Wellness Goes IRL at the Eudēmonia Summit

In a culture obsessed with algorithms, two entrepreneurs are betting that true success isn’t measured by clicks or views but by in-real-life community gatherings. That’s the driving idea behind the Eudēmonia Summit, a four-day health and wellness event in West Palm Beach, Florida from November 13-16.

Tyler Wakstein and Sean Hoess created Eudēmonia to bring together scientists, founders, and wellness pioneers to explore the latest developments in the red-hot wellness space. It’s the kind of event where you can walk from a cold-plunge demo to a session called The Skeptics’ Corner, where experts debate everything from seed oils to blue light, or drop into a sound bath before a panel on longevity and human performance.

“We’re very intentional about creating a space for people to get out of their head and into their heart,” Wakstein says. “Digital content is great for reach, but real transformation—real magic—happens in person.”

Building on experience

Before collaborating on Eudēmonia, Wakstein and Hoess shaped two other influential live event brands. Wakstein worked with Summit Series, the invite-only gathering known for bringing together thought-leaders on cruise ships, ski mountains, and desert pop-ups. Hoess co-founded Wanderlust, the global yoga and mindfulness festival that helped define the modern wellness movement.

Both realized the power of what might be called “have-to-be-there experiences”— moments that can’t be streamed, only sensed. “At Summit, we believed the real magic wasn’t online,” Wakstein says. “It was about being in the room. The mystery was part of it. You had to show up.”

Hoess says Eudēmonia is a natural evolution of that work. “People adopt better habits and feel better when they’re surrounded by others doing the same. Our goal is to create a space where those connections can form and thrive.”

Where worlds collide

Another part of what makes Eudēmonia unique is who shows up. The speakers range from medical researchers and performance scientists to biohackers and spiritual teachers. “We’ve brought together groups that don’t usually talk,” Hoess says. “Doctors, biohackers, people deep into meditation or Eastern practices. They’re all on the wellness spectrum, but they rarely share the same space.”

That unlikely mix sets the stage for unexpected encounters. Beyond the talks and workshops, the real energy happens in between. The hallway chats. The chance introductions. The shared experiences that can’t be scheduled. “Those create the real magic that you don’t feel that unless you’re there,” says Wakstein.

Getting the word out

But the power of in-real-life experience can be hard to market to potential attendees. It’s the equivalent of saying, “You just have to show up and trust that the serendipity unfolds,” says Wakestein. How do you sell something that has to be felt?

That’s been one of the biggest challenges for the founders, who have had to get creative in their outreach. In the days leading up to the event, Wakstein and Hoess dressed in togas and handed out flyers at the farmer’s market. Locals were shocked it was the first they were hearing about it.

Still, Wakestein and Hoess aren’t swapping their approach for mass-market reach. They’re more focused on building something sustainable than viral. “We want this to last,” Hoess says, “but we won’t sacrifice the experience to make that happen.”

That may be the ultimate takeaway from Eudēmonia. In a world built around scrolling, the next evolution of wellness might be actually showing up.

In a culture obsessed with algorithms, two entrepreneurs are betting that true success isn’t measured by clicks or views but by in-real-life community gatherings. That’s the driving idea behind the Eudēmonia Summit, a four-day health and wellness event in West Palm Beach, Florida from November 13-16.

Tyler Wakstein and Sean Hoess created Eudēmonia to bring together scientists, founders, and wellness pioneers to explore the latest developments in the red-hot wellness space. It’s the kind of event where you can walk from a cold-plunge demo to a session called The Skeptics’ Corner, where experts debate everything from seed oils to blue light, or drop into a sound bath before a panel on longevity and human performance.