The eighth annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit (GSWS) has kicked off today at the Four Seasons Resort Marrakech, Morocco, and will continue until 12 September – with an agenda full of discussion panels, talks and workshops.

Delegates from more than 45 nations will gather to explore the future of technology, design, brain science, retailing, marketing and investment trends in relation to spa and wellness.

Ministers of tourism from around the world will outline their spa and wellness tourism promotion plans and techniques and dedicated forums for corporate wellness, destination spas, hotel spas, hot spring spas, hydrothermal facilities and spa education will take place – allowing leaders in each field to debate strategies and solutions to expand opportunities.

Data from the 2014 Spa & Wellness Economy Research Report, carried out by SRI International, will be revealed to delegates, with specific sub-segment research including opportunities provided by hot spring spas.

The third annual Spa Education Forum 2014 during the GSWS will reveal a new spa management mentorship programme and new career resource website at the Summit – to address the global need for more spa managers as the industry continues to grow.

Meanwhile, Wellness experts Don Ardell PhD and John Travis MD are set to provide talks to spa industry delegates about the market’s evolution and origins. Chair and CEO of GSWS Susie Ellis believes this is a subject worth understanding before the attendees can focus on the Summit’s future-focused theme ‘Fast Forward’.