The organisers of the 2022 Healing Summit have confirmed Professor Gerry Bodeker will keynote at their two-day conference in Portugal from 3-4 September.

Bodeker is a Harvard-trained public health researcher who has taught medical science at Oxford University and Columbia University. He’s also the editor-in-chief of the World Health Organization Global Atlas on Traditional, Complementary and Alternative Medicine.

After a pandemic-related break, the Healing Summit, which is an initiative of the Healing Hotels of the World (HHW), will bring back together like-minded individuals who are drawn to collaborate, raise awareness and inspire change.

The focus this year will concentrate on asking deeper questions on how to create conditions that allow for positive change.

Bodeker will be joined by two other speakers from the fields of social sustainability and embodiment:

Molly Melching

Since 1974, Melching has lived and worked in Senegal where she founded the NGO, Tostan, whose mission is to empower African communities to bring about sustainable development with a special focus on girls and women.

Her success is credited to her respect for the people she works with, and her openness to learn from them in the spirit of the traditional African proverb: "I am because you are" has been key to her work.

Gary JoplinJoplin is an international expert in somatic training and embodiment, as well as a professional choreographer. As a Gyrokinesis, meditation and body-mind awareness specialist, Joplin conducts training courses and workshops in Europe, Israel, China and the US.

As a former dancer, his sessions will use the body to integrate gained understandings and insights into ourselves and to bring what is inside of us to the surface. The conference will be interspersed with these easy to do and highly effective movement sessions.

Positive change

“We’re so honoured to announce Gerry, Molly and Gary as our first three confirmed speakers,” says Anne Biging, founder and CEO of HHW and event co-founder.

“When we know who we are as human beings, we can make informed choices for our personal and professional lives, allowing us to support ourselves and others. It is up to us to create conditions that allow for positive change.”

This year’s summit will deeply explore the theme of the Healing of Everything. Sessions will focus on personal transformation, investment, economy, sustainability, social justice and equality, healing modalities, mission-oriented organisations, hospitality and travel.

The 2022 summit’s attendance will be limited to 130 people.

“With the gathering, we aim to offer participants something that will enrich their lives in the long-term: an inspiring, transformative experience that fosters a more holistic lifestyle and new opportunities”, adds Dr Elisabeth Ixmeier, COO and co-founder of HHW and co-founder of the Healing Summit.

“We’re looking forward to announcing more news in May and meeting in-person in September.”

Registration for the event is now open, with individual tickets costing €2,100 per person (US$2,288, £1,750).

The Healing Summit will be preceded by a one-day pre-conference event designed for Healing Hotel Members and carefully selected travel advisors.