“A MOMENT NOT TO BE MISSED”
WORLD WELLNESS WEEKEND 2020 | SEPTEMBER 19-20
BY
JAMISON
STOIKE
IN JUST A FEW YEARS, World Wellness
Weekend has grown into one of
the world’s premier celebrations of wellness
and a compelling demonstration
of the power of spa. And although only
a year has passed since the last weekend
event, World Wellness Weekend
2020 will likely be held in a vastly different
world due to the scope and impact
of the global COVID-19 pandemic.
Perhaps now more than ever, the
world is primed to develop a deeper appreciation
of wellness—coronavirus
has served as a wake-up call for many.
“Is it going to be just this one time?”
says World Wellness Weekend founder
Jean-Guy de Gabriac. “We don’t want to
live in fear, but we need to act.” The
wellness-centric lifestyle championed
by de Gabriac’s two-day event and by
spas worldwide is key to strengthening
our immune systems and reducing risk
factors such as obesity. As a spa professional,
World Wellness Weekend 2020 is
your opportunity to put your spa or
business front-and-center in your community
as a conduit to a healthier life.
Accordingly, de Gabriac hopes that
participating spas reach out to healthcare
workers during this year’s event.
“We should extend the #wellness life to
nurses,” de Gabriac says. “They are
overworked, underpaid, on the verge of
burnout. Spas should open their doors
and say, ‘you are welcome here.’” As
part of an outreach program to local
healthcare workers and first responders,
de Gabriac suggests focusing
on “serenity, breathing and healthy
grieving” due to the mental and emotional
toll of working on the frontlines
of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite this, World Wellness Weekend
2020 will remain an upbeat, positive
event. de Gabriac anticipates
approximately 5,000 participating venues
from 120 countries this year, up
from 2,363 participants from 98 countries
last year. Participants should treat
the event as a holiday, like Valentine’s
Day or Mother’s Day: an opportunity to
bring back old customers, attract new
ones and offer unique packages and
deals.
The centerpiece of any participating
spa’s celebration, however, will be a
free 60-minute activity that opens new
doors of wellness for the local community.
The best events, says de Gabriac,
are not by-the-book. Rather, they
are outside-the-box experiences, for
“wellness has to be experiential” to
truly connect with those new to spa.
“This industry needs to always reinvent
itself for its guests,” de Gabriac adds.
“We need to add fun to the mix.”
48 PULSE ■ JUNE 2020