International SPA Association
2000 Annual Conference Roundtable Discussions
by Julie Register, Your Guide to Spas

Two roundtable discussion sessions were held on consecutive days to allow spas to brainstorm and exchange ideas. Separate sessions were offered for :

• Day Spas/Club Spas
• Resort/Hotel Spas
• Affiliate, Destination Spas
• Mineral Springs Spas/Medical Spas. 

I attended the Day Spas/Club Spas roundtable. Even though it was held in a very large room, there was standing room only. Topics for discussion included:

1) The importance of the receptionist. 

Two ideas offered for involving the receptionist in marketing the spa included 1) commissions for retail sales and 2) asking the therapists to provide 10% of their tips to the receptionist. The first could be a problem if it is not clear that the receptionist made the sale (as opposed to a therapist). The second would encourage the receptionist to offer to set up future appointments for clients of therapists that offered this commission. It was noted that a good bookkeeping system would have to be in place to make this work successfully.

2) How to make the most of time slots that were not busy. 

Interestingly, none of the spas that were represented at the table at which I sat had a problem with dead time. Others in the room suggested collecting an email list of existing clients and emailing them the day of open slots and offering a discount if they scheduled an appointment during those times. 

All of the ideas were collected to be typed up and mailed to the roundtable attendees after the conference.

To Keynote Speakers

To Breakout Sessions

To the Silent Auction

To ISPA 2000 Overview

Exhibit Hall Displays

photos by Julie Register

Who is ISPA?

The International SPA Association is recognized worldwide as the professional association and voice of the spa industry, representing more than 1,300 health and wellness facilities and providers in 45 countries. Members encompass the entire arena of the spa experience, from club spas, cruise ship spas, day spas, destination spas, resort/hotel spas, medical spas and mineral springs spas to service providers such as physicians, wellness instructors, nutritionists, massage therapists and product suppliers -- fully representing the variety of wellness options in this exciting industry.

Founded in 1991, ISPA began as a grass roots movement to build a common network for member spas, their affiliates and the media. Since then, ISPA has grown dramatically in both membership and scope, representing a vast majority of domestic and international spas. The ISPA Annual Conference draws more and more participants from around the world each year. Geared toward education and business, the conference focuses on seminars by respected leaders in the medical, financial, and health fields, and exhibits of the latest products and services in the spa industry.

ISPA has created two strong international chapters to serve regional members better. Both the ISPA Europe and ISPA Asia chapters have grown exponentially since their inaugurations in 1997 and 1999. The ISPA Europe members blend Europe's rich wellness tradition - several spas are hundreds of years old - with American business techniques, while the ISPA Asian chapter in Singapore continues to further the East-West melding that has become the latest hallmark of the wellness experience.

ISPA is committed to forming and maintaining alliances that will educate, set standards, provide resources, influence policy and build coalitions for the industry. Professionals in the industry, consumers and the media look to ISPA to clarify and standardize the spa experience. ISPA promotes and defines the spa experience as "Your time to Relax, Reflect, Revitalize and Rejoice."

ISPA's mission is to raise awareness of the spa industry and educate the public and industry professionals about the lifelong benefits of the spa experience. In this way, ISPA helps to revitalize humanity through the promotion of spa wellness. As the voice of the spa industry, ISPA attracts and retains a diverse global membership, fulfilling the educational, informational, and networking needs of its many members worldwide. Using the tremendous potential within the spa industry, ISPA generates the financial, technological, and human resources necessary to serve and represent its members in the most comprehensive manner possible.