Neil Grimmer Brings Passion for Personalized Nutrition to 2018 Global Wellness Summit

Neil Grimmer Brings Passion for Personalized Nutrition to 2018 Global Wellness Summit

Miami, FL – April 11, 2018 – The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the foremost gathering of international leaders in the $3.7 trillion global wellness economy, today announced that Habit Founder and CEO Neil Grimmer will keynote at this year’s Summit. Grimmer is committed to revolutionizing how the world looks at nutrition and healthy eating by challenging “one size fits all” approaches in the multi-billion-dollar diet industry.

The 2018 Summit, which is the 12th-annual gathering of wellness industry leaders, will focus on the current business landscape and future trends for the ten diverse segments that make up the global wellness economy, including the $648 billion healthy eating, nutrition and weight loss sector. The theme of this year’s conference is “Shaping the Business of Wellness.”

Grimmer’s first foray into food and nutrition started when he co-founded Plum Organics, a company that disrupted the baby food aisle by replacing traditional prepared foods with a fresh, organic, tasty alternative. In 2013, Plum was sold to Campbell’s Soup, but Grimmer remains an active chairman of the board of Plum Organics.

After the success of Plum, Grimmer found himself overweight and at risk of long-term health issues. His personal journey–trips to doctors, nutritionists and geneticists–prompted the founding of Habit, which was launched with a $32 million investment from Campbell. The personalized nutrition company is the first solution that delivers a nutritional blueprint to guide eating choices for life. Habit measures and integrates over 60 nutrition-related blood, metabolic and genetic biomarkers, collected through an at-home test kit to determine the ideal foods and nutrients needed to reach dietary and fitness goals.

“Neil is on a mission to change the world through food and is the living embodiment of his work. His passion for holistic health and wellness–and how to achieve it–will no doubt inspire Summit delegates,” said Susie Ellis, chairman and CEO of the GWS.

Ellis noted that Grimmer has turned the old adage ‘you are what you eat’ on its head by building a business model around ‘you should eat what you are.’ Initial findings show that 74% of Habit users are able to lose weight by following a plan designed specifically for their body type and metabolism.

“Habit is the ultimate response to the ineffective ‘trial and error’ process of fad dieting, and is founded on the deep science called ‘systems biology,” says Grimmer. “We’re at a point where personalization is possible and also highly accessible. Our entire mission at Habit is to optimize wellness through the understanding of the entire body and I can’t think of a better audience to share this with than the delegates at the Global Wellness Summit.”

In addition to his business successes, Grimmer was recently named Innovator of the Year by Nutrition Business Journal; is the recipient of an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award; a fellow at the Aspen Institute and can be seen talking about personalized nutrition in his popular TEDx Talk, “Food Just Got Personal”.

The Global Wellness Summit is the world’s largest conference on the business of wellness. Ellis noted that the Summit is ‘invitation-only’ and first-time delegates should apply to attend as soon as possible as it is always a sold-out event.

About the Global Wellness Summit: The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) is an invitation-only international gathering that brings together leaders and visionaries to positively shape the future of the $3.7 trillion global wellness economy. Held in a different location each year, Summits have taken place in the U.S., Switzerland, Turkey, Bali, India, Morocco, Mexico and Austria. The 12th-annual Summit will be held at Technogym Village, Cesena, Italy from October 6-8, 2018.

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PACIFIC WORLD BRINGS REACTABLE AND GOOGLE GLASS TO EIBTM

PACIFIC WORLD BRINGS REACTABLE AND GOOGLE GLASS TO EIBTM
Pacific World (www.pacificworld.com), the integrated global DMC and Event Management organisation, are set to showcase some leading technology tools that could be integrated into different kind of events, meetings and incentives, at their stand (K36) whilst exhibiting at EIBTM 2014, which takes place from 18-20 November in the Fira Gran Via, Barcelona.

They will be running three interactive sessions at their booth in Barcelona, including a Reactable demonstration that will take place on Tuesday 18 from 17.00 – 18.00 and two sessions with Google Glass, on Wednesday 19 from 16.00 – 18.00 and Thursday 20 from 10.00 – 14.30.

Reactable is an electronic musical instrument with a multi-touch tabletop interface. Patricia Silvio, Global Marketing Manager, Pacific World commented, “Reactable is a trendy tool that until now has been used for alternative and electronic music festivals. This creative technology is now jumping over into the corporate world, thanks to the potential it has to reinforce branding and corporate culture during an event.”

Reactable connects attendees of an event to the music in a completely different way. It turns every performance into a memorable experience where guests can interact with and create music. It is also visually impactful and is suited to all types of spaces and events.

