The Longevity in Hospitality Summit 2026 at FIBO illustrates how hotels, resorts and tourist destinations can strategically use the topic of longevity to develop new business models and retain guests in the long term. International experts from hospitality, medicine, wellness and investment will analyse the economic opportunities surrounding mental health, regeneration, prevention and personalized offers. At the same time, Hall 1 will once again be the central meeting point for innovations at the interface between longevity and the hospitality industry.
The English-language summit program at Confex will focus on the key topics of the global longevity trend: sleep quality, nutrition, exercise, recovery, mental stability and holistic health concepts. These factors are regarded as crucial building blocks of modern guest experiences and are increasingly seen as a competitive advantage in international tourism.
FIBO has acted as a trend barometer and source of inspiration for the fitness, wellness and health industry for many years. "With offers such as the Longevity in Hospitality Summit, we make these trends tangible for our visitors and give them access to new markets and sales potential," says Event Director FIBO Silke Frank.
Economic opportunities for new guest experiences
With the Summit, FIBO is sending a clear signal for a market that, according to UBS, could reach a volume of around eight trillion US dollars by 2030. The concept of longevity opens up new opportunities for hoteliers, medical professionals, spa and wellness managers and investors to expand offers, extend stays and strategically realign themselves.
The change goes beyond traditional wellness programs. Hotels are increasingly developing into places where prevention, performance and quality of life are promoted holistically. This includes medically supervised check-ups, data-based fitness and nutrition programmes, sleep optimization concepts and individual regeneration offers. Digital tools such as wearables, health apps and AI-supported analyses are also playing a growing role, as they enable personalized services and create new sources of revenue at the same time.
The Longevity in Hospitality Summit will show how hotels, resorts and destinations can develop from pure retreats into centers of vitality. Anke Brendt, Product Manager FIBO and responsible for the Summit: "When longevity research meets guest experiences, enormous opportunities open up for the hospitality industry - from nutrition-based concepts to regeneration-oriented fitness offers and sleep-optimized design." He continues: "The Summit unites hoteliers, scientists, investors and innovators with a common mission: not only to extend guests' stays, but also their lifespans."
The event will also be accompanied by an international Advisory Board in 2026. The members are Judith Cartwright (Black Coral Consulting), Yves Preissler (Yves Preissler Consulting), Andrew Gibson (Andrew Gibson Advisory) and Franz Linser (Linser Hospitality). They will contribute their expertise and play a key role in shaping the strategic direction of the summit.
Mental health in the focus of modern hospitality
A central highlight is the keynote speech by Dr. Smith Johnston, flight physician for aerospace medicine at Timeshifter/NASA. He will focus on mental health as a decisive factor for future guest expectations.
Under the title "The biggest opportunity in hospitality? Connecting space, people, and purpose into healing environments", Dr. Johnston explains how stress, exhaustion and social isolation influence travel behavior. At the same time, he shows how hotels can become places that specifically promote mental well-being - for example through mindful design, social interaction spaces, sleep optimization and structured recovery offers. Such approaches can lead to higher guest satisfaction, longer stays and stronger brand loyalty in the long term.
The summit brings together leading figures from the hospitality, health, wellness and investment sectors and provides a comprehensive picture of how longevity will change the industry in the coming years.
Orientation and concrete implementation
In the opening keynote, Anna Bjurstam (Six Senses) will show how the transformation from a traditional wellness offering to an integrated longevity ecosystem is taking place. This accompanies guests throughout the entire customer journey - from booking to stay to aftercare - and creates additional revenue models, for example through memberships or long-term health programs.
Panels and discussion rounds will provide insights into new strategies such as human performance concepts, personalized services, recovery-oriented architecture and innovative membership models. Industry experts such as Stuart Greif (Forbes Travel Guide), Olivier Harnish (Lunasole Hospitality), Rosie Larson (Kerzner Intl.), Greg Payne and other speakers will show how the areas of sleep, nutrition, exercise, regeneration and social fitness can be combined successfully and economically.
Practical examples of successful concepts
Concrete experience reports from international hotels and resorts make the summit particularly practical. Lilian Roten (Design Journey), Kyp Charalambous (Kerzner Intl.) and Jakob Fäßler (Hotel Sonnenalp) will provide insights into real implementation strategies - from architectural adaptations and medically supervised programs to new service formats.
Susanna Søberg (Søberg Institute) complements these perspectives with scientific findings on recovery applications. She will show how targeted jet lag management, cold and heat therapies and structured regeneration programs can not only increase guest satisfaction, but also achieve measurable economic effects.
Finally, Lindsay Madden-Nadeau (Red Sea Global) will look at the global longevity economy and its potential at the interface of tourism, health, lifestyle and investment.
Networking and inspiration
The summit sees itself as a platform for exchange and cooperation. In addition to presentations and panels, networking sessions, shared meals and an exclusive dinner ensure intensive discussions and new partnerships. An emotional highlight is the interview with Eva Schippers. The 97-year-old life expert reveals her secret recipe for ageing with strength.
Participants will also meet the winners of the Aktiv Hotel Award from Mein Tophotel and can network directly with industry colleagues and innovators.
Hall 1 as a center for innovation
At the same time as the Summit, Hall 1 at FIBO will once again become the innovation center for longevity and hospitality solutions. Exhibitors such as Gharieni and Wellness Space Brands will be presenting new technologies and concepts. In the Longevity Market Place, companies such as NADclinic, Art of Cryo and IMAGE Skincare will be showcasing products and applications that bring the topic of longevity to life.
A modular exhibition concept enables flexible forms of presentation and thematic diversity. The Meeting Point Spa & Wellness offers a varied program on all four days of the trade fair. On Thursday, April 16, 2026, exhibitors will focus on current trend topics, while on Friday, April 17, 2026, the focus will be on content specifically for hoteliers. In addition, Mein Tophotel will present the Active Hotel Award.
Saturday, 18 April 2026, is designed as Spa Day and offers a curated program by Wolfgang Falkner and Keven Prünster. On Sunday, April 19, 2026, further exhibitors will conclude the event with expert impulses and presentations. The integrated wellness lounge creates a relaxed atmosphere for discussions about the future of the industry.
Longevity as a holistic industry ecosystem
FIBO makes it clear that longevity is not a short-term trend, but a growing ecosystem that will shape the hospitality industry in the long term. Hotels and resorts are increasingly developing into health and prevention centers that combine relaxation, performance and quality of life. Those who make strategic use of this development can tap into new target groups, generate additional revenue and position themselves sustainably against the competition.
Editorial team fitnessmarkt.de
Source and image source: fitness MANAGEMENT
Published on: 25 February 2026