A Ground-Breaking Event Merging the Health, Wellness and Medical Industries with Travel Sellers Around the Globe!

June 20-21, 2012
The Phoenician * Scottsdale, Arizona

This dynamic event is positioned to make a major impact on the global health, wellness and medical travel industries! For the first time, medical and wellness representatives will be placed face-to-face with travel providers and travel sellers who have worldwide customer databases.

As an attendee, you’ll be on the cutting-edge with other thought leaders because this conference will not only take an in-depth look at medical and wellness tourism opportunities, but it will also set a direction for the future of this specialty market.

What will be discussed

  • Marketing and sales strategies to effectively reach consumers
  • Setting global accreditation standards
  • How Ministries of Health and Ministries of Tourism can work together to boost the economy
  • Insights from actual patient travelers
  • Future of wellness and medical travel product innovations
  • Growth in preventive wellness treatments abroad
  • Trends in employee health benefits programs

Who will attend

  • Travel Sellers
  • Travel Providers
    (hotels and resorts, airlines, tour operators, cruise lines,
    car rental companies, ancillary travel services)
  • Health Insurance Companies
  • Destination Representatives
  • Spa Directors
  • Surgeons and Doctors
  • Administrators from leading international hospitals
  • Dentists
  • Corporations with Health and Wellness Programs
  • Patient Travelers
  • Ministries of Health/Ministries of Tourism
  • Travel Associations
  • Travel Marketing Organizations

Global Networking

The conference team has designed a variety of networking sessions throughout the event to give you excellent opportunities to collaborate with potential new partners worldwide.

A Customized Action Plan

At the Well-Being Travel Conference 2012, resources will be provided so that participants from every segment of each industry involved in medical and wellness travel will depart from the event with a customized action plan to implement specialized product offerings.

The Sponsor

The event is being co-sponsored by Well-Being Travel (the go-to resource for medical and wellness travel) and Travel Market Report (an online travel trade publication that represents the voice of travel sellers worldwide).

Whether you’re just thinking about getting started in the wellness and medical travel specialties or you’re one of the industry’s pioneers, the Well-Being Travel Conference is a not-to-be-missed event for 2012!

This gathering of thought leaders will spark innovations that will propel the wellness and medical travel industries to new levels of adoption by consumers worldwide. We’ll accomplish this task by pairing medical and wellness experts with established travel sellers and with leading marketers.

Together, we’ll design a future that provides the finest service to patient travelers and consumers around the globe.

If you only attend one event this year let this be the one!

RESERVE YOUR SPOT TODAY!

The Phoenician
6000 East Camelback Road
Scottsdale, Arizona 85251
(480) 941-8200
View images
Visit Phoenician website


RESERVATIONS
1-(800) 888-8234


A Prime Location

Part of Starwood’s luxury collection, The Phoenician is an oasis of tranquility nestled in the dramatic Sonoran Desert on 250 breathtaking acres. The award-winning resort offers magnificent amenities including: spacious guest accommodations with spectacular views, eight unique restaurants and lounges, a championship 18-hole golf course with a 9-hole executive course, a world-class tennis complex, a 22,000-square foot Centre for Well-Being spa, a total of 160,000 square feet of interior/exterior meeting and event space, a stunning 2-acre Cactus Garden, a $25 million art collection, and upscale retail boutique shops.

By registering on this Web site, you are only registering for the conference itself.

You may reserve your sleeping room by calling the hotel at 1-(800) 888-8234.


Hotel Policy

Reservation: Each additional guest, above double occupancy in a guestroom, will be subject to a $25.00 per day for triple, $50.00 per day for quads. No charge for children under 17 accompanied by an adult.

Cancellation: There is a 5 day cancellation for all reservations. Inside 5 days prior to arrival the individual credit card will be charged one night’s room and tax charges for cancelling the reservation.

Early Departure: In the event of an early departure or a no-show, the Hotel will require an early departure charge or a no-show charge. Guests wishing to avoid an early checkout fee should advise the Hotel at or before check-in or any change in planned length of stay.

 

REGISTRATION

In setting the registration fees we’ve taken into consideration economic times and current industry pricing, in an effort to set ourselves apart and highlight the value of our conference. We’ve set very favorable rates for suppliers and organizations wishing to educate themselves, as well as promote their companies product and services.

