Meet the visionary behind the WELL Summit

How did you first get involved with the global green building movement?

I started early in the global green building movement when I was recruited to join the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). They had just held their first event and were planning to make it an annual conference and they needed a leader to drive their vision forward. I went in for the interview – it took all day! – and at the end of it they asked me to put together my vision for the event. Of course, it was due the next morning. Rick Fedrizzi, the founding chairman of USGBC, and now IWBI’s executive chairman, was part of the entire interview process. What was so different was that the interview wasn’t so much about the nuts and bolts of the event itself, but how authentically my values aligned with the organization. Well, I got the job and from there I began bringing my vision to reality, making Greenbuild an example of what can happen when people come together to change the world.

What’s the most important shift that the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the live events space?

The isolation that was caused by the pandemic revealed just how important face-to-face engagement is. It’s good for productivity and building the human spirit. It was also a good reminder for us to not take for granted the opportunities we have.

But it was clear we couldn’t come back to doing live events the same way. We had to ask ourselves — how do we re-imagine events moving forward in a way that meets our goals, doesn’t stress capacity and keeps people safe? How can we get to a “new space in place” and leverage the power of bringing folks together in person?

How is the WELL Summit different from any other conference or meeting an attendee might experience?

As our President and CEO, Rachel Hodgdon, likes to say, we want people to leave the WELL Summit healthier than when they arrived. And we also want to leave the place and space where we touch down better than we found it. We’ll do this by authentically presenting health and well-being from end to end through the lens of people first. Our attendees, the leaders, our customers on-site – everyone has a role in advancing our movement.

How is IWBI working towards making the built environment space more diverse and equitable? How does this translate to events?

Equity requires recognizing that many health disparities are rooted in systemic conditions and social determinants. The physical design of our buildings and communities as well as how our organizations interact with us can either place disproportionate health burdens on specific populations or improve our health and well-being. As the world’s leading organization focused on deploying people-first places to advance a global culture of health, IWBI is committed to making progress on its own diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility goals and giving others tools to help them do the same. The movement works by respecting, celebrating and lifting up people of diverse backgrounds, identities and talents from the beginning to the end. When you begin with the entire vision in mind, that changes the journey. And events give us the opportunity to connect with each other and grow the movement together.

The WELL Summit is another milestone on the road to The WELL Conference, to be held in Long Beach, California, May 9-11 2024. For that event we’re committing to one location for three years so we can understand more fully what equity looks like from this city’s lens. What are their long-term goals? What are their needs and how can the reach of this movement – the combined power of the industry, the experts, the service providers – benefit the city when we leave? And so for us, it’s looking at the supply chain, the facilities, the local hospitality community and local government. It’s looking at how we can support them in their efforts to advance health and well-being not just for our attendees but also for the people that live their lives there every single day.

What’s one thing you would say to someone who might be on the fence about attending the WELL Summit?

The WELL Summit will be an experience like no other. It’s an opportunity for individuals to invest in their own health and well-being with new knowledge and renewed connections and for organizations to reap the benefit that comes from refreshed and reinvigorated team members. Our MainStage will present the stories and share the knowledge of global industry leaders, public health and ESG experts, but also the perspectives of legislators and mayors, of students and teachers, of parents and caregivers. Our technical sessions will help you navigate the WELL ecosystem and give you insight into the latest technologies that can support your work every day. You’ll connect – and reconnect – with people across the movement who are stepping up, being their most authentic selves and prioritizing their own health and well-being to get their work done every day. It will be amazing and we want to see you there!