“This audiovisual instrument could help to enhance the brand experience during an event. Could also help to transmit specific brand values in a different and creative way”, says Silvio.

Google Glass, which launched in 2012, has also received a great deal of interest amongst technology lovers within the meetings industry. The cutting edge technology offers huge potential within the meetings and events industry, as it is suited for a number of applications including team building apps and speaker prompts during conferences.

Silvio explains, “Clients will be able to try and discover a bit more about how Google Glass can be integrated in an event through live demonstrations at our stand. Some examples of how to integrate Google Glass into an event includes run a contest during a conference where attendees participate through taking their own photos and videos and uploading them directly from Google Glass to platforms including our Facebook fan page or Instagram account.”

Meetings industry professionals interested in placing outbound business into destinations including Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia (Bali), Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Vietnam Europe: Spain, Italy, England, France, Greece, Monaco, Portugal, Scotland Middle East: Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Oman Southern African region: South Africa, Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe North America (In Global Alliance with ACCESS Destinations Services) should visit Pacific World (K36) at EIBTM to find out more.

For more information please visit: www.pacificworld.com

IMEX Group issues findings from tenth Politicians Forum debate – Destinations urged to use report content to increase local political support

IMEX Group issues findings from tenth Politicians Forum debate – Destinations urged to use report content to increase local political support
The IMEX Group has today issued a public report on the findings of the IMEX Politicians Forum discussion held during IMEX in Frankfurt in May this year.

With meetings and business events integral to the development of knowledge-based economies and increasingly central to the prosperity and future growth of nations and cities around the world, the annual IMEX Politicians Forum in Frankfurt provides both a private and a public platform to review industry progress.

The latest report provides an overview of the days’ content, including the case studies and papers presented by Business Events Sydney, Bordeaux, the European Society of Cardiology, Excel – London, Germany, Mexico and San Diego.

Close to 130 participated in the Forum, including politicial representatives and industry leaders. This year’s special guest speaker was Sir Rocco Forte, Chairman of The Rocco Forte Hotels Group. The Forum’s keynote speaker was Nick de Bois, MP, Chair of the UK All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Events. 36 politicians and government officials from 16 countries also participated – the largest number to date. They represented: Australia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden and the UK.

One high point was the participation of Gloria Guevara Manzo, State Secretary of Tourism, Mexico, and member of President Calderon’s cabinet. She spoke about her country’s continued growth and ambition. Now one of the world’s top 15 economies, 190 million tourists visited Mexico in 2011, almost 23 million of which were international travellers. Manzo explained that Mexico’s goal is to become one of the world’s top five destinations by 2018 and recognises that meetings, incentive travel and events have a part to play in reaching that target.

Together with its three partner associations (AIPC, JMIC and European Cities Marketing), the IMEX Group hopes that destinations and convention and visitor bureaus in particular will use the report to encourage further political engagement in – and understanding of – the industry among their local political representatives. Its findings also demonstrate how far the industry has developed over the past 10 years and how much more assertive, cohesive and informed it has become.

The IMEX Group furthered its commitment to industry development through political influence at IMEX America this year when it held the first ever Political Advocacy Forum in conjunction with partners, the US Travel Association. This Forum was attended by special guest, Mayor of Las Vegas, Carolyn Goodman, together with CEO of US Travel, Roger Dow and close to 100 participants and media took part. IMEX will further advance its advocacy efforts in 2013 through PCMA’s new Industry Business Forum for local leaders.

IMEX has also made a 3-minute informational video available for free industry download. The video explains the importance of lobbying at a local level and is designed to be viewed by destinations and local government representatives alike.

A full copy of the IMEX in Frankfurt Politicians Forum Report plus a shorter summary is available online.

The IMEX Politicians Forum in Frankfurt is co-organised by ECM (European Cities Marketing) and AIPC (International Association of Congress Centres) and held under the auspices of JMIC (Joint Meetings Industry Council). It is supported by the German Convention Bureau (GCB), the Frankfurt Convention Bureau, Messe Frankfurt, International Meetings Review, Brähler and Sixt.

Ovation Global DMC Unveils Shortlist for the 2012 Huggability Award

Ovation Global DMC Unveils Shortlist for the 2012 Huggability Award

After an intensely busy three week period of online nominations, voting has now closed and Ovation Global DMC has unveiled the official shortlist of nominees for its 2012 Huggability Award.
The winner will be revealed during the IMEX America tradeshow in Las Vegas where Ovation will exhibit on Stand 418. The awards ceremony will take place on the Ovation stand at 3.45pm on Tuesday 9th October.

