By Our Staff Writer
International events and digital services giant Informa announced acquisition of the Global Wellness Summit (GWS) and the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), in what is seen as blockbuster consolidation move in the wellness industry.
The global wellness event and research organisations will become part of a newly created Global Wellness Group within Informa’s medical division, as per the announcement made on Friday, September 4.
Susie Ellis, founder of GWS and GWI brands, will step down on 1 January 2027
Susie Ellis, who founded and led GWS and GWI for almost two decades, will step down from the business on 1 January 2027.
Nancy Davis, currently chief creative officer and executive director of GWS and GWI, will lead the new Global Wellness Group within Informa’s medical division.
The GWS and GWI brands will be retained.
For Informa, the deal expands its presence in a wellness economy that the GWI values at $6.8 trillion, while strengthening connections between wellness, preventive health, longevity and medicine.
Informa already operates across medical, longevity and aesthetics markets through its global events, information and research activities.
The organisations’ event and research activities will continue under their existing brands. The GWI, a nonprofit organisation, focuses on research, education and collaboration around wellness, while the GWS brings together leaders from business, government, academia, healthcare and science to examine developments across the wellness economy.
The deal comes ahead of the 20th Global Wellness Summit, which will take place at Angsana Laguna Phuket in Thailand from 10 to 13 November 2026. The milestone event is set to examine the future of the wellness economy, with programming spanning longevity, wellness tourism, women’s health and other emerging areas.
