Tag Archives: educational programs

A Father’s Day Surprise: Dads & Spas

A Father’s Day Surprise: Dads & Spas
by Susie Ellis

Quite a Father’s Day surprise. Yesterday I received an email from Steve Kane, who is a senior vice president at SpaFinder, with some extremely interesting data. Apparently Father’s Day gift card and gift certificate sales this year have increased quite dramatically. That means that most day spas out there, if they did a Father’s Day promotion, would have also seen large increases. Some may have even doubled their business from last year!

This is the kind of tidbit which I think deserves a ‘blue light.’ Do you remember years ago (well maybe decades ago) when K-Mart would move a flashing blue light next to some merchandise that was a really hot item? Then they would announce over the intercom ‘Blue Light Special,’ ‘Blue Light Special!’ Well, I think the fact that so many people purchased spa gift certificates for Father’s Day this year is a ‘Blue Light Special’ for the spa industry.

Here is why. It signals to me that the we have hit a tipping point. Malcolm Gladwell describes it this way in his book, The Tipping Point, ‘a tipping point is a sociological term which describes the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point.’ Another description, which I like even better, is from Bryan Walsh who wrote in Time magazine, ‘tipping points are levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable’.

Think about it. People are buying spa gift certificates for dads. This would have been unheard of even a decade ago. It means that men going to spas has now become a norm rather than an exception. Spas which have attempted for years to attract men to their facilities for therapeutic massage services or grooming experiences, have gotten their message across.

Taking into account the economically turbulent times makes this increase even more significant. It may also indicate that current stressful times have caused people to think about the value of something nurturing and positive for the men in their lives. Rather than buying dads another tie or tool for the garage, people valued giving dad a break.

Here is how I would sum it up:
1. Men going to spas is now mainstream
2. People recognize that in stressful times, men need help de-stressing
3. Experiences are trumping ‘things’ as gifts for men
4. A new generation is thinking Fathers & Spa go together
5. The spa business is somewhat recession-proof (like alcohol and lipsticks)

It may be a funny thing to get excited about….but I consider this an ‘ah ha!’ moment for our industry and just wanted to share it with you.

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Spa-Enthusiasts, like Hannelore Levy, want to know more about the Biggest Loser Spas!

Spa-Enthusiasts, like Hannelore Leavy, want to know more about the Biggest Loser Spas!

By Susie Ellis

I saw Hannelore Leavy who heads up several spa associations (including the Day Spa Association), at our Spa Experience event at Grand Central Terminal in New York last week. The first thing she said to me was “Your Biggest Loser Competition between Spas is a Marvelous Idea!” I had to laugh because whenever I write something in my blog or in the Club Spa newsletter that goes to our database, I never know ahead of time what peoples’ reactions will be. However, I believe this one has struck a chord! As promised, I am adding this piece to my blog so she can respond and add her comments. So, Hannelore, here it is!

From the Club Spa Newsletter distributed on Tuesday, October 30th:

On the hit TV series the Biggest Loser, people lose 50, 75 or even over 100 lbs by the end of the series and seem to keep it off. What you may not know is that 90 miles outside of Las Vegas, near St. George Utah, there are three spas which have similar weight loss programs:

Fitness Ridge Resort & Spa

Red Mountain Spa

Green Valley Spa

These spas help people lose weight with an approach similar to that on the Biggest Loser TV program: healthy diet, exercise, education, and motivation. A bonus at these spas, however, is that they also offer massage, body and skin care treatments, and hiking in the picturesque red rock country right outside their doors!

In fact, I have often thought it might be a great idea for these spas to host a Biggest Loser Competition between the three of them! Whether they do that or not, each fitness and wellness program, although a bit different, would be a great choice for people looking to lose weight. Check them out!

NYSPA Panel Discussions – Revolving Around the Theme of Entrepreneurship.

When Mary Tabacchi asked me to join the panel of “Successful Entrepreneurs,” I knew immediately that I would not be talking about myself as an entrepreneur, but rather my husband, Peter. Although I may have some entrepreneurial traits which surface now and then with various projects (like the Global Spa Summit which has required some entrepreneurial talent) the true entrepreneurs who I have known and worked for are people like Deborah Szekely, Donald Trump, and Peter.

My personal definition of an entrepreneur is someone who sees things way ahead of the pack, rolls the dice, and can’t work for anyone else.

But I thought I better check for a more formal definition. Here is what the dictionary says, “a person who organizes and manages a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.” Okay, I can go with that.

Peter has been my entrepreneur role model. In fact, some people have called him a “serial entrepreneur.” And two of the key things I have learned are 1) Get out of the way and let them dream, create, move…and 2) Don’t get too far out of the way because they need to have people around them who are honest, tell them the truth (not just what they want to hear) and fight as hard for reality as they do for their dream.