The ten shortlisted nominees are as follows:
· Bobbi Landreth, Manager, Sales Planning, FedEx Corporation
· Eduardo Chaillo, Executive Director of Meetings, Mexico Tourism Board
· Faye Bennett, Sales Manager, IMEX Group
· Jeff Hurt, Executive Vice President,Velvet Chainsaw Consulting
· Kathy Roche, Manager, Meeting & Convention Planning, Western & Southern Life, USA
· Riccardo Pizzuti, Event Manager, ega professional conference organisers, Italy
· Rick Lambert, President, Destinations Inc, USA
· Sharon Chapman, CMP, CMM, The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
· Sue Pelletier, Editor/ Blogger, Penton Media, USA
· Thayer Phillips, Director of Transportation, Capitol Services, Inc., a DMC Network Company
More detail on these and all huggable nominees and the reasons for their nominations is available at http://www.ovationdmc.com/Huggability_Award_2012/Default.1493.html

Ovation Global DMC
Ovation Global DMC is a leading network of Destination Management Companies offering best-in-class DMC services to associations, corporations and agencies at over 100 locations across four continents. With its network of strategic partners and its alliance with the DMC Network (www.dmcnetwork.com), Ovation offers services in all major meetings destinations globally and in North America.

For further information contact:
Doris Reynolds
Marketing & PR Manager
Ovation Global DMC
Tel: +353 1 2802641
www.ovationdmc.com

INTERNATIONAL CONFEX LAUNCHES DESTINATION VILLAGE

INTERNATIONAL CONFEX LAUNCHES DESTINATION VILLAGE

24th July 2012, London: International Confex has announced plans to create a Destination Village at the 2013 show. The feature will form part of the International sector and is the first in a series of new experiences launching next year (19-21 March 2013).

The Destination Village will represent the perfect opportunity for Destination Management Companies (DMC’s) from around the world to represent theirdestinations to the lucrative UK outbound market. The Village will also create an easy to navigate and knowledgeable environment for buyers looking to take their events internationally.

“The UK market sits as either the first or second largest inbound market for themajority of countries both within Europe and further afield in the US, Asia, and South America,” comments James Samuel, Event Manager, International Confex. “It is therefore crucial that we continue to satisfy this demand from our buyers.”

The Destination Village will consist of a series of pods each representing a different destination, with one DMC limited to each destination. Exhibitorsusing the area will have full use of the distribution and connectivity features from International Confex, ensuring they can seek, meet and qualify the right buyers for their destinations.

“We’ve already had an outstanding response to the new feature, and some major destinations have signed up including Malta, Italy, Spain, Germany and Netherlands,” continues Samuel. “This is brilliant news for both exhibitors and buyers to ensure this sector is vibrant and business focused.”

International Confex and its sister show Live Experience will form part of Confex Week, launched earlier this month, encompassing the full range of events, education, and networking that will take place around the show at ExCeL London next year.

www.international-confex.com

Whole World. One Exhibition.

Today at Baku Expo Centre the 11th Azerbaijan International Tourism and Travel Fair, AITF 2012, opened. The largest tourist forum in both the country and the entire Caspian region once again brings together tourism professionals from national tourism organizations, travel agencies, airlines, hotels and resorts.

With the slogan “The Whole World, One Exhibition”, AITF 2012 has brought together a record number of participants. There are 201 companies and organizations from 32 countries, presenting 62 tourism destinations. Azerbaijan, Georgia, India, Cyprus, Malaysia, the UAE, Russia, Turkey and the Czech Republic are among the permanent participants in AITF. Companies from Qatar, Poland, Vietnam, Lithuania, Slovakia and Croatia are all making their debut at this year’s show. In total, this year’s exhibition includes 15 national and regional stands from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Dagestan, India, Cyprus, Crimea, Lithuania, Malaysia, Slovenia, Turkey, the Czech Republic, the Emirate of Dubai, the Stavropol region and Croatia.

The official opening ceremony was attended by the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, Mr Abulfas Garayev; the Advisor to the Turkish Ambassador in Azerbaijan on Culture and Information, Mr Said Ahmad Arslan; the Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism of Bulgaria, Mr Ivo Marinov; a representative from the World Tourism Organization, Ms Alla Pirisolova; and the director of Iteca Caspian, Mr Farid Mamedov. Opening the exhibition, Minister Garayev thanked the organizers of AITF 2012, and noted that the exhibition is considered by international organizations to be the most influential in providing impetus to the development of the tourism industry.

The representative from the World Tourism Organization, Ms Alla Pirisolova, read a letter from the Secretary General of the WTO, Mr Taleb Rifai, who noted that AITF offers great opportunities for tourism development.

At the opening ceremony, Bulgarian Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism Mr Ivo Marinov highlighted that it was the first time that Bulgaria had taken part in AITF to promote its tourism potential.

