An
exhibit showcasing the health & wellness tourism products and services that are available
in the market today – including beauty and anti-aging offerings from the
country’s leading dermatology clinics and boutiques – is one of the main
attractions of the Health & Wellness
CONFEX 2024 that will be held on January
26-28, 2024 at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia Complex in Pasay
City.
Co-presented by the Department of Tourism
(DOT), in partnership with the Department of Health (DOH), Department of Trade
and Industry (DTI), Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA), Tourism Infrastructure
and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), and the Philippine Gaming and Amusement
Corporation. The three-day event will allow visitors to experience a number of
health and wellness services of the exhibitors for free. For instance, the DOT
booth will have trained hilot who can
apply this age-old Filipino healing technique on visitors on a first-come,
first-served basis.
Meanwhile, the DOH, which will have a
five-section pavilion on the exhibition floor, will offer various consultation
services. Section 1 will focus on dermatology and geriatrics, while Section 2
will provide nutrition and weight counseling. Healthcare professionals will man
Section 3 which will offer HIV testing and counseling. Vaccination against flu
will be available at Section 4, but this service will be limited to the first
115 visitors only per day. Section 5 will be for general consultations and for
the monitoring of vital signs. Free medications may also be given to some
visitors who need them.
This
global initiative that aims to promote the Philippines as a health and wellness
tourism destination will gather under one roof the stakeholders of the
multi-trillion dollar health & wellness industry. These include award-winning wellness
resorts to globally accredited hospitals that provide medical tourism packages,
all the way to organic farms and specialty shops that offer a wide range of
innovative, sustainable and eco-friendly health and wellness products and
services.
With the theme “Go & Get Better,” this regenerative tourism-focused event will
also feature a conference, business matching session, and various experiential
activities. It is, in fact, the centerpiece of a global multimedia campaign
that is designed to promote the country’s many health & wellness destinations, as well as its extensive array of
health and wellness offerings.
As such, it will serve as the platform
for launching an innovative television travel show-vlog that will allow viewers
to explore the fascinating world of health & wellness
amid the breathtaking natural wonders of the Philippines. Called OTW, the acronym for “On Travel & Wellness,” it will take viewers on a virtual trip
to the country’s many tourist spots, while highlighting, at the same time, the
importance of wellbeing, of keeping healthy and safe while leading an active
lifestyle. Made up of 13 30-minute episodes, this show will feature stunning
views of the picturesque beaches, magnificent dive sites, towering mountains
and verdant woodlands that the Philippines is famous for. In addition, it will
provide an in-depth look at the country’s diverse wellness practices –
including traditional healing arts – through compelling anecdotes and
discussions with regional experts. OTW will
be aired on GMA 7’s GTV.
While
Health & Wellness CONFEX 2024 is
primarily designed to
promote the Philippines as a world-class health & wellness tourism destination, it will
also put a special focus on catering to visitors who have become more
health-conscious because of the pandemic, and who are looking for ways to live
healthy and safely, yet still actively, in an environment where COVID-19 has
become as common as the flu.
Another
new segment forming part of the event, a wellness festival called Masigabo, is especially dedicated to
Filipino migrant workers to be held on the third day of the expo. The Masigabo Wellness Festival consists of
programs and activities that pay tribute to the industry and sacrifices of
Filipino migrants, both Filipino immigrants and overseas Filipino workers
(OFWs). More importantly, these activities are designed to make them feel
better, relaxed and valued. Experts will also be around to provide them with
tips on how to remain healthy and improve their well-being amid issues confronting
them.
And
in line with this year’s theme, and with so many Filipinos living, residing, or
working abroad, Masigabo seeks to encourage our Filipino migrants to become our
country's active tourism ambassadors to tell their friends overseas to come to the Philippines
where they can “Go & Get Better!”.
The
event is likewise supported by the Department of Agriculture, Department of
Migrant Workers, Tourism Promotions Board, and Duty Free Philippines.
