An unexpected award and new connections: my journey to the Destination Deluxe Awards 2026 in Bangkok

I arrived in Bangkok to contribute to a conversation about longevity. I left with the Wellness Practitioner of the Year 2026 award, new professional perspectives, and a special moment shared with my mum.

On 23 September 2026, at the Destination Deluxe Awards in Bangkok, I received an award I had not expected. Being among the finalists was already an achievement I valued. Hearing my name announced during the ceremony was a moment I will carry with me.

I would like to begin by thanking everyone who supported me, whether with a vote, a message, or a word of encouragement. I felt your support and am happy to share what this journey meant to me.

I had been invited to speak at the Destination Deluxe Wellness Summit 2026 on the panel “Beyond Longevity: The New Human Performance Era”. It was a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas with respected professionals and explore different perspectives on health, longevity, and human performance.

I shared more than twenty years of experience in nutrition and prevention, together with the vision behind the Acquaviva Method: an integrated scientific approach that connects nutrition, inner harmony, physical activity, sleep and rest, and supplementation.

For me, longevity means health, independence, and quality of life. It means translating scientific knowledge into strategies people can apply in their everyday lives.

Receiving the Wellness Practitioner of the Year 2026 award was also moving because I thought of the people who have helped me build this work: colleagues, collaborators, and everyone who has entrusted me with their health over the years.

At Palazzo di Varignana, where I am Scientific Director, the Acquaviva Method finds its main practical application. Together with the multidisciplinary team, I support Italian and international guests and coordinate programmes and retreats dedicated to health, wellbeing, and longevity. The conversations in Bangkok gave me fresh inspiration to continue this work.

Receiving the Wellness Practitioner of the Year 2026 award in Bangkok.

This journey also held a special meaning for our family. It was a gift from my mum: Thailand was where my parents met fifty years ago. Since my dad passed away, the journey has taken on an even deeper significance. Returning together to the places where they met was also a way of feeling close to him.

With my mum in Thailand, where my parents met fifty years ago.

During the ceremony, she had stepped out of the room. When she returned and saw me on stage, she did not hesitate: my “Italian mum” ran up to join me, to the surprise of the presenter and everyone there. The photograph captured that spontaneous moment, which I will never forget.

As a joke, I had introduced her as my “sponsor”: after all, the trip was her gift. Bringing your mum was unusual, and she had become a little celebrity among the participants.

The video shows us together in a moment of shared joy. Alongside the professional achievement, this is the memory I will treasure most: her surprise, her dash onto the stage, and the happiness of sharing that moment side by side.

My mum and I on stage at the Destination Deluxe Awards 2026: an unexpected moment of joy shared together.

A journey that also holds a family memory, even more meaningful since my dad passed away.

I bring home the quality of the encounters, conversations, and new perspectives. Connecting with an international community offers a fresh view of your work and helps identify shared interests to explore further.

Special thanks to Vivienne Tang for the vision with which she created and developed Destination Deluxe, to Cristina Dörig, and to the whole team for their welcome and care. Thank you also to the speakers and professionals with whom I shared these days.

Alongside my work on longevity, I continue my non-profit commitment through Health4Children. The recent publication in Nutrients of our study on “Sano, giusto e con gusto!” marks an important step in a journey built with more than one hundred fellow dietitians, researchers, schools, and families.

My thanks go to Francesca Poggiante, scientific lead and coordinator of the study, Mary Lista, Loreto Nemi, Professor Iolanda Chinellato, and all the co-authors and colleagues, together with IOR and ASAND. In the article about the project and its publication, I have brought together their contributions and a link to the scientific study in Nutrients.

Our connection with Thailand also opened a dialogue with Mahidol University, continued through an online meeting after the journey. We are exploring possible developments in nutrition education for children and families, with an intergenerational and cross-cultural perspective that also considers the role of grandparents. A joint project has yet to be defined, but the dialogue offers ideas I look forward to exploring further.

I returned full of joy and new ideas. My gratitude goes to everyone who shared this journey and to those who contribute every day to the work that made it possible.

Annamaria Acquaviva
Dietitian and nutritionist, creator of the Acquaviva Method and Scientific Director of Palazzo di Varignana

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