In addition, for travel sellers, we are offering an exceptional rate because we believe it is time to include the distribution channel that already have consumers willing to travel!

*Registration is FREE for travel sellers who are part of the American Marketing Group, Inc. companies (TRAVELSAVERS, NEST and The Affluent Traveler Collection) attending Travel Market 2012.

Single Registration Fee
Travel Sellers: $199.00
Non-Travel Sellers: $995.00

Fee Includes

  • One registration fee
  • Educational programs
  • Trade Show
  • Networking & social events
  • Most meals


GETTING THERE

Conveniently located just 20 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, The Phoenician is nestled at the base of Camelback Mountain, near the burgeoning entertainment, shopping and cultural districts of Scottsdale, Arizona.

Click here to map The Phoenician


Super Shuttle is offerring a discount to all conference attendees.
  • $4.00 off one-way / $8.00 off round trip discount.
  • Valid for reservations booked online.
  • Please use code: 8KXAU when making your reservation.
  • Discount is valid between June 15-26, 2012. 

PLEASE NOTE: The discount only applies to SuperShuttle shared-ride transfers. There is $1.00 reservation booking fee if the guest calls directly into reservations.

Click here to make your reservation now!

Download arrival / departure procedures here

Ground Transportation to / from the airport is the responsibility of attendee.

Directions from: Sky Harbor International Airport to the Phoenician

  • Approximate travel time: 20 minutes

  • Exit AZ-153 North toward 44th Street. (AZ-153 North becomes North 44th Street)
  • Travel North on 44th Street for 6 miles to Camelback Road and turn right (East)
  • Travel for 2 miles to traffic signal at Phoenician Boulevard (also called Jokake Road) and turn left (North) into the resort Click here to download driving directions
    Click here to download driving directions

Parking

  • Self Parking is complimentary
  • Valet Parking is $29 per day


 

6:00 AM Well-Being Morning Yoga
10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Well-Being and Medical Travel Registration Open
1:00 PM - 5:30 PM

General Session

1:00 PM - 1:40 PM Welcome and Industry Overview- What's the Buzz All About with Medical and Wellness Travel? Anne Marie Moebes, EVP Well-Being Travel & David Boucher, President/COO Companion Global HealthcareMedical and wellness travel are among the fastest growing niche markets in the travel industry. The opportunity for health facilities, travel suppliers, travel sellers and destinations to collectively increase their sales is tremendous. Learn how each industry segment plays an essential role in educating the consumer about the options and benefits of traveling for medical procedures and wellness treatments; and the trend of Corporate America encouraging this type of travel. Discover how we can work together to market and distribute these specialty products and services for the greater good of consumers and each of the organizations involved in the transactions.

1:40 PM - 2:00 PM 2012: The Rise of a Global Healthcare System
Laura Carabello, Principal, CPR Strategic Marketing Communications In the past few years, medical travel has drawn interest from the self-funded employer community and the nation’s health plans, sparking growth and, in the wake of healthcare reforms, promising to transform medical travel into a global and integrated healthcare system. A forecast by Deloitte Consulting projects that medical tourism originating in the U.S. could jump tenfold over the next decade, to nearly 16 million Americans a year seeking high quality, cost-effective procedures, from knee and hip replacements to prostate surgery and heart bypasses. Learn more at this eye-opening presentation.

2:00 PM - 2:20 PM: Well-Being Vacations: The How, What & Why
Camille Hoheb, CEO, Wellness Tourism WorldwideVacations are no longer considered a luxury. Growing evidence shows that time off is needed for good health and translates into productivity, and when both are combined, happiness often results. Find out why consumers are choosing experiences over possessions. Learn about the motivations and emotional drivers to vacations and Well-Being focused travel experiences. What are some of the recent research findings from major airlines and travel companies and trends on travel and wellness.

2:20 PM - 2:40 PM: One World, One Standard for Quality
Robert Priddy, President, American World Clinics Globally we tend to operate in a Pass/Fail evaluation arena and what consumers and payors deserve is better actual measures allowing them to look beyond outcome data to process, credentialing and other variables that can be measured and that offer high predictability of quality. Learn more about current credentialing options along with recommended meaningful quality measurements and indicators.

