ISPA Spa Conference: Moments of Note

Although I was only able to spend two full days at the ISPA conference in Orlando – rather than the four which were offered – it was still a worthwhile investment of my time for five reasons:

1. Connecting with people I know teaches me a great deal about what is happening in the spa world (brands are on a roll.)
2. Walking the showroom floor gives me a sense of what is old, what is new, and what is missing (there were a lot of beverage products offered this year.)
3. It is inspiring to share a thoughtful evening at the Alex Szekely Humanitarian Award dinner which we host along with Deborah Szekely of Rancho LaPuerta & the Golden Door and Mary-Elizabeth Gifford of Jurlique. (Alex is not forgotten – his essence continues to inspire)
4. The ISPA research is always of particular interest (consumers who buy a retail product at a spa are far more likely to come back.)
5. The overall feeling I come away with helps me see how SpaFinder is positioned and what we can do to help the spa industry in a healthy way (growing the pie is the key…and that is exactly what we do.)

It takes me a few days to assimilate all of the information and impressions. Therefore I thought I would spread out my thoughts in a few blogs where I will cover which exhibits impressed me, what I learned from the new 2007 ISPA Industry Study which I purchased and ISPA’s Global Study which they recalled, what touched me at the conference, and some general musings on ISPA and the industry in general.