Without a doubt, the biggest plus to come out of the pandemic for the spa industry is a renewed sense of community.
In my 30-plus years in the industry, I’ve never witnessed such camaraderie—such a coming together of spa and wellness professionals across all career levels and all kinds of properties.
Nearly 100 volunteer spa leaders from a number of hotel brands, including Accor, Four Seasons, Marriott, and Montage, put their heads together and their competitive spirits aside to work on ISPA’s well-received COVID-19 Reopening Toolkit that debuted in April.
New regional groups were formed: the Colorado Spa & Wellness Association (CSWA)/Rocky Mountain Spa & Wellness Association (ROMOSA), founded by Holleigh Alexander-Ramsey; the Northeast Spa Association, founded by Christine Mathes; the Northern California Spa Professionals Network (NorCal SPA), a collaboration of 30-plus spa professionals; and The Southeast Spa Wellness Association (SESPAA), founded by Alena Stavnjak and Liliana Grajales.
Now, more than ever, the benefits of this kind of networking and collaboration is what will bring us back and move us forward.
“This new type of competitor collaboration is the wave of the future,” says Alison Abbott, Director of Spa and Wellness, The Meritage Resort & Spa, Napa, and co-founder of NorCal SPA. “As we began to collaborate and share our goals, our dreams, and our intentions, we realized how incredibly powerful our unified voice could be in working together towards our long-term goals.”
These groups are dear to my heart. Why? Because one of the highlights of my career was bringing together—for the very first time—the leaders of regional spa groups from across the country at the National Press Club in DC. Now, more than ever, the benefits of this kind of networking and collaboration is what will bring us back and move us forward.
“This year has awakened a whole new awareness of the meaning of community,” shares my dear friend, Bonnie Baker, past president of the Green Spa Network and Managing Partner, The Satteva Group.“With heightened political differences and dependence on technologies for more of our interactions, the potential threats to our personal wellbeing come from more than one source. Community inherently is inclusive; now more than ever the feeling of fellowship is a vital part of our collective immunity, our strength, and potential.”
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Mary Bemis
Mary Bemis is Founder & Editorial Director of InsidersGuidetoSpas.com. An advocate for all things spa, Mary forged a vocabulary for spa reportage that is widely used by those who cover the issues today. Recently honored as a Top 30 Influential Voice Transforming Wellness by Medika Life, Mary is an inaugural honoree of Folio’s Top Women in Media Award. Her spa media roots run deep—in 1997, she launched American Spa magazine, in 2007, she co-founded Organic Spa magazine, and in between serving on the ISPA and NYSPA Board of Directors, she was on the launch teams of Luxury SpaFinder and New Beauty magazines. Named a "Wonder Woman of Wellness" by American Spa magazine, Mary was honored by the International Spa Association with the distinguished ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award. She is a special advisor to the non-profit Global Wellness Day.
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