2:40 PM - 3:00 PM: Medical and Wellness Tourism - Terms, Trends, Opportunities and Challenges
Dr. Prem, Medical Travel Consultant, Writer, and Speaker; Founder, Global Healthcare Network, Editor of Health First MagazineDr. Prem will discuss how travel sellers can take advantage of the opportunities presented in the medical tourism market. Learn how to overcome challenges presented by the industry and develop specific business objectives to succeed in this market niche.

3:00 PM - 3:30 PM Refreshment Break

3:30 PM - 3:50 PM: Meeting Travelers' Holistic Health Needs
Anne Biging, Managing Director, Healing Hotels of the WorldThis informative session will delve into what it means to create a holistic environment that helps to facilitate a heightened experience of wellbeing for guests at luxury hotels and resorts. Insights will be offered into how to design parameters that generate a healthy ROI. And you’ll hear what guests from all over the world expect today on the wellness front from the best hotels and resorts..

3:50 PM - 4:10 PM: Breakthrough Secrets of Internet Marketing for Medical and Wellness Travel
Ron Cates, Business Development Manager, Constant ContactMarketing is the key to success in any business and in every market. Learn professional marketing strategies that will give you a competitive edge and hear practical advice on making every marketing dollar count. This session will provide in-depth instruction on how to use email marketing and social media to successfully promote medical and wellness travel.

4:10 PM - 5:00 PM: Meeting the Demands of the Medical Traveler- Panel Presentation
Moderator: Anne Marie Moebes, EVP, Well-Being Travel; Panel: David Boucher, President, COO Companion Global Healthcare; Robert Page, Vice President, MedToGo International; Farrah Walsh, President, Minerva Journeys; Stuart Katz, CEO, IsraMedica1 in 3 medical tourists have never owned a passport. Suddenly they are faced with the daunting prospect of traveling abroad to a country they don't kmow much about to undergo surgery with a surgeon they've never met, facilitated by a company they've never heard of, and directed in a language they do not speak. With so much uncertainty, planning ahead is crucial to minimize the intangibles. In this session will provide you with some profiles of today's medical tourists and show you how, with a little effort, you can find your foot hold in this burgeoning industry.

5:00 PM - 5:30 PM: Question and Answer Session

7:00 PM - 8:30 PM: Well-Being Travel Reception
6:00 AM Well-Being Morning Yoga
7:00 AM - 8:30 AM Breakfast with featured speaker

The Everest Principle-How to Achieve the Summit of Your Life
Dr. Steven Brewer, Medical Director Canyon Ranch Dr. Brewer's co-authored book, The Everest Principal: How to Achieve the Summit of Your Life, states that everyone can improve and take themselves to a higher state of wellness. In this seminar, we'll discuss the five step approach to achieve your own personal goals.

8:45 AM - 9:00 AM Welcome
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Trade Show Exhibit (East Foyer)

9:00 AM - 9:20 AM: Consumerism of the International Patient Experience and Opportunities for the Travel Sector
Josef Woodman, CEO & Founder - Patients Beyond BordersThe rise of new technology-driven consumer models in finance, shopping and travel have spawned new behaviors in healthcare as well. While online appointment bookings and physician consultations are fast becoming commonplace, it's only the beginning. This seminar explores the future role of patient-driven ratings and rankings, the "consumerization" of quality and patient experience data, and the merging of the medical and the travel experience through the increased popularity of discounted offerings and custom packages for medical procedures and wellness programs.
9:20 AM - 9:40 AM: Challenges and Opportunities to Servicing Patient Travelers
Dr. Ruschhaupt,, Chairman - Global Patients Services, Cleveland Clinic,The Cleveland Clinic is one of the world’s premiere medical facilities providing in-bound medical services. Hear directly from a leader about the special medical services and procedures that need to be put in place to meet the needs of non-local patients. This session will delve into the challenges and opportunities involved in servicing traveling patients, and will give you valuable insights into practical solutions.
9:40 AM - 10:25 AM: Real-Life Experiences of Globe-Trotting Patient Travelers
Moderator: David Boucher, President/COO Companion Global HealthcareThis must-see session delivers personal insights from actual patient travelers living in the U.S. Each participant will describe their unique experience with medical travel abroad. They’ll talk in detail about what worked and what didn’t. You’ll pick up critical information that you can use to promote medical tourism. Come prepared with questions to ask these veteran patient travelers.
10:25 AM - 10:55 AM Coffee Break
10:55 AM - 11:15 AM: Legal Aspects of Medical Tourism and How to Mitigate Your Risk
Mark Pestronk, PC Travel LawyerDo you know how to protect yourself and your agency from a legal perspective? This seminar provides critical information that travel sellers need to know about the legal aspects of selling medical and wellness travel. This well-known advisor to the travel industry will give practical guidance that’s worth hundreds of dollars, including important disclaimers for travel sellers to use with their medical and wellness clientele.
11:15 AM -11:45 AM:
Steven J. Thompson, CEO, Johns Hopkins International, Appointee to US Travel and Tourism Board
11:45 AM - 12:15 PM Questions and Answer Session
12:15 PM - 1:45 PM Lunch Session with Featured Speaker
Special Presentation from Biggest Loser Winner
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Trade Show Exhibit (East Foyer)
1:45 PM - 2:30 PM Breakout Session One

