Reflections on the ISPA 2011 Conference and Expo.
Truly, the last thing I should be doing right now is tapping on this keyboard – there’s a turkey to think about, my aunt’s stuffing recipe to hunt down, bills to pay and a whole lot of dirty clothes piled up in the laundry basket. But I have to share. Along with my enthusiastic team of Spa Girls, I just returned from an enlightening and educational week at the International Spa Association’s annual conference and expo. More than 2,000 movers and shakers from the world of wellness flocked to the ISPA 2011 Conference held at Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas for just over 200 beauty and wellness exhibitors, a packed schedule of educational classes and three keynote speakers who knocked our spa slippers off (I’ll get to that).
But here’s what you should know as a spa lover/junkie/consumer: The spa industry is listening to us!
Yes, we want to weave the spa experience into our lives. And yes, we want to do it without breaking the bank and feeling guilty. We want value. We want luxury. We want more spa.
But more than that, we want to know that our dollars are going toward a higher purpose. Whether that higher purpose is simply knowing that by taking a spa time-out, we’re feeding our inner self a healthy dose of calm. Or, that the businesses we frequent and the products we buy are doing their part to make this world a better place.
Take for example our first keynote speaker who opened the conference with the toss of a Frisbee and an off-the-cuff talk that reverberated with optimism and positive vibes. Bert Jacobs, co-founder of Life is good, started the beloved T-shirt company on a shoe-string with his brother John Jacobs in 1989. You’ve seen the tees – a funny looking little guy with a contagious grin is riding his bike, making snow angels or taking a hike with his canine sidekick and is always accompanied by a simple, life-affirming message. Bert gave us the quick history: He and his bro lived in and sold tees from a van for a good five years, soon found their way into retail stores and eventually found their purpose. Easy enough, right?
But get this, their purpose isn’t to be defined as a rockin’ T-shirt company. Life is good is a movement of simplicity, humor and the power of optimism. They genuinely share their good fortune through the Life is Good Playmakers, which helps kids overcome life-threatening challenges such as violence, illness and extreme poverty. They’ve woven the cause into about everything do – from an annual music festival to specially designed products, to training, to empowerment. More at lifeisgood.com.
Bottom line, I have a serious urge to dig out my credit card and go on a wild shopping spree on their website. By buying their products, I’m endorsing their brand, amplifying their movement and supporting their ability to put my dollars to good use.
Love that.
CEO of Zappos.com and our closing speaker of the conference, Tony Hsieh had a similar message. Sure we like shoes (okay, we loooove shoes) but at the end of the day, we want to buy into a brand that makes us feel special. At the heart of the Zappos business philosophy is that customer service is not just a department in the company, it IS the company. Their #1 core value is to deliver WOW through service – going above and beyond what we’ve come to expect these days from customer service. Through his book Delivering Happiness, he fused his own business experience with the science of happiness and guess what – he and his team have started a movement to inspire and be inspired at work, home and in our communities. More at deliveringhappiness.com.
Love that too.
Finally, I have to mention the firecracker of a lady who gave the keynote address on the second day of the conference. Faith Popcorn of Faith Popcorn’s BrainReserve has been predicting cultural trends since the 1970s and how they can profoundly influence businesses and consumers. She had glitter in her hair, a sharp wit and a powerful message to relay: The importance of being genuine. Companies that run their businesses in a genuine way – free of pretense and dedicated to simple core values – connect with people on an emotional level that organically instills loyalty and affection – especially with woman, who she also predicts will have a crucial role in the future of the world economy. She had a lot more to say too but that genuinely large pile of laundry is calling my name. More at faithpopcorn.com.
So, here’s my challenge to you. The spa industry is clearly in the business of delivering health, beauty and wellness. As a spa enthusiast, what could your local salon or day spa or that getaway spa that you treat yourself to occasionally be doing (or is doing) that would make you a life-long fan of their brand? Do they sell products with a charity component? Do they fulfill your desire to find more meaning from your spa visit? Are their values in line with your own? Do they make you feel special? We’d love to know your thoughts!
Visit our Facebook page for scenes from ISPA 2011.
Got a comment? Share your thoughts!