New wellness show looks to tempt trade to attend

Synergy – The Retreat Show will be held on the island 25-28 October and will bring together wellness and travel experts for three days of “reconnection, discussion and exploration” through a series of meetings, networking lunches, talks and immersive experiences.

With wellness tourism predicted to be worth €1 trillion by next year, the three-day Synergy event is aiming to become “the most important date in the travel and wellness industry calendar”, creating a “fully immersive” gathering of up to 300 retreat industry insiders.

“Interest in wellness and retreats continues to grow, but I couldn’t see anything else out there that connected all the parts of the wellness-retreat business – the hotels, the retreat experts and practitioners, and the travel community – together,” said the event’s creator Laura Montesanti.

She highlighted how the pandemic had meant increasing numbers of people were interested in wellness and planning this into their travelling even more.

“Following the pandemic and the effects it has had on people, we can see that travel is shifting,” she said. “People are putting more meaningful and transformative experiences at the top of their ‘must have’ holiday requirements, and wellness is at the centre of this.”

The event takes place at Ca Na Xica Hotel & Spa, a “beautifully secluded space” in the north of the island, and delegates will stay at the Sol Beach House hotel in Santa Eulalia.

The wide-ranging roster of speakers and experts at Synergy include Jasmine Hemsley, author and Founder of Hemsley + Hemsley and East by West; Anna Bjurstam, strategic advisor and wellness pioneer for Six Senses and Raison d’Etre; Anne Biging, founder and managing director of Healing Hotels of the World; and Sonal Uberoi, author of The Wellness Asset: How to Transform and Futureproof your Hotel.

Travel advisors and tour operators are invited to attend to either start or expand their own wellness journey. “You need a certain amount of information to guide clients and have those conversations, and we will cover a lot of topics to help,” Montesanti said.

She added the event would also differentiate by giving the opportunity for attendees to experience treatments and yoga. “There are a lot of connections to be made in this area, and also for people to connect with themselves and understand what wellness can do for you and why people choose to go on retreats,” she said. “Even with some knowledge of this area, it’s so important to keep up with what’s going on.”

Each delegate will receive a personal itinerary, including interactive talks, pre-set meetings and handpicked experiences in nature.

Montesanti said exhibitors would include specialist DMCs, product providers, retreat creators and practitioners, and some of the most well-respected hotels worldwide that focus on wellness, conscious travel and sustainability.

“There is always also scope for hotels themselves to evolve their offering too,” she added. “Wellness is still often provided within a static setting, at the hotel spa for example, but you can offer much more in the areas surrounding you too, whether that’s creating retreats or suggesting nature walks on-property or the surrounding area.”

Luxury travel sellers can register online and attend for €380 per person, which includes a pass to the three-day event; four nights’ accommodation including breakfast; networking lunches; networking parties; a three-day appointments diary; and access to all talks and classes. Flights are extra and must be booked independently.