Spa Finder, the nation`s largest spa travel, marketing and publishing company, inaugurated its Spa Finder Partner Program with a history-making retreat attended by Day Spa owners/managers representing over 160 Day Spas nationwide. The retreat, held recently at Red Mountain Adventure Spa in St. George, Utah, brought together for the first time many of the leaders in the Day Spa industry to plan new marketing strategies and share best practices, while introducing them to the benefits of a Stay Spa experience.

The Spa Partner Retreat is a key element of the recently introduced Spa Finder Partner Program (SFPP), which was created to partner Day and Stay Spas in a mutually beneficial marketing relationship. Participating Day Spas will receive commission revenue when their clientele books a Stay Spa vacation through Spa Finder, as well as a 20% discount on all spa travel for their staff. A recent ISPA study indicates that Day Spas are the gateway to the Stay Spa experience and that 75% of destination spa-goers frequent Day Spas (2001 Destination Spa User Study by Cox Consulting).

“The desire within the industry to bring the Day and Stay Spa communities together is enormous and even greater than we anticipated,” said Susie Ellis, vice president of industry development for Spa Finder. “Day Spa owners see this as an incredible opportunity to provide value-added customer service as well as increase incremental revenue for their spa. Stay Spa owners see it as an opportunity to reach a new customer base that`s predisposed to the spa experience.”

Some of the attendees had been in the spa industry for years, but had never visited a Stay Spa prior to the retreat. The Red Mountain retreat, the first of the quarterly events that will be scheduled for 2002, melded educational and inspirational components with unstructured free time for participants to experience all the benefits of a Stay Spa experience, including daily hikes, massages and treatments, fitness classes and sports activities, plus three gourmet spa cuisine meals per day.

Panels at the retreat examined such topics as “Top Management Strategies,” “Best Marketing Ideas,” “Real Benefits of the Spa Experience - Translated Into Greater Profitability” and “Growing the Spa Industry Through the Spa Finder Partner Program.” There were also breakout groups that allowed for intimate exchanges and brainstorming that were later presented to the group as a whole. “The openness with which these very savvy business owners and managers shared what has and hasn`t worked for them in the past was amazing. I found it incredibly valuable and inspirational,” said Peggy Wynne Borgman, Co-Owner and Spa Director of Preston Wynne Day Spa in California.

“I think this retreat has made us all realize that a united spa industry could be an incredibly powerful force to affect change in people`s lives,” said Eileen Guida, Spa Director of Adam Broderick Day Spa in Connecticut.

The next SFPP Retreat will be held in Cuernavaca, Mexico at the luxury destination spa Hosteria Las Quintas from March 23rd to March 27th. For further information about joining the Spa Finder Partner Program and/or attending the next SFPP retreat, contact Nancy Griffin at [email protected]. Reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-serve basis for the 25 spaces available and the event is expected to sell out quickly.

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