co-Founder and CEO SABRE Advisors, Co-Founder J2 Strategic Partners (Moderator)

Member acquisition has become a tired phrase in industry circles, but it's still a major concern for operators everywhere. In this panel, fitness marketing experts share how the latest digital advertising strategies and artificial intelligence tools can help your studio generate leads, convert more members and build a winning sales culture. From AI-driven marketing software to content creation to smarter lead management, learn how you can build effective campaigns and maximize the ROI of your marketing dollars in an increasingly competitive fitness market.

Benjamin Donhardt
Co-Founder & CEO, Supafitgrow

Wendy White
CMO, Daxko

Christopher Appiah
Founder and CEO, The Sales Arms

Eric Malzone
Podcast Host, The Future of Fitness (Moderator)

Rose Minar
Chief Marketing & Experience Officer, Lift Brands, Inc.

While lucrative exits tend to get all the headlines, raising funding to fuel your first 5, 10 or 20 locations is often what separates brands that become nationwide hits from those that struggle to scale. Solidcore founder Anne Mahlum and private equity investor Matt Day discuss how young fitness and wellness brands can position themselves to secure funding to fuel growth. Topics of discussion include positioning your brand for an eventual Series A round, deciding when it's the right time to raise outside capital, and whether it makes sense to pursue alternative sources of funding. They also explore what key metrics investors look for when investing, the type of margins that make a business attractive and which markets present the best opportunities for growth.

Anne Mahlum
Founder and Former CEO, [solidcore]

Matthew Day
Managing Partner, Jordanelle Capital

Greg Scheinman
Founder and CEO, Midlife Male Ventures (Moderator)

This year, Tonal took over the streets of New York for an in-person fitness experience in New York City, allowing people to get an up-close and personal look at its Tonal 2.0 at-home strength training machine. Executives from Tonal and boutique fitness consultancy Studio Grow share how they brought the Tonal Training Lab to life, and explore how Tonal used the brick-and-mortar studio to build brand awareness, grow its community and gain valuable feedback on its newest product.

Lise Kuecker
Founder and CEO, Studio Grow

Troy Taylor
VP, Performance Innovation, Tonal

Eric Malzone
Podcast Host, The Future of Fitness (Moderator)

As longevity and preventive health take hold, new modalities can play a vital role in making people healthier – and they can drive serious incremental revenue for operators. Executives from top health tech and longevity brands share how fitness and wellness facilities can leverage tools including AI-powered robotic massages, cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and cutting-edge supplements to add value beyond the traditional membership.

Jeff G. Zwiefel
Health & Fitness Expert Strategist & Advisor, Former President & COO, Life Time

Eric Litman
Founder and CEO, Aescape

Kyle Jones
Chairman, Co-Founder and CEO, iCryo

Mona Rosene
Global Director, Scientific & Medical Affairs Niagen Bioscience

Sat Randhawa
Founder & CEO, One Hype Wellness

Tired of tokenism and run-of-the-mill diversity panels? So are we. This session explores how top brands are going deeper to understand and serve their female consumers. Discover how next-gen data and cutting-edge AI tools can refine your marketing beyond generic female avatars and connect your business to your most loyal clients. Hear from experts who are using these strategies to connect with women in meaningful ways, giving more power to the wallets actually driving their business. Leave with actionable tactics for increasing loyalty, engagement and revenue among your most passionate female consumers.

Sadie Lincoln
Co-Founder and CEO, barre3

Sarah Choi
Chief Marketing & Commercial Officer, CorePower Yoga

Brynn Scarborough
Founder and CEO, Alchemy Leadership Lab (Moderator)

Melissa Knowles
Vice President of Global Key Accounts, ABC Fitness

As loneliness levels reach an all-time high, especially among young people, fitness brands are harnessing the power of group exercise to foster connection and camaraderie. This panel will explore how competition-driven fitness experiences from run clubs and group strength training concepts to global events are bringing people together and building strong communities. Executives, founders and experts will discuss the psychology behind competitive fitness, strategies for creating inclusive environments and how tools like gamification can enhance engagement and performance.

Dane McCarthy
Founder, The Athletic Clubs

Douglas Gremmen
Chief Growth Officer, HYROX

Sam Tooley
Co-Founder & CEO, Alpha Fit Club

Kenny Santucci
Founder & CEO, Strong New York and The Strength Club NYC & NJ (Moderator)