Minnesota’s med-tech association, Medical Alley, is teaming up with event producer 2023 Partners to hold an annual global summit in Minneapolis to focus on the confluence of healthcare, retail and technology.

Dubbed MANOVA — a cross between “Medical Alley” and “innovation” — the summit will be a four-day event featuring several keynote speakers, including Arianna Huffington (?) and Andy Slavitt—Andy ran Ingenix, a unit of UnitedHealth Group before joining the Obama administration to fix problems after the Affordable Health Care Act was passed, and then led Medicare and Medicaid.

The event is planned to take place between Oct. 8 and 11 throughout Minneapolis and will highlight the best practices in healthcare, create an opportunity to showcase innovations and breakthroughs, and involve a discussion on new ideas for improving and increasing “consumerization” of health worldwide, according to Twin Cities Business.

With Walmart as its lead sponsor and support from major players in the industry, MANOVA is expected to attract more than 2,000 individuals – thought leaders, executives, entrepreneurs and technologists – working in intersecting spaces of consumer health, retail delivery and medical technology. Tickets may run as much as $850.
Among the slated speakers for the event besides Slavitt and Huffington are  National Geographic fellow and New York Times best-selling author Dan Buettner; and Mark Addicks, former chief marketing officer of Minneapolis-based General Mills and the current CEO of 2023 Partners.