Travel Agents Specializing in Medical Tourismtrack
Kiana Bright, Owner, ThaiMed Travel TourismKiana Bright is a travel agent who pioneered the development of inbound medical tourism facilitation in Thailand over a decade ago. As founder of Thailand Medical Travel & Tourism, she has developed extensive networks of medical service providers allowing her international clientele access to the most affordable quality healthcare services. Her presentation will address the key elements necessary for the travel agent to successfully expand into this burgeoning specialty area including; the integration of the travel industry with a quality health care delivery system, coordinating medical travel, establishing reliable and enduring relationships with medical providers, client screening and processing, delivery of the best “on ground” support for medical travelers and identifying marketing and networking opportunities for the largest niche travel industry in the world.
Meeting Travelers' Holistic Health Needs track
Anne Biging, Managing Director, Healing Hotels of the WorldThis informative session will delve into what it means to create a holistic environment that helps to facilitate a heightened experience of wellbeing for guests at luxury hotels and resorts. Insights will be offered into how to design parameters that generate a healthy ROI. And you’ll hear what guests from all over the world expect today on the wellness front from the best hotels and resorts..
Achieving Wellness in the Workplace track
Sean Sullivan, President & Deborah Love, EVP Institute for Health and Productivity Management Medical costs are rising rapidly around the world as the burden of lifestyle-related chronic disease increases with income in developing economies – to join the already high cost of poor health in the developed world. Multinational employers now are creating global health strategies to include wellness programs wherever they operate in the world, and large local companies in Brazil and China and Mexico are beginning to implement these programs with their work forces. In addition, workplace health promotion is becoming a national priority in the older work forces of Europe and Japan. IHPM’s Sean Sullivan and Deborah Love take conference attendees on a global tour of the Institute’s health and productivity initiatives, and describe the “wave of wellness” now running against the tide of chronic disease threatening to engulf national as well as corporate budgets and reduce the productivity of the global economy.
“Technology Trending: What You Need to Know About Cloud-Based Solutions, Social Media and Mobile Apps” track
Nishant Bagadia, President Strategy & Business Development, Health Travel Technologies, Inc.This session will describe how the various industry stakeholders—travel agencies, health insurance agents, TPA’s, hospitals, surgeons and patients—can optimize the health travel management process for the patient through the right cloud-based technology solutions, social media and mobile applications. From managing new inquiries, to handling medical records, making quotes, collecting payments and managing claims, booking procedures, building travel itineraries—a connected technology platform will enable seamless health travel processes for all parties involved. Mobile solutions, in particular for the doctors and patients, will be the key to communication and relationship building for the patient’s medical (and travel) needs. Being in Silicon Valley, Health Travel Technologies has been powering international health travel for industry stakeholders since 2006, and this presentation will use case studies and examples to illustrate how this industry will be transformed through technology and social applications over the coming years.
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Trade Show Exhibit (East Foyer)
2:45 PM- 3:30 PM Breakout Session Two
Critical Components to Providing Quality Healthcare on a Global Basistrack
David Boucher, President, COO, Companion Global Healthcare; Dr. Jamil Hussain, Press Ganey; Dr. Watson, Medtral, New ZealandThis session will provide an overview of the necessary metrics that are used to measure global quality care. As the world becomes smaller, global healthcare as an industry will grow. Quality care standars are important to its overall success
Meeting the Needs of the Traveling Fertility Patient - Panel Discussion track
Kathryn Kaycoff-Manos, MA; Lauri Berger de Brito, Co-Founders of Global IVF, Inc.Numerous American clients are looking to travel overseas for fertility treatment, in addition to international patients traveling to the US for fertility services. Learn what these patients look for and how to fulfill their unique needs before, during and after their trip and hear experiences of patients who have traveled overseas for IVF.