The Health
& Wellness
CONFEX 2024 is also made possible by the following:
Major
Sponsors: Philippine
Retirement Authority, Enjoy Health, Lifecore Bio Integrative Inc., Dean &
Deluca Philippines, The Zen Institute, Conrad Manila, The Farm at San Benito,
Nurture Wellness Village, Organique, CWC Interiors, Networld Hotel, Lanson
Place, Pots for Plants, and Center
for Healthy Aging and Regenerative Medicine (CHARM), Lanson Place, Networld
Hotel, Lime Hotels & Resorts,
Minor
Sponsors: Food Club,
Sonia’s Garden, Annapoorna, Happy Garden Café, Holistic Integrative Care Center Philippines (HICC),
Aba Pardes, Annapoorma, King Fu Express, Piggy Papa, The Belle Salon,
Speir Modern Residences
Event Partners: IQ Capture Printing Corporation,
Ark of Dreams, Market Social, SMX Convention Center, DigitalCircles Marketing
Services, and Phildiz Studios;
Media Partners: GMA Network, ABS-CBN Corporation,
GMA 7 GTV, Aliw Channel 23, Asian Journal, Balikbayan Magazine, Philippine
Daily Inquirer, Business Mirror, Daily Tribune, Digital Out Of Home Media
(DOOH), Manila Standard, Rising Tigers, DZRH, Entrepinas TV, and Quezon City Performing Arts Development
Foundation Inc.
Telco Partner: Globe
Organizers and Event Managers: Mblessed Travel & Marketing,
Inc. and Concept One Management Services.
From the creative concept of
Mblessed Travel and Marketing, Inc., the Health & Wellness CONFEX is spearheaded by a team
of seasoned event organizers, wellness advocates, travel and tours agencies,
and marketing and communication professionals, and with the country's wellness
guru, Cory Quirino, as its Executive Director.
For any inquiries or to participate
at Health & Wellness CONFEX 2024, you can reach its Secretariat by email at secretariat@wellnessconfex.com or by phone at 09277227670 (attention: Sarah Timonera).
The
Health & Wellness CONFEX is the centerpiece of a global campaign with
the ultimate aim of promoting the Philippines as a world-class health & wellness
destination!
January
26-28, 2024
SMX
Convention Center
Mall
of Asia Complex, Pasay City, Philippines
The Health & Wellness CONFEX
is the only international B2B2C trade fair, sourcing platform, business
matching, knowledge exchange, and brand showcase exclusively focused on
sustainable wellness and lifestyle products and services with one objective of
promoting the Philippines as a world-class destination for health & wellness. It was launched in partnership with the
Philippines' Department of Tourism and the Tourism Promotions Board in April
2018 at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, UAE, the biggest travel show
in the Middle East, alongside a festivity for Filipinos dubbed as "Kabayan
Fiestahan."
The event was held in 2019 at the
SMX Convention Center participated by key players in the wellness and medical
tourism sectors and by various related industry stakeholders. It is considered
the pioneer and the only trade fair of its kind in the Philippines.
A series of webinars dealing with
the virus and health and wellness, in general, took the place of this modest
wellness tourism campaign during the pandemic, together with the television
program “Graceful Living” aired on ANC Channel and hosted by Cory Quirino,
focusing on the hows and whys of healthy living.
The 2024 event will even be a
greater version with the following segments:
●
Conference
and Exposition (ConfEx) on January 26-28, 2024 at SMX Manila
●
On
Travel & Wellness (OTW),
a TV-Vlog Travel Show on GMA 7's GTV
●
Philippine
Wellness Festival dubbed Masigabo in honor of Filipino Migrants
2024
Theme: “Go & Get Better: Regenerative Tourism Recharges All”
With its theme “Go & Get Better: Regenerative Tourism Recharges All”, this event will
raise awareness of the criticality of traveling with a mission to contribute to
regenerative tourism. It urges everyone to be cognizant in having more
purposeful intentions as they travel. Embracing a contributive mindset to
support regenerative tourism enables us to help communities and tourist sites
recover and progress as we explore them.
