(Updated July 2024) Life starts with just a seed. When a seed is planted and starts to grow, that’s when opportunity arises – and with a combination of hope, effort and resilience, comes transformation.
We invite you to evolve and transform with us – expand your mind, move your body and nourish your soul at a TOPS-hosted three-day international health and wellness forum in Springfield, Missouri. Collectively, we can plant seeds of HOPE, and come together as we're Helping with Obesity Prevention through Education.
*Note: Some of these details below are subject to change.
What To Do in Springfield
WHO?
You (and your friends!) are invited. We anticipate more than 1,500 people will gather for exhibits, motivational speakers, presenters, workshops and activities; along with the chance to meet fellow TOPS members and chapters – share ideas, network, collaborate and bond. Non-TOPS members will also have the chance to join, if they’re interested.
WHAT?
Picture this like a big series of TOPS Talks. The event is a health and wellness forum, that we plan to host every other year, featuring panels, breakout sessions, speakers, exhibitors, social activities and more. Presenters will be focused on the goal of delivering fresh insight, perhaps a new perspective, teaching the latest in obesity research, and hopefully inspiring people toward healthier futures.
WHEN?
Aug. 1-3, 2024
WHERE?
Oasis Hotel & Convention Center
2546 N. Glenstone Springfield, MO 65803
417-866-5253
Oasis Hotel is where the forum will take place, and you’re welcome to try to book a room there as well, if you’re not local to the Springfield area. If there’s no more space at Oasis, two overflow properties are:
DoubleTree by Hilton
2431 N. Glenstone Springfield, MO 65803
417-831-3131
Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites
2720 N. Glenstone Springfield, MO 65803
417-865-8600
Both the DoubleTree and the Holiday Inn are within walking distance of Oasis.
WHY?
TOPS founder Esther Manz organized the group’s first national convention all the way back in 1955, coinciding with the American Medical Association's convention in Chicago. The AMA helped TOPS establish the sound medical ties that make this organization so different from commercial weight-loss companies and clubs. Now that TOPS is in its 76th year, we want to return to our roots, getting back to Manz’s mission and legacy – and re-strengthening those ties to the medical community.
COST
The total cost is $80 in U.S. dollars (it increased by $10 after June 30), and the price covers attendance at the event itself. At last check, rooms in the TOPS Club block were sold out, but the hotel is collecting names for a cancellations list, if you’re interested. Otherwise, we encourage you to look up neighboring properties or rental options in the Springfield, Missouri region.
Included in the registration fee is a small gift. T-shirts are available for $20 apiece -- all sizes, small through 4XL -- and you can purchase one using this link.
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS
Will include:
TOPS President Rick Danforth, the current leader of TOPS Club who’s been at the helm since 2018. A longtime microbiologist-turned-nonprofit president, Danforth saw a lot of success with TOPS first as a member, losing more than 100 pounds and serving as a successful Field Staffer for years before taking the reins as the organization’s first male president. A seasoned speaker with big ideas for the future, you won’t want to miss his keynote address.
Matthew Skinner, another well-established speaker, will cover topics such as achieving life balance, better spiritual awareness, physical health and financial freedom; along with manifestation, emotional reactivity, how to be “family first,” get more career satisfaction and find mental peace.
Dr. Kyler James Sherman-Wilkins, a professor who’s currently at Missouri State University. A social demographer and life-course sociologist by training, his research centers around what goes into health and health inequities, socially and structurally, particularly as it relates to cognitive health.
Mike Breeze is a motivational speaker who hails from Oklahoma. Breeze has worked with hundreds of individuals and companies since 2001 to help them obtain their professional and personal goals. His presentations are not only fun and engaging, but also provide audiences with simple, actionable, and transferable techniques that they can implement immediately.
Nathan Osmond, an entertainer and motivational speaker, comes from one of the longest-running families in show business, The Osmonds. He’s been featured as a keynote speaker for countless organizations and events, and serves as the president of a production company designed to “inspire the mind” and “lift the soul,” according to Osmond.
TOPICS
Topics for breakout sessions include:
- Injectables for weight loss
- Food marketing: How does it speak to us?
- Childhood obesity
- Is there a ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to lose weight?
- Sleep apnea
- Diabetes
- Bariatric surgery
- Diets vs. healthy eating
- Binge eating
- Mental wellness
We HOPE to see you there!