The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will host its 2022 conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, from 31 October – 3 November with a theme of 'Open Minds. Open Hearts. Open for Business'.

Nancy Davis, GWS creative director and executive director, said: "This is an important moment to embrace an 'open' attitude, as the world reels from global challenges that have consumed our lives for years. At this 16th GWS – in a place that knows about resilience – we will open people’s minds to cutting edge technologies, disruptive businesses and ideas and insights that will shape the future of the wellness industry and the world.

“Make no mistake, the wellness industry is open for business and this invitation-only summit will provide delegates with opportunities for collaborating and partnering that's the hallmark of every GWS.”

Amir Alroy, co-founder of Israeli wellness innovation hub, Welltech1, and Ömer Isvan, president of Servotel Corporation, have been announced as co-chairs of the event, which will take place at the Hilton Tel Aviv.

This is the third time the GWS has been scheduled to be hosted in Tel Aviv, as the past two summits (2020 and 2021) were forced to relocate due to the pandemic and political unrest.

The GWS organisation chose Tel Aviv because it sees the city as a crossroads where world-leading innovation and ancient cultures collide. Plus, the city is claimed to boast more start-ups than any place other than Silicon Valley and is a hotbed of tech innovation in health and wellness.

Even during the pandemic, Israel’s tech industry had a banner year, attracting over US$24bn in capital.

“Analysts agree the pandemic has made wellness the number-one priority for consumers, and so much investment is flowing into our industry,” says GWS chair and CEO, Susie Ellis.

“The 2022 GWS will explore how wellness is at a crucial tipping point, with so many new directions and opportunities. Every business now needs to ‘think like a start-up,’ and Israel, the Start-Up Nation, is the perfect place to jumpstart needed new ideas.”

Alongside the conference schedule, the event will offer pre- and post-Summit trips so delegates can discover Israel and the region’s must-see destinations.

As in the past two years, delegates will be able to attend the event either in person or virtually.