Gen Z helped put wellness on the map, both as a lifestyle space and a business imperative. In events, wellness has been steadily evolving from a conversation, to an activity, to a full-on sponsorable engagement for brands—this year, among non-endemic companies, especially.
Earlier this year, retail and e-commerce professionals were treated to recharge experiences at ShopTalk in Las Vegas. AI-powered advertising platform Disco Network activated an intravenous drip hydration service in an IV Lounge on the show floor (it was a first for us), e-commerce service brand ESW supplied hand massage services, and Postscript served up Double “Textpresso” mental boosts.
Dove Men+Care at the 2025 Men’s Final Four Tournament got consumer’s heads in the skin game through the Care Changes Everything campaign, where influencers put Dove products to the test through activities like VIP high-intensity workouts and spa treatments. The program wrapped with a wellness brunch featuring special guests Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal as well as reels of content supporting the campaign message.
At this year’s RSAC 2025 Conference in San Francisco, exhibitor CrowdStrike immersed attendees in cyber threat protection with a high-tech, high-intensity booth experience on the show floor. But in stark contrast, the brand offered a tranquil and protective space down the street called the Muir Woods Zen Lounge. There, the brand promoted relaxation and conversation over coffee, vinyl records, a custom scent bar and massage chairs.
Event spas aren’t just for attendees, as Diamond Crystal Salt proved with its House of Bringing activation in New York City ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Consumers who signed up arrived and filled out “treatment plans” for their turkeys, and then combined salts, herbs and spices to create their own flavor profiles to take home (and later massage onto their turkeys, of course). After a trip through the Wet Brine Spa, complete with ASMR sounds and aromatics, consumers could then treat themselves to hand massages and light bites.
Exfoliation as an engagement? That’s a smooth strategy.
