GMDC Reimagines the Retail Experience With Selfcare Summit 2019

The Global Market Development Center (GMDC) is launching a new business development and educational event focused on the consumerization of healthcare and its impact on the future of retail.

GMDC’s Selfcare Summit, set for Oct. 3-7, 2019, at the JW Marriott in Indianapolis, will replace GMDC’s annual Health Beauty Wellness Conference (HBW) in order to address the industry’s evolving needs and new milestones that will transform the retail outlook into the future.

“Selfcare is a holistic lifestyle approach inspiring consumers to embrace proactive care through investment in wellness methods focused on food, movement, daily routines, work, relationships and better-for-you living conditions,” said Patrick Spear, president and CEO of Colorado Springs, Colo.-based GMDC, in a statement. “For today’s consumer, selfcare is as much about information as it is about products and services. Our unique research indicates consumers are increasingly looking to retailers to guide their selfcare practices.”

Further, with the rise of healthcare costs driving new consumer habits and buying patterns, Spear said an abundance of research indicates “consumers are now opting to control their lifestyle in part by seeking health and wellness solutions within retail, with a concerted focus in grocery, drug and mass.”

After listening to feedback from its members and “uncovering new consumer behavior trends through our Education Leadership Council and our Retail Tomorrow platform,” Spear said the upcoming Selfcare Summit—which will focus on helping industry experts address the shift in power from retailers to consumers as well as leading businesses to untapped markets—“is further proof of GMDC’s commitment to innovation, reversing current retail trends and creating sustainable growth.”

The launch of Selfcare Summit 2019 coincides with GMDC’s 50th anniversary and represents the organization’s evolving focus from connecting suppliers and retailers to fostering uncommon partnerships between trading partners, as well as technology innovators, market disruptors, healthcare leaders, clinicians and nutrition experts, among others, “to create more opportunities for consumers to access the wellness-oriented products and services they demand,” Spear said.

The Selfcare Summit will feature three days of learning tracks aimed at educating attendees on the rise of the shopper and how to evolve from their product-centric past to delivering value in ways that are relevant to today’s consumers. Participants will explore topics such as Selfcare and The Store of the Future, The Shopper’s Roadmap to Selfcare and Understanding Selfcare: Prevention, Maintenance and Recovery.

Spear said GMDC’s new Selfcare event will also “incorporate legacy portions of the former HBW Conference that facilitate face-to-face meetings between retailers and suppliers,” and will also introduce industry-first offerings such as Mic-Drop Quick Pitches, during which new companies and innovators will present to an audience of retailers and consumer panels. Each panel will have the opportunity to score the products or services, providing real-time ratings and insights.

“GMDC is uniquely positioned to lead the $100 billion selfcare revolution within brick-and-mortar and online retail because we’re member-driven by some of the highest-performing health, beauty and wellness companies in North America,” said GMDC board chairman Tim Buskey of Intuity Medical Inc. “Selfcare Summit 2019 bridges the gap between industry experts and influencers so that they can stay ahead of the unprecedented shifts in retail as consumers take back control of their personal wellness journey.”

GMDC is also partnering with strategic healthcare advisory firm Health:Further to provide programming at the event. Drawing on its unique insights and connections with the healthcare innovation ecosystem, Health:Further will produce a learning track focused at the Selfcare Summit on accelerating innovation and building long-term partnerships that integrate healthcare solutions into existing retail models.

More information about Selfcare Summit 2019 can be found here.