Don't miss top tips from Hotelier's Fitness / Spa Person of the Year 2013, Neil Hewerdine, vice president spa and fitness at Atlantis The Palm, Dubai - home to Shuiqi Spa.
The two-day Hotelier Middle East Spa and Wellness Summit, being held at Grosvenor House, Dubai from February 10-11, will address the biggest concerns facing spa directors today, from legislation and training through to adding value and securing repeat business, without falling into the trap of deals and discounting
The Hotelier Middle East Spa and Wellness Summit is back with its first ever two-day event combining an agenda jam-packed with interactive panel discussions, small-group workshops and practical training sessions alongside an exhibition of the latest must-have spa products and equipment.
Building on the success of last year’s inaugural event, which raised the need for more knowledge and training at all levels across the industry and urged spa managers to address their retail sales, this year’s summit will target corporate spa professionals and spa directors on day one and then invite spa managers and senior operations personnel to join them and attend on day two.
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In total, more than 300 spa specialists from hotels and day spas are expected to attend the event, being held for the first time at Grosvenor House, Dubai from February 10-11.
The summit will open with a panel discussion featuring some of the best-known names in the Middle East spa industry, who will share their predictions for the key issues expected to shape the spa sector over the next decade.
Will medi-spas dominate? Or will spas revive ancient healing practices? Can men’s grooming overtake the female market segment? And will UAE spas ever catch on to inclusive wellness?
Panellists include Paul Hawco, group director of spa, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts; Simon Casson, regional vice president and general manager, Four Seasons Resort Dubai and chairman, Four Seasons Gobal Spa Taskforce; Steve Harvey, director of wellness, Six Senses Zighy Bay; Shahida Siddique, chief executive officer, SpaDunya; and Dr Shylaja Pillai, spa manager, Kempinski Hotel, Mall of the Emirates.
Ahead of the event, the speakers addressed some of the key concerns expected to dominate on the day.
With regard to the debate between the future of medi-spas compared to more traditional spas, Casson, who is set to open Four Seasons Dubai later this year, said: “I see that there is ever increasing alignment between the two. Traditionally the conventional, medical approach has been problem solving, whereas the integrated wellness approach is focused on quality of life. I think there is room for both and they can be complementary”.
Hawco, who employs a medical director at Talise Spa at Madinat Jumeirah in Dubai, commented: “Wellness is our guests’ greatest asset and ultimately our spas are becoming more akin to health retreats, and are more accessible within hotel and resort spas”.
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Feb 8, 2014 , USA
For several tears I have trained therapists on the differences of working on diverse skin types. A Euro based training is too limiting in today's market. Any hotel/spa company that does not invest in multicultural skin care training is truly missing the boat because of the proliferation of emergi...