Hook your wagon to theirs but don’t just be a passenger. They need good people around them to get to where they are going.

It can be a fun ride.

Thoughts on this Spa Industry Trademark Lawsuit

This article caught my eye this morning, “Swiss Spa Files Suit Against Ritz-Carlton for Trademark Violations.” It is one of the issues I brought up during my presentation at the Monaco Spa Conference in January when I was asked to give a list of suggestions for the spa industry going forward. My #6 suggestion was:

“Let’s respect each other’s intellectual property; patents, trademarks, and copyrights.”

Having not studied the specifics of the La Prairie and Ritz-Carlton case, I have no idea whether the lawsuit has merit. I suppose the courts will decide. However, it does strike me that as our industry grows, violations of intellectual property are likely to increase. Some of it is innocent (in fact much of it is) but I think we have an obligation to be very careful about using names, titles, and terminology which has proprietary value. And when we have done so inadvertently, make a quick change. That is the right thing to do.

I remember in the early 90’s when Deborah Szekely tried to stop the Golden Door name from being used by someone in Australia who was opening a new spa – unfortunately she was not successful. Now there is an entire chain of Golden Door spas in Australia – all resembling the original Golden Door which Deborah and her late husband, Edmond, opened in Escondido, California in 1959. The Szekely’s had invested everything they had to create what became one of the most celebrated spas in the world. They had earned millions of dollars in media exposure through decades of hard work and sacrifice. Now that was going to be leveraged (and still is) by another company which simply decided to take the name for their venture. They even used a logo and font for their Golden Door name which was very close to the one used by the Golden Door in the U.S. at the time.

I think this was unfair.

Even if using someone else’s name is “legal” because of international gaps in the system, it creates ill-will within our industry and is costly in the long run. Precious resources that could be invested in improving health and well-being are, instead, diverted to legal fees for both parties. And now the very claim that Deborah Szekely made all those years ago – that the consumer will be confused – has indeed happened. When I travel throughout Asia and mention that I worked with the Golden Door, most people assume it is the Golden Door in Australia.

It may be too late to change that situation, but it is my hope that our industry will be conscientious about this issue going forward and retain the spirit of the law – even if the letter of the law would allow otherwise.

At Spa Finder we have successfully worked with many who inadvertently used the Spa Finder name inappropriately. Thankfully, in virtually every instance we were able to reach an amicable resolution before needing to take legal action. We have even become friends with some as we worked together and found synergies.

I’m kind of a stickler about this issue (as you can probably tell) and so I have made it a point to make sure that at Spa Finder we don’t tread on other’s trademarks. One example is the term medi-spa which I learned many years ago is a registered trademark owned by Dr. Bruce Katz, a well known medical doctor here in New York. We do not use that term without crediting him.

I don’t know the specifics behind the La Prairie and Ritz Carlton dispute. For all I know it might be tied to the issue that the Swiss Clinique La Prairie and the skin care company La Prairie have been separate companies for quite a while now (something which has been confusing to me all along). However, it is my hope that they resolve the issue quickly and in good faith.

Tucson as a mecca for “health tourism”

drweil 700139 Tucson as a mecca for health tourism The Arizona Daily Star ran a story on Thursday, December 7 announcing that Dr. Andrew Weil was in conversation with developers and Tucson, AZ city politicians about opening a new integrative-medicine wellness center to promote “health tourism.” Later that day, I received a call from a writer asking for my comments. At first I was a bit confused. I knew that Dr. Weil was working with Miraval, Life in Balance to establish a new center, which will open on the property in a few years. I wasn’t quite sure whether the wellness center the Star described was “in addition to” or “instead of” the forthcoming center I knew about.

Dr. Weil’s office, and in particular Dr. Weil’s business partner Richard Baxter, filled me in on the specifics. The project Dr. Weil was proposing was not only an additional health-tourism attraction but also a museum and education center – it would not have any overnight or spa components. The idea is to create a place where people could get information about integrative medicine via interactive exhibits, including computers and access to online courses on nutrition and health as well as botanical and mind/body medicine. Also part of this resource center would be a reference library and an auditorium for films, demonstrations, and lectures. In addition, there would be outdoor attractions, such as a garden of indigenous medicinal plants.

All of a sudden I “got it.” It dawned on me that they were describing something similar to the marvelous Living Desert in Palm Desert, California. The Living Desert is a museum/education center with gardens and a wilderness park that focuses on desert terrain and animal life. What a great idea it is to create someplace similar to educate people about integrative medicine in a location that can lay claim to being a mecca of health tourism, with Canyon Ranch, Miraval, Life in Balance, and the University of Arizona all in support.

Susie's Spa Blog

Susie's Spa Industry Blog