“Go & Get Better
Metaverse App” Powered by Ark of Dreams (AOD)
The Health & Wellness CONFEX
2024 is
supported by Ark of Dreams (AOD), a technology company that levels up brand
user’s experiences with its interactive rewards platform, allowing the
customers in engaging quests to redeem rewards from partnered brands. By
downloading the “Go & Get Better Metaverse App”, the visitors at the Media Launch
and at the ConFex proper will be asked to explore the attractions or
exhibitions, take part in the described quests, and earn points that entitle
them to getting the rewards from the participating exhibitors.
“Go
&
Get Better”: The Deca-Wellness Tenets
The idea of taking responsibility
not only for one’s own well-being but that of a community and nature may be
challenging, if not down-right daunting. For this reason, the Health & Wellness CONFEX with its “Go & Get Better”
campaign has come-up with a lifestyle guide to wellness that is easy to
understand and follow. Dubbed The Deca-Wellness Tenets, 10 key steps towards a
better you and a better world are propounded for people to observe.
Why
Support This Noble Initiative
The global wellness economy
according to Global Wellness Institute was valued at US$4.9 trillion in 2019.
It slowed down to US$4.4 trillion in 2020 due to the widespread impact of
COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the industry posted US$5.6 trillion, and is predicted
to grow by an average of 9.9% per year to reach nearly US$7.0 trillion in 2025.
In 2020, the Philippines ranked #21
in the Global Wellness Economy Country Rankings, behind our ASEAN neighbor Indonesia (#19),
but ahead of Thailand (#24), Malaysia (#26), Vietnam (#33), Singapore (#44),
Myanmar (#71), Cambodia (#85), and Laos (#113). This shows that the country has
the potential to rank among the Top 10 Wellness Economy Markets soon with the
strong support of the government and the collective efforts of the private
stakeholders.
“On Travel & Wellness” (OTW)
OTW is an innovative television
travel show-vlog that takes the viewers on a fun, vibrant, and informative
virtual trip to the country’s breathtaking tourist spots while highlighting the
importance of well-being, maintaining health, and staying safe while leading an
active life. Apart from captivating the viewers with stunning views of the
sun-kissed beaches, magnificent dive sites, towering mountains, and verdant
woodlands that the Philippines is famous for, it also takes an in-depth look at
the country’s diverse wellness practices – including traditional healing arts –
through compelling anecdotes and discussions with experts. In short, OTW shows
how travel can be a way to refresh, revive, and bring back balance and harmony
to one’s life. This 30-minute, 13-episode show will be aired on GMA 7's GTV.
“Masigabo
Wellness Festival"
The Philippine Wellness Festival
dubbed "Masigabo" is a celebration of life, love, togetherness, and
family. Envisioned to be a campaign for Filipinos to start living a healthy
lifestyle, it is a program educating the people on the basics of a healthy
lifestyle, like eating the right food, getting enough sleep, and doing simple
exercises, among others. The expected result of this campaign is “wellness of
community” where love abounds and people grow as one happy individual. Forming
part of the Health & Wellness CONFEX, "Masigabo" pays tribute to
Filipino Migrants in recognition of their sacrifices and contributions to
strengthening our economy and securing the well-being of their families back
home. “Masigabo” is a Filipino word for loud and hearty that is often used in
the phrase “masigabong palakpakan”, which means a loud and cheerful round of
applause - and that is exactly what Filipino migrant workers, better known as
Overseas Filipino Workers (OFW), deserve. Aptly referred to as the Philippines’
new heroes, OFWs have for years been faithfully sending money to their families
back home, which immensely contributed to the Philippine economy with their
remittances reaching US$36.14 billion in 2022 alone.
Our vision is to reach out to as
many Filipino migrants as we can beyond Philippine shores through a wellness
tourism roadshow, a global campaign that seeks to promote the country as a
world-class health and wellness center. With so many Filipinos living,
residing, or working abroad, "Masigabo" seeks to encourage our
Filipino migrants to become our country's active tourism ambassadors to help
speed up realizing our goal.
