World Massage Festival 

The World Massage Festival (WMF) was held July 14–18 in Cherokee, North Carolina. This marked the 18th year since its inception in 2006. The WMF’s mission is “to honor those who built the bridges for our profession, to educate the general public about massage, to educate therapists about different types of massage, and to have fun.” 

The 2024 WMF saw nearly 1,000 attendees with about 50 exhibitors and hosted the American Massage Championships pre-conference (July 12–14, with 80 participants) and the Massage Therapy Hall of Fame during regular festivities. This year, the Hall of Fame inducted 27 honorees, including Massage & Bodywork authors Cal Cates and David Lesondak.

This year also marked the last year for original WMF creators and owners Mike Hinkle and Cindy Michaels. New owner Ana Malachowski was in attendance and will fully take the reins in 2025. 

ABMP is a sponsor of the WMF and was happy to be in attendance. Employees Darren Buford, Angie Parris-Raney, and Jessica Cooke were excited to see so many ABMP members in person at their booth and hope to see many more next year. The 2025 WMF is scheduled to be in Las Vegas in July. We will share more information as it becomes available.  

Alliance for Massage Therapy Education’s Educational Congress

The Alliance for Massage Therapy Education’s (AFMTE) Educational Congress was held in Kansas City, Missouri, on July 11–13, 2024. ABMP sponsored the event. ABMP’s director of professional education, Kristin Coverly, attended and enjoyed interacting with a dynamic mix of massage therapy instructors, program administrators, and CE providers.

The event’s theme “Back to the Future: Adapt to the Ever-Changing Future of Massage Therapy Education” was embraced by keynote presenters Sandy and Luke Fritz and reiterated throughout the sessions from featured instructors Shari Aldrich, Irene Diamond, Joe Muscolino, Rebecca Pollock, and Susan Salvo. The AFMTE Educational Congress is held every two years.