Apply for the ISPA Board of Directors

Have you been considering getting more involved in the ISPA community? As applications are now being accepted for the ISPA Board of Directors, we spoke with former ISPA Chairman and current committee member Jean Kolb about her experience of accepting a leadership role within ISPA.

 

 

 

Q: What surprised you most when you first joined the ISPA Board of Directors?

 

A: How incredibly welcoming everyone was! The entire board knew that the sooner I "learned the ropes," the sooner I could contribute to ISPA. Everyone was extremely helpful in getting me acclimated to the ins and the outs very early.

 

Q: What would you like ISPA members to know about the work of the ISPA Board?

 

A: Serving on the ISPA Board requires high engagement from all members, as the board works together to help shape the future of the spa industry. Board service is slightly different than the day-to-day hats many of us wear and it is important to remember the ISPA Board is the leadership of the association that shares their vision and strategic expertise to continue to move ISPA forward with the support of the operational staff in Lexington, Ky.

 

Q: During your board service, what was your proudest accomplishment?

 

A: Leading ISPA during very turbulent economic times. The ISPA Board always has strong individuals, so we had to work together and collaborate to make the best financial decisions that would sustain ISPA for the future. Sometimes that involved "lively" dialogue, but in the end, ISPA is much stronger today because of the decisions we made in 2009 and beyond.

 

Q: What was your greatest take-away from serving on the ISPA Board of Directors?

 

A: If you want to make a difference and if you want things to change or improve, you have to jump in and truly be engaged! Being on the board is not casual dating; it is an engagement and a commitment that you are making to contribute at the highest level.

 

Q: What was you most memorable experience with the ISPA Board?

 

A: Sitting in Café du Monde about to eat a beignet when Lynne McNees blew the powdered sugar off the beignet and into my face. I had glasses on so when I removed them, it made for quite the belly laugh amongst the board members. That is what was so great, we could debate all day long and then go out and have such incredible camaraderie together in the evenings.

 

Q: Why would you encourage others to apply for the board?

 

A: It is the best career decision I ever made--it quickly connected me with so many amazing colleagues. I know many past ISPA Chairmen and board members and we all say the same thing...you get more than you give when serving on the ISPA Board. It is extremely rewarding work!

 

With that inspiring insight, if you're ready to jump in and apply for the ISPA Board of Directors, simply complete your online application before May 15 for consideration. If you have questions about the application, selection process or the ISPA Board of Directors in general, contact Samie Smith today.

 

How can research assist your company in achieving goals?

In today’s fast-paced world of business, time is of the essence and knowledge is power. Staying up-to-date with the latest trends and industry research is crucial for not only the survival of a business, but also for growth and longevity. Having an expansive research library at your fingertips with 24/7 access sounds like a dream to many business owners and operators, but with an International SPA Association membership it’s a reality.

Here at ISPA, we dedicate an ample of resources to spa industry research to ensure members are equipped with the knowledge and data they need to succeed. ISPA partners with PricewaterhouseCoopers to conduct the annual U.S. Spa Industry Study which showcases shifts in revenue, spa visits, average revenue per visit, number of spa locations and staffing levels. Additionally, each month ISPA distributes Snapshot Surveys to members to collect information on what’s trending in the spa industry including employee recruitment and retention, quarterly performance reviews, social media usage and much, much more.

Arming our members with these priceless research reports enables them to have ample tools to use to make informed business decisions.

Ready to start exploring the extensive ISPA research library? Join ISPA today and gain immediate access to this and many other member benefits. Already a member? It’s as easy as visiting the ISPA website. 

Don’t forget, there is still time to participate in the 2015 U.S. Spa Industry Study survey as well. Complete it before March 27 and you’ll be entered to win a FREE registration for the 2015 ISPA Conference & Expo. Take the survey here.

A Fresh New Look

As ISPA celebrates serving as the voice of the spa industry for the past 25 years, there will be many exciting announcements throughout the year commemorating this milestone anniversary.  In an effort to continually evolve and provide the best possible resources to our members, we have made a few changes we hope enhance your ISPA membership. 

ISPA has been hard at work to give experienceispa.com a full makeover with the help of an amazing digital marketing agency, Mightily. We took a long, hard look at the layout, content and design of the old ISPA website and set out to create an inspiring, interactive and informative upgrade.  A Research Library overflowing with data, easy-to-download webinars and an enhanced area for digital Pulse magazine are among the updates you will see.  