“What Sellers and Suppliers Need to Know to Develop the Wellness Niche” track
Anne Dimon, Publisher, Travel to WellnessWhat do clients look for in wellness vacations? How agents can offer higher level of service to consumers looking for wellness vactations. How marketing can help position a travel agency as an expert in the wellness niche.

9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Trade Show Exhibit (East Foyer)
3:45 PM - 4:30 PM Breakout Session Three
Tourism Activities of the Traveling Patient track
David Vequist, Founder, Director, Center for Medical Tourism Research, University of the Incarnate WordAccording to research by the Center for Medical Tourism Research (CMTR) in 2010 almost 75% of all potential medical tourists from the U.S. say they would engage in some form of tourism activities during a trip for health, wellness, spa, dental, medical/surgical, reproductive or even retirement tourism. Based on a large sample of over 2,000 potential medical tourists, the CMTR has analyzed the types of tourism activities that these travelers would prefer to engage in and have broken this data down by expected medical procedure, country preference, and demographics. This analysis sheds more light, for the first time, on this fascinating link between tourism and healthcare from which the industry, medical tourism, draws its name. This information could be helpful for wellness destinations and industries aligned with medical tourism such as hospitality, tourism, and government stakeholders
Medical Tourism and Wellness Tourism:
Where Do Spas Fit in? track
Susie Ellis / Linden SchafferThis session will explore the details of what clients want in wellness vacations. With a greater understanding of the consumers’ mindset, travel agents will learn how they can offer a higher level of service to consumers looking to book wellness vacations. Also on the agenda is an in-depth discussion of how savvy marketing can be used to quickly position a travel agent as an expert in this niche
Risk Management Solutions for Medical Travelers track
Tracy Simons, President, Custom Assurance Placement; Mark Pestronk, PCThis session will review how to mitigate your risk from a legal and insurance perspective. Standard Travel Accident insurance has an exclusion if the traveler is travelling for the purposes of receiving medical care. This session will address the risk management solutions for Medical Travelers and Stakeholders. Focus will be on Specialty Travel Accident Insurance which includes cover for standard travel accident with a special complications cover.
4:30 PM - 5:30 PM Closing Session - Questions and Answers
7:00 PM - 8:30 PM Well-Being Travel Closing Reception

 

About Well-Being

Well-Being Travel was launched in 2010 by American Marketing Group, Inc. (a powerhouse organization with a 43-year history that owns 18 travel brands in the global travel industry and includes more than 3,000 travel agency licensees in 24 countries).

Well-Being Travel is the go-to resource for health, wellness and medical travel, bringing together all of these industries in a breakthrough partnership. We have long-term relationships with hoteliers and airlines -- and they fulfill the travel arm of the medical travel transactions. We also have a strong alliance with Companion Global Healthcare, which maintains solid relationships with leading hospitals and doctors around the world -- and oversees the medical arrangements for patient travelers and consumers. This is the first time that the travel agent distribution channel has paired up with the medical and wellness industries in this highly integrated fashion…to provide the very finest service to patient travelers and consumers around the globe.

Visit us at: www.well-beingtravel.com

 


Receive Continuing Education Units
from the Travel Institute

A Certified Travel Associate (CTA), Certified Travel Counselor (CTC), or a Certified Travel Industry Executive (CTIE) who attends The Well-Being and Medical Travel Conference will earn 10 Continuing Education Units (CEU's). CTAs, CTCs and CTIEs are required to obtain a minimum of 10 CEUs per year to maintain certification in The Travel Institute.

Click Here to Register Now