Elodie joined the Synergy team in 2023 for the event's Mexico edition and has since become the main point of contact for exhibitor and logistics enquiries. With a calm, solutions-focused approach and exceptional attention to detail, she plays a key role in ensuring every exhibitor feels supported.

Join our inaugural global research initiative, designed to build a deeper understanding of the evolving retreat sector and its growing role within the wider wellness travel landscape. Enter the survey to win one of three exceptional wellness experiences in Costa Rica, Crete and New York. Deadline for entries 7th August.

WEDNESDAY | 5TH AUGUST | 13:00 CET | 19:00 HKT: In this thought-provoking fireside chat, Andrew Gibson will be joined by retreat industry experts Jamie Waring and Bryan Hoare to explore the realities behind today's rapidly growing wellness retreat sector. The discussion will examine the increasingly complex landscape facing both retreat providers and consumers.

Across the industry, more men are seeking experiences that support their physical, mental and emotional wellbeing, from longevity programmes and preventative health retreats to recovery-focused escapes and nature-based experiences. But the real story isn't simply that more men are travelling for wellness. It's why they're doing it, and what they're looking for when they arrive.

At some point during almost every men's retreat, a familiar moment unfolds. A man shares something he has never said out loud before. What follows is often one of the most powerful moments of the retreat. He begins to realise that he is not alone.

Who are we when the roles we've built our lives around begin to fall away? Steve Hodgson, Founder of Beyond the Noice Collective, reflects on the experiences that challenged his sense of identity and ultimately brought him closer to himself. Through burnout, the end of a long-term relationship and a cancer diagnosis, he found unexpected teachers in nature, men's work and moments of profound stillness.

As Event Manager at Synergy, Francesca Garola plays a central role in bringing each edition of the event to life. Working closely with Laura, each member of the team, partners, suppliers and the venue, she ensures that every detail comes together operationally and experientially, to create a seamless and truly memorable experience.

How people approach wellness travel is changing. What was once driven by escape, relaxation or luxury is becoming far more intentional. Today’s retreat guest is not simply looking to switch off; they are looking to understand something, to move through something, or to reconnect with a part of themselves that has been overlooked.

There is a clear shift taking place across wellness travel. Where once broad, all-encompassing programmes defined the category, today’s traveller is seeking something more precise, more personal and more relevant to where they are in life, not where the industry assumes they should be. Niche retreats are not a passing trend.

There is a depth to Wendy Bosalavage’s work that goes far beyond any single role or title. With over three decades of experience across wellness, hospitality and design, she has helped shape how wellness is woven into the places people live, stay and connect. At Synergy, Wendy is responsible for Sponsor Relations and is a valued member of the Advisory Board.

WEDNESDAY | 3RD JUNE | 13:00 CET | 19:00 HKT: Struggling to fill your retreat isn’t about saturation, it’s about connection. If your audience feels nothing, they won’t book. This session with Manu Molina explores where your message is missing the mark and how to refine it to attract the right people, build genuine interest, and convert that into aligned, committed bookings.

WEDNESDAY | 1ST JULY | 13:00 CET | 19:00 HKT: Dr. Cijith Sreedhar explores how beliefs shape our experience of stress and how the nervous system turns emotional overload into physical symptoms. Through practical tools and awareness, participants learn to regulate their system, activate the body’s natural healing response, and move from survival to resilience.

WEDNESDAY | 6TH MAY | 18:00 CET: A new frontier in transformative travel is emerging, where luxury, healing and ancient wisdom converge. At the forefront is Heather A. Lee, LCSW — a Colorado-based licensed psychedelic facilitator, speaker, and author of The Psilocybin Sessions. Join her for this 1hr live online session.

I grew up in a decade when women were told, “You can have it all.” It was the late 1970s and early 1980s, and the message was everywhere - in movies, advertising, and popular culture. One commercial in particular captured the spirit of the time. In the famous Enjoli perfume ad, a confident woman belts out: “I can bring home the bacon, fry it up in a pan, and never, never, never let you forget you’re a man. ’Cause I’m a woman!”

I didn’t go to Costa Rica to reinvent my life. I went because it was during Covid, everyone was tired, and my family needed a vacation. We booked a one-week trip just to breathe a little. It was November of 2020 - precautions, lockdowns, uncertainty - and the idea of nature sounded like medicine. Three days into the trip, I woke up with gout.

There is something quietly powerful about Croatia. Not just the sweep of the Adriatic or the drama of waterfalls cutting through limestone, but the way land and sea seem to work together, as if restoration here is not an added feature, but part of the landscape itself.

Step into the world of Scotty Johnson of Explore What Matters, where adventure becomes a vehicle for connection, courage and community, using nature and shared experience to create space for perspective, honest conversation and meaningful personal growth beyond traditional wellness narratives.

Meet Polly Macis, the quiet force behind Synergy. As PA to Synergy Founder, Laura Montesanti and Event Co-Ordinator, Polly holds the details together behind the scenes, from start to finish, ensuring everything unfolds seamlessly, with care, intention and consistency.

There’s a quiet but significant shift happening within wellness travel. Away from highly structured, outcome-driven programmes and towards something far more fundamental: time in nature. Not as an add-on or concept, but as the foundation of our experience.

WEDNESDAY | 8TH APRIL | 18:00 CET: This immersive 1hr online workshop with Letizia Silvestri, invites you into a deep state of calm, not by escaping the noise, but by reconnecting to the stillness already within you. Through hypnosis education, a guided hypno-sound bath, and simple self-hypnosis techniques, you’ll gain practical tools to navigate overwhelm with ease.