Key influencers from across the spa and wellness industry have gathered in Barcelona, Spain, today (13 October) to do business, learn and network, at Piscina & Wellness Barcelona.

The Piscina & Wellness Barcelona event will welcome around 30 speakers – including international architects, consultants, entrepreneurs and managers – who will analyse the wellness industry and provide recommendations for developing the tourism and economic potential.

The event is in its 11th year, but has incorporated wellness in its title and image this year, with the aim of enhancing synergies between the different water facilities geared to health, leisure, sport and wellbeing.
The show, which runs from 13-16 October, will also include the Wellness & Spa Event, a professional congress dedicated to the wellness field. The keynote speaker will be Jeremy McCarthy, spa director at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, who will speak on “The Changing Face of Wellness.”

“We are living in an exciting time as the pace of change is so fast nowadays,” said McCarthy. “It is amazing to see how wellness is taking hold as a global macro-trend that is impacting all industries. I’ll be talking about how ideas about wellness are changing and how this evolution affects the landscape we work in and the customers we serve.”

Spa Opportunities news editor Jane Kitchen will serve on a panel interviewing McCarthy on 15 October.

Other speakers include Roger Allen, co-founder of the specialist wellness and hospitality consultancy company Resource for Leisure Asset; Gérard André, manager for Southern Europe and North Africa of Tempo Hospitality Consulting; Dr. Franz Linser, managing director of Linser Hospitality; and Alfredo Pérez Sainz de la Maza, chairman of the Spanish Association Spatermal.

Josep Maria Gutiérrez Noguera, partner architect of 080 Arquitectura and Bob Henry, founder of RDH Architects, will also be taking part, studying the key role of architecture in designing sustainable facilities able to make rational use of resources with minimum environmental impact.

Meanwhile, professionals such as Jean-Guy de Gabriac, founder and manager of the Tip Touch Spa Training & Consultancy Company, and Adília Oliveira, spa manager of the luxury Yeatman Hotel, will give their views on profitable health and wellness centre management and the main trends in treatments and services to cater to today’s demand.

An actual spa will also be recreated in a 350sq m (3,767sq ft) space, with all the latest-generation equipment, facilities and technology innovations.

“This space, equipped by the show’s exhibitors, is a disruptive display format aiming to inspire and publicise both wellness industry professionals and visitors from the new sectors who are interested in purchasing innovative products to add to their business to enhance its profitability,” said Josep Jonàs, exhibition director.

Spa Opportunities will be on hand throughout Piscina & Wellness Barcelona, live reporting on the latest developments at the event and posting them to the Spa Opportunities website. News editor Jane Kitchen will also be live-tweeting from the event; follow her on Twitter by clicking here.