Articles

10/15/2009

LEXINGTON, Ky. - One day after the Austin City Limits music festival concluded, spa professionals from across the globe met from Oct. 5-8 at the Hilton Austin and the Austin Convention Center for the 19th annual International SPA Association Conference & Expo.  The ISPA Conference & Expo enables attendees to strengthen connections within the spa community, participate in invaluable educational sessions, learn about the newest spa products in the Expo and most importantly...how to simplify.  The Conference theme, "Simplify", resonated with attendees as they discussed how to get back to the basics of their business in the current economic climate.  It was an unforgettable Conference filled with many firsts including live Tweeting, a record number of Expo and education hours, speakers and the first ever Power Panel discussion. 

The arguable kings of Twitter addressed the Conference during the week's General Sessions.  Lance Armstrong spoke on how he incorporates wellness into his life by getting "more than 200 massages a year."  And, a power panel made up of Tony Hsieh, CEO, Zappos.com; Jeremy Gutsche, chief trend hunter, trendhunter.com and Guy Kawasaki, managing director, Garage Technology Ventures discussed the advantages of social media, the importance of knowing your audience and giving great customer service.  Kawasaki got in on all the action by tweeting about his observations.  He said that Twitter has made the "nobody into the new somebody," and that spas can take advantage by offering up-to-the-minute deals for their clients. 

Attendees also heard from J.P. Pawliw-Fry, president and co-founder of the Institute for Health & Human Potential, on how to deal with management pressure in the workplace by avoiding "the wanting to be liked trap."  Ram Charan, a highly sought-after business advisor encouraged attendees to "go with your gut" and suggested weekly brainstorming sessions to help alter perceptions and ride the trends. 

Conference by the Numbers:

• More than 1,600 attendees (200 first-timers) from 25 countries.
• 153 exhibitors with 201 booths launching more than 50 new products in the Expo.
• 60 speakers dishing out more than 45 hours of education.
• 218 auction items raised more than $95,000 for the ISPA Foundation's initiatives including scholarships, educational spa resources and research.
• 131 pairs of Reeboks donated to the Boys & Girls Club of the Capital Area.

"The numbers speak for themselves, the 2009 ISPA Conference & Expo was a great success thanks to the decision attendees, exhibitors and sponsors made to join together and invest in themselves and their companies," said ISPA President Lynne McNees.  "The venue provided for quality one-on-one time for attendees to develop the relationships needed in this business to be successful."

Several awards were presented during Conference including the ISPA Visionary Award presented to Dr. Howard Murad, CEO and founder of Murad, Inc., for his contributions to the health and wellness movement. The ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award was given to Pat and Juanita Corbett co-founders of The Hills Health Ranch for their 20 years of service to the association.  The ISPA Alex Szekely Humanitarian Award went to Lance Armstrong, a personal hero to the late Alex Szekely whom the award is named in honor of.

Plans are underway for the ISPA Conference & Expo's 20th anniversary.  The event is set for Nov. 15-18, 2010 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center on the Potomac in Washington D.C., USA. Additional information is available at http://www.experienceispa.com/.

About the International SPA Association
ISPA is recognized worldwide as the leading professional organization and voice of the spa industry. Founded in 1991, ISPA advances the spa industry by providing invaluable educational and networking opportunities, promoting the value of the spa experience and speaking as the authoritative voice to foster professionalism and growth. More details on ISPA are available on http://www.experienceispa.com/.

Spas are places devoted to overall well-being through a variety of professional services that encourage the renewal of mind, body and spirit.

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A special thank you to our 2009 ISPA Conference & Expo Sponsors

Corporate:
Hay House Lifestyles
Precor Inc.

Platinum:
Darphin
Murad Inc.
SpaBiz
Universal Companies Inc.

Gold:
Andrew Morgan Collection
Aveda Corporation
B. Kamins Chemist
Being TRUE
Clarisonic
etopa
Germaine de Capuccini, S.A.
Iredale Mineral Cosmetics Ltd.
Lexli International Inc
NEUMA
Skin Authority
Sothys USA Inc
SpaSoft/Springer-Miller Systems
VersaSpa® - MysticTan®

Silver:
American Massage Therapy Association
Bissinger's Handcrafted Chocolatier
Natura Bisse International
Rain Organics Vodka
SPA Magazine
SpaBooker, A Division of SpaFinder
Yon-Ka Paris

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