The Advisor to the Turkish Ambassador in Azerbaijan on Culture and Information, Mr Said Ahmad Arslan, noted that AITF is an important event for increasing the awareness of the global community about the country’s development.

Director of Iteca Caspian Mr Farid Mamedov welcomed all participants on behalf of the organizers, and thanked the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan, as well as other the agencies, partners and sponsors who had provided support for the exhibition.

The unconditional prestige of the exhibition and the considerable attention paid to Azerbaijan’s booming tourism industry is underlined by the participation of the World Tourism Organization with its own stand.

This is the third consecutive year in which Turkey has been the partner country of the exhibition. For the firs time, AITF has its own guest country, namely, Bulgaria.

Over the next three days, travel industry professionals will get a unique chance to meet the major companies in the global travel industry, to experience the flavour of each and every country represented at the national stands and to expand their portfolio of tourist destinations.

The exhibition is very attractive with the offers of various recreation and travel opportunities. Medical tourism is widely represented by resorts in Bulgaria, Russia, Slovenia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Azerbaijani tourists are well familiar with the resort cities of Essentuki, Zheleznovodsk, Kislovodsk, Mineral Waters, Pyatigorsk and Truskavets, which are all represented at AITF 2012. They will be complemented by Crimean resorts and a number of medical and health organizations, including the National Spa Association of Lithuania and Slovenia’s regional administration, the Land of Celje, which includes six luxury thermal spa resorts.

As is tradition, the exhibition includes a stand organized by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Azerbaijan Republic, and the upcoming 2012 Eurovision Song Contest provides the main theme for the display. Presentations of new projects and developments in the field of leisure and adventure in Azerbaijan will be made by the nation’s leading travel agencies, recreation centres and health resorts, as well as by major hospitality chains operating in Baku, including Fairmont, Hilton Baku, Four Seasons and Park Inn.

Those who admire exotic destinations will be offered interesting, and sometimes bizarre suggestions for holidays in Thailand, Mauritius and the Seychelles.

The biggest stand at the exhibition will once again be claimed by Turkey, which maintains its leading position among the tourists visiting Azerbaijan. Resorts on the famous Turkish Riviera, and well-known hotels and tour companies from different regions of the country will offer visitors trips to both popular and hitherto unexplored corners of Turkey.

A large delegation has arrived at AITF from Croatia. This is certainly in part due to the abolition of visa requirements for citizens of Azerbaijan travelling to Croatia till the end of October 2012. On the Croatian stand, tours will be offered, with accommodation at the best hotels on the Adriatic coast; visitors will be introduced to the sights of the country and will be invited to attend the numerous cultural events held annually in the capital city and the provinces.

This year, there is an increase in the number of airlines announcing their special offers for the Azerbaijani market. AZAL (also acting as the official air carrier), AirAstana, AirBaltic, Qatar Airways, Fly Dubai, Czech Airlines and Turkish Airlines will present their most affordable scheduled and charter flights for the summer tourist season.

Every year, AITF attracts more tourism professionals from around the world. This year’s business programme is full of thematic presentations and seminars. One of the most interesting events on the first day of the exhibition promises to be a seminar on the “Tourism opportunities in the countries of the Visegrad Group”. This will be attended by representatives of the national tourism agencies of Hungary, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, and the managers of major host companies, hotel chains, resorts and airlines in these countries.

A presentation of the hotels and resorts covered by the scheduled flights of Qatar Airways will take place in the first two days of the exhibition; the National Tourism Authority of Thailand will be holding a presentation on its exotic resorts; Croatian companies and tourism organizations will be holding a series of workshops; and the Azerbaijani travel agency, SW Travel, will launch a new online booking system.

In parallel with AITF, the 6th International Exhibition of “Everything for Hotels, Restaurants and Supermarkets”, HOREX Azerbaijan, is taking place.During the exhibition, leading companies from Austria, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and France will demonstrate professional kitchen equipment, laundry facilities, household chemicals, textiles and exclusive dishes for motels, restaurants and hotels. In addition, information technology products for hotels, such as online booking and online payment systems, will also be on display. The exhibition includes well-known brands in the hospitality industry, such as La Cimbali, Santos, Robot Coupe, Rational, Winterhalter, Karma-Global, Rotondi, Scotsman, Modular, Bonnet, Sagi SPA, Rovabo, Danube International, Muehldorfer and Ingrid Lesage Creations.

During the exhibition, presentations and master classes with internationally renowned experts will take place on the stands of participants. Visitors will become participants in and spectators of an unforgettable spectacle and have the chance to see the latest equipment in action.

Thus, HOREX reflects the needs of the rapidly developing tourism and hotel business in Azerbaijan and will contribute to establishing new standards of quality.