Today (February 10, 2014) spa professionals from across the Middle East are gathering in Dubai to attend the second annual Hotelier Middle East Spa and Wellness Summit.
Hosted at the Grosvenor House Hotel Dubai, spa experts from across the region have come together to discuss the opportunities and debate the key challenges facing the industry.
For anyone who isn't able to make today's event, the Hotelier Middle East team will be keeping you updated on all the interesting news and views as they surface throughout the day in our LIVE blog below.
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To find out more about the Hotelier Middle East Spa and Wellness Summit 2014, make sure to check out our event preview detailing exactly what you can expect to see and hear about today.
To keep in touch during the event you can message us on twitter at @HotelierME and use the hashtag #SpaSummit to join the conversation.
08.30: The day's delegates, sponsors and exhibitors have all started to arrive at the Oberoi, Dubai hotel for this year's Hotelier Middle East Spa and Wellness Summit. After taking the opportunity to grab a quick coffee and a chat with their fellow industry experts, soon the sumit attendees will be taking their seats in time for the first panel session of the day.
9.00: After everyone has got their fill of networking with some of the region's most important spa professionals, the day’s guests are taking their seats in the main room for the start of the Hotelier Middle East Spa Summit 2014.
Welcoming everyone on stage is Hotelier Middle East editor Louise Oakley, who reiterates the growing potential and revenues for spas in the Middle East.
After that we are ready to get underway and the day’s first panel session is called to the stage.
09.15: The day’s first panel session is titled ‘The Future of Spa & Wellness - The Next Decade Will Be About’ and is chaired by Sharon Barcock, director spa operations & development, Middle East & Africa, Hilton Worldwide.
Joining her on stage is: Paul Hawco, Group Director of Spa, Jumeirah Hotels & Resorts;
Steve Harvey, Director of Wellness, Six Senses Zighy Bay;
Simon Casson, Regional Vice President & General Manager, Four Seasons Resort Dubai and Chairman, Four Seasons Gobal Spa Taskforce;
Dr. Suni Paul, Manager, Softouch Ayurvedic Spa Center - Kempinski Hotel Ajman.
The session is to cover the global spa industry’s outstanding growth in recent years, and how it has been driven by innovations in health, wellness, fitness, beauty, and design.
For hotel, resort and destination spas in the UAE to continue to deliver excellent customer service and produce a positive bottom line, what are the trends within the industry that they should follow?
9.30: the panel are taking a look at some of the most innovative new spa treatments, and especially the new technique of mapping a guest's genome to judge whether the client is predisposed to diseases or should make certain lifestyle changes.
Four Season’s Simon Casson reveals that he has had his genome mapped and was relieved that everything appears ‘to be the right length.’
Dr. Suni Paul at the Kempinski Hotel Ajman is now talking about the benefits of ‘Earthing’ and Authentic Ayurveda treatments and retreats and how they are continuing to rise in popularity
Four Season’s Simon Casson says: “Spas are already a mature Market in the Middle East, and one in which Four Seasons has been quite slow to enter. There are lots of great operators here such as Jumeirah and Dubai, like so many other things is really leading the region.
10 year ago spas were an afterthought, but now there are no projects we are doing where the spa is not one of the primary thoughts.”
The panels thoughts now focus the less fairer gender as thy explore the efforts that have been made to attract the male market to the region’s spas.
Stress is a defining motivation for male spa guests, with the region’s spas having the right treatments that allow people to continue living their modern, faced paced stress filled existence, says Suni Paul.
However, Paul Hawco at Jumeirah says that those treatments have to be marketed correctly to capture those markets as the perceived images of sporty and ‘metro-sexual’ male guests are still not compatible.
09.50: The day’s next panel is entitled ‘The Importance of Staffing – The Challenges Faced by Spa Operators in the UAE to Address Market Gaps’
Staffing is already a popular topic in our summits and leading today’s discussion is Helen Merchant, Owner, International Spa Consultants.
Joining her on stage are Lea Cordon Rouf, Managing Director, Spa Cordon, Sky Gardens DIFC
Michael T. Monsod, Director of Spa & Recreation, Sofitel The Palm
Meara Dougherty, Operations Manager, The Product House
On topic now is the question that is the growing global job crisis stopping the spa and wellness industry continuing to develop and grow, as it outpaces the supply of trained professionals. How can spa management address the spa/talent gap?
Moderator Helen Merchant starts the discussion by asking the crowd to raise their hands if they have ever got their fingers burnt in the recruitment market, at which point almost everyone in the room raises their hand
Lea Cordon now states that the best way to hold onto your team members and reduce staff turnover, is to train your team in the long term.
“Make them look forward at a long term training plan that they can look forward to. There are so many elements to the spa business in which you can train your staff, not only treatments but the numbers side as well.”
Cordon recommends introducing a training bond when you bring someone from abroad, “which is no guarantee that they won’t leave, but creates an understanding between you and them.”
She does admit that her staff turnover is around 20-30%, but that this is an issue that the industry has to address.
Helen Merchant asks how spas should create career development, and how spas can use trainee staff members, when this is in conflict with new regulations in the industry to require certified staff members.
Meara Dougherty at the product House states that this has simply made straining more important, as you must ensure that your staff can match the high standards that the industry are asking for.
Michael Monsod at Sofitel the Palm joins in by saying that training has to be viewed long-term, with improved raining creating a improved demand for a better standard of treatments and specialists.
The conversation leads on to the panels own career advancements, and they have found advancing through the spa industry.
Lea Cordon states that to be a spa manager you have to be expert in many fields, as you find that you’re are having to managing the HR, marketing and finances of your department.
Michael Monsod agrees and states that all spa professionals should try and experience and as many different departments as possible and join in with other departmental meetings to improve communication.
Helen Merchant asks whether building a network of managers who interact with each other and seek support and advice from each other would work in the UAE?
Michael Monsod states that yes it would and that there have already been efforts to create something concrete. This will help us to minimise recruitment mistakes and improve standards across the board.
“You can’t be afraid to ask for advice, as that is the only way we improve,” he says.
Now our panel focus on incentive pan, and whether it is a system that will actually bring results.
Michael Monsod says: “The biggest problem is getting an incentive scheme in palace in the first place, and you find you must change what you wanted to offer.
“Our staff know who in the market is offering what and if you can’t keep up with others then they will just leave.”
Meara Dougherty: Incentives have to be for a purpose, and that is to maximise trevenue, and that has fallen by the wayside recently, and that is why we have taken a step back from incentive schemes.”
“As far as competition goes, we are only a distributor, and our competition is the brand itself and can offer something better.”
10.30: As the panel draws to a close its time for our morning break, giving our audience the chance to network with their fellow professionals, as well as meet and greet some of the leading suppliers in the region, who will be getting through samples like an overworked DJ.
Cick to the next page to find out what the rest of the day's panel sessions have covered:
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