Creating a stunning mountain retreat

Hyphen’s A-team helped to create a masterplan for a new world-class sport, wellbeing and education facility in an untouched mountain range.
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Investing in physical activity has clear health benefits but it can also generate substantial economic opportunities. 

The global wellness sector was worth a reported $4.4trillion in 2020 and could increase by almost 60% within three years. In particular, the value of the lucrative wellness tourism market is expected to soar to $1.2trillion by 2027, while the global sports industry is worth as much as $620billion. 

When one Middle East sovereign wealth fund sought to assess the feasibility of building a premier 50 sq km high-altitude development, there were many things to consider. Building world-class infrastructure capable of supporting sport, health and wellness, education and vocational training activities is a challenge in itself; developing such a complex from scratch in a mountainous region brought an extra element of complexity.

Hyphen was entrusted with building an elite roster of sport, wellness and recreation experts.

Teaming up with a global strategy consulting firm, we determined that a diverse A-team would be required, bringing together business leaders from several fields. Our comprehensive search and vetting processes narrowed down our focus to several particularly highly qualified candidates. 

These included a sports hospitality expert responsible for the development of two resorts in Asia; a travel agent with links to a leading English Premier League football clubs and other elite sports teams; and the former bosses of Switzerland’s best boarding school, an elite hotel management training facility and a leading global spa and wellness resort. Details of all the experts engaged can be found in the factsheet. 

As well as identifying and onboarding the best individuals for this project, we also brokered a direct contract between a specialist wellness and spa hospitality provider and the consulting firm.

Our A-team’s valuable inputs will lead to the creation of an outstanding sports and wellbeing hub.

Having built a talented team empowered to be creative, we worked behind the scenes to ensure they had what they needed to be successful, sorting out various logistical issues. 

The collaborative deal between the consulting firm and the specialist spa hospitality provider has been particularly effective and Hyphen continues to serve as a liaison between the businesses. 

We are also actively involved in keeping our experts informed on the progress of the project before they take on more active roles. 

The scale of this development once completed will be staggering. Hyphen’s input – in identifying experts and developing strong relationships with them – will be important to the success of this extraordinary project, one which will benefit the physical wellbeing of individuals and the economic health of a Middle Eastern country.

Fact Sheet
Key figures
Duration: March 2021 – June 2021
Results
Hyphen provided the client with global experts covering the sports, wellbeing, education and recreation sectors, with whom we have forged strong relationships. We also brokered a deal between a consulting firm and a specialist spa and wellness hospitality provider.
Services provided

• Custom Expert Search - Our detailed search found top-class individuals and organisations capable of maximising the project’s value by providing specialist knowledge.

• Management - We continue to keep our roster of experts updated with the progress of the project ahead of their respective engagements.

• Consultant Contracting - We helped to broker a deal between a global consulting firm and a specialist spa and wellness hospitality provider and continue to assist both sides on key issues.

Experts provided

A sports hospitality expert responsible for building two resorts in Asia

A sports travel agent who organises trips for elite professional clubs

A former director of a leading global spa and wellness resort

A former head of Switzerland’s top boarding school

A former head of an elite hospitality business and hotel management school in Switzerland

Various experts in the field of nature-based recreation

A top wellness and spa hospitality provider experienced in design and hotel launches

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