06 Apr 2022
The Spa and Wellness Hall of Fame announced – Deborah Szekely to be first inductee on her 100th birthday
BY Megan Whitby
Liz Terry, CEO of Leisure Media, has announced the creation of The Spa and Wellness Hall of Fame.
To be known as WellHOF, the digital hall of fame will be incubated by Leisure Media’s global spa and wellness title, Spa Business magazine, while running independently through a board of trustees.
Terry announced plans for WellHOF in the latest issue of Spa Business where she revealed that industry legend Deborah Szekely – who celebrates her 100th birthday this year – will be the first person to be inducted.
In honour of this, WellHOF has been timed to launch on Szekely’s birthday – 3 May.
Terry said WellHOF will be chaired by Andrew Gibson, international wellness industry consultant.
“The vision is to celebrate those who have shaped our industry, while also curating their collective wisdom in a central library that can be freely accessed and that we can all be proud of,” she explained.
“As well as championing the industry’s founders, WellHOF will be a digital research resource, offering a repository of knowledge about the history of our sector.
“Our industry saves lives and changes lives and we believe it will be one of the most important industries of the future. As a result, it’s vital we have a way to preserve the amazing stories of the people who have made it happen.”
A submission process will launch on 3 May with a portal where people working in the industry will be able to nominate colleagues for consideration.
Posthumous awards will also be possible.
“The first generation of experts who founded the wellness industry at the turn of the last century are being forgotten,” said Terry. “Part of our work at WellHOF will be to reach back in time and to ensure that we tell their stories, so we can see where we’ve come from, as well as looking powerfully to the future.”
If you would like to become involved with WellHOF as a trustee, sponsor or supporter, please get in touch via email: [email protected] .
WellHOF will be located at www.WellHOF.org from 3 May 2022.
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