ISPA also recently released a new Buyer’s Guide making it easier than ever for spa members to connect with resource partners when making purchasing decisions.  Members can now access an interactive digital version of the Guide by logging in at experienceispa.com. As we like to say, “It’s a big spa world. Fortunately, we’ve got a big new spa website.”  

We plan to make the most of our anniversary year. With some major changes already taking place, we’re kick-starting our 25^th year with our members in mind. Our goal is to help grow and improve the spa industry and benefit our members in any way we can. Without the support and feedback from our members, we wouldn’t be where we are today.      

Have any thoughts about our new website? We’d love to hear them, leave us a comment below.  Like what you see?  Help spread the word using #ISPAInspires.

Get to Know the ISPA Board -- Part Three

Interested in learning about the returning board members as well? Head over to last year's posts (Part One and Part Two) and find out what entertaining tidbits of information were shared previously. Additionally, we wanted to give special recognition to our 2015 Executive Committee:

• Chairman: Michael Tompkins
• Vice Chairman: Ella Stimpson
• Secretary/Treasurer: Todd Shaw
• Todd Hewitt
• ISPA Foundation Vice Chairman: Frank Pitsikalis 
• Todd Walter

Benefits of Online Booking

If you're still using a pen and paper to book all your appointments, there are four good reason why you should consider making a New Year's resolution to upgrade to online booking software:

• Online bookings add convenience for you and your clients.
• Mobile bookings can help clients connect with you 24/7.
• Social bookings drive new appointments.
• Online schedule management optimizes your calendar.

Benefit Your Spa and Your Clients

In general, having the ability to take online bookings can relieve you and your staff of time-consuming phone duty, missed appointments and lost revenue. Providing bookings from your website can give you back precious time that you can now spend with your clients.

Online booking systems can also protect your revenue by sending automated appointment reminders and securing bookings with credit card information. This helps reduce no-shows and last-minute cancellations, as well as take upfront deposits for high-ticket services. You can control what services you offer online, which staff can perform them and the dates and times you want to have available. And, with online bookings, you can make slow periods available to boost your bookings and revenue.

Your clients will appreciate the flexibility of being able to book an appointment anytime, anywhere, as well as access their appointment history and recent purchases.

Connect to Your Clients 24/7 

We all spend hours each day on our mobile phones. They've become an indispensable part of how we manage our lives. That's what it's become imperative that you have a mobile presence.

Mobile booking options provide the ultimate convenience for your customers. With a dedicated mobile app, you can stay top-of-mind with your customers between appointments. A mobile app makes it easy for customers to engage with your business and rebook the services they love. You can also use push notifications to send booking reminders and special offers to keep clients coming back.

Drive Appointments on Social Media

For many of us, our Facebook Pages have become the way we keep in touch with family and friends. Why not use that powerful social media engine to drive bookings for your business? Large networks like Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn have become effective marketing, booking and sales platforms. Facebook, in particular, has invested in features that make bookings a no-brainer. 

Using your profile page and integrated bookings, new customers can find, research and book an appointment. Another added bonus of social bookings is that it's easy for your followers to point their friends and family directly to your profile page.

Optimize Your Calendar

An online booking software system can ease, simplify and improve the accuracy of your calendar. An online schedule gives your staff 24/7 access so they can see when they're booked, what services they're performing, what rooms they're using and which customers they're seeing. It makes updating, moving or canceling appointments much easier, and reduces scheduling errors such as double-bookings, over-bookings and lost appointments. Having an overall view of your calendar can allow you to see gaps that might benefit from a promotion or special. And it allows you to adjust your staff hours and availability based on booking volume.

Upgrading to online booking software isn't hard, it can reap untold benefits for your business and your clients. 2015 is the year to consider a change!

Tanisha Foster
Director of Vertical Markets
Booker Software

Happy Holidays!

From the entire ISPA team, we would like to wish everyone a wonderful holiday season. 2014 has been a great year, and we are excited to see what 2015 will bring! Please note that the ISPA offices will be closed from December 24 - January 1. During this time, the experienceispa.com website is a great source of information.

2014 ISPA Conference & Expo By the Numbers

Thanks to the countless hours invested by ISPA member volunteers and our amazing exhibitors and sponsors, the 2014 ISPA Conference & Expo was a great success. Between the energy on the Expo floor, the innovative educational sessions and the always fun ISPA Foundation Auction, many memories were made and new relationships were built. Take a look at some of the numbers from this year’s Conference.

Be sure to save the date for the 2015 ISPA Conference & Expo which will be held October 19-21, 2015 at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino!