LIVE from day two of the Hotelier Spa Summit 2014

Following the success of the first day of the Hotelier Middle East Spa and Wellness Summit 2014, we're back at Grosvenor House Hotel Dubai to welcome another 200 spa professionals to take part in a series of topical workshops and practical demonstrations.

9am: It's time for the spa professionals to choose their first workshop, either an introduction to Ayurvedic medicine - noted yesterday to be emerging in the spa industry - led by Davis Karandan, chairman Softouch Ayurveda Spa, Kempinski Mall of Emirates or, a session focused on Chiro-Golf massage, run by Ghassan Amer, spa manager, Amara Spa, Park Hyatt Dubai.

9.10am: Did you know Ayurveda is one the of the world's oldest medical systems? It originated in India more than 3000 years ago and remains one of the country's traditional health care systems. 

9.27: Davis Karandan makes a good point as he observes the major shift in the illnesses facing people in the world today. Medical advances have largely removed the threat of cholera, smallpox, plague, menigitus and typhus in the modern world. But, these threats have been replaced by numerous lifestyle diseases that modern medicine struggles to treat - obesity, asthma, Alzheimer's, high blood prsssure, stress, diabetes, cancer, depression, hypertension, and stress. According to Karandan, Ayurveda can offer a solution - it is the only alternative medicine to be recognised by the WHO. But is Ayurveda a science, trend or fad? Where do you sit on the debate?

9.55am: We popped next door into Ghassan Amer's session on chiro-golf massage. His top tip is to be more creative in the massages offered by your spa so as to entice more people. Massage is the treatment with the highest profit margin, so spas should do as much as possible to increase massage bookings. It's also easier to train therapists on massage than complex facial systems, adds Amer.

10am: The questions are coming thick and fast for Softouch's Davis Karandan and his colleague Dr Suni Paul as therapists in the audience seek advice on incorporating Ayurveda. Karandan says 60% of bookings at Kempinski Mall of Emirates are for Ayurvedic treatments. And it's not all about treatments and creams - solutions are far more wide ranging as Ayurveda aims to cleanse from within, says Dr Suni Paul, who offers Ayurvedic consultations.

10.14am: Onto the next workshops! Jumeirah Hotels and Resorts group director of spa Paul Hawco is set to reveal the five different stages to offering the perfect hammam experience, while Six Senses Zighy Bay spa director Souhel El-Achbah will speak on the topic of locally inspired treatments, unveiling the ideas behind the age-old Omani traditions that inspire treatments at his spa.

10.25am: Paul Hawco admits that he had never worked in an hammam in the US or Canada, with the hammam at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray in Dubai his first experience of the treatment. When asked for a show of hands, the vast majority of those in the room have had a hammam, but only a handful have experienced a Turkish hammam in Turkey. At Zabeel Saray, Hawco prides himself on the Turkish team of eight people that run the hammams and help train therapists of other nationalities to offer hammam treatments too and ensure the Turkish culture filters through. Authenticity is key, says Hawco, whether you decide upon a Turkish or a Moroccan hammam.

10.38am: Hammams are very high yield, low cost treatments - a cost of just AED6-8 at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray (plus water cost etc). Hammams contribute 50% of business to Talise Ottoman Spa at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray. All the products used are from Turkey, including the olive soap. It's important to keep the culture and history of the treatment alive, says Hawco.

10.40am: Surprise your guests - at the end of the hammam, Talise Ottoman Spa give guests an 'evil eye' Turkish bracelet to remind them of their treatment. The cost of the treatment went up AED15 to enable this, but the addition of the bracelets exceeded guest expectations and justified the increase, explains Paul Hawco.

11am: Keep costs down by planning ahead. Paul Hawco says he orders a year's worth of soap for the hammans at Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, ordering 10,000, 20,000 at a time for AED8/9 a bar of soap. Lock in with a supplier for mutual benefit.

11.30am: We've now moved into our practical demonstrations, with the room full of the UAE's best spa managers and therapists eager to learn from The Product House's top trainers. Sally Beighton, head of training and account manager, is demonstrating dry body brushing, moving towards the lymphatic nodes, as part of a session on Detox Spa Treatments. Sally has been a therapist for 25 years, so is definitely the expert to learn from! At the same time Joanna Collins, trainer and assistant sales manager is leading a demonstration on environmental damage and skin care - major concerns for many UAE spa users.

12.12: We've had the practical demos; it's now time for two hard-hitting workshops.International Spa Consultants owner Helen Merchant is leading a session on Negotiating with Suppliers and Vendors. Don't forget, these are the people that know everything that is happening in your spas! Don't be fickle, advises Merchant; form relationships with suppliers and ask them for help when you need it.

12.15pm: At the same time, the founder and managing director of Dubai success story SensAsia Urban Spa, Salina Handa, is telling budding spa entrepreneurs and future spa managers how to create a business plan for your own spa.

12.25pm: How well do you know your suppliers? Make sure they have enough stock to supply you in case of extra demand. Consider companies with local warehousing, says The Product House founder Janette Gladstone-Watts. But help your suppliers too, says Helen Merchant - order according to your promotional calendar.

12.28pm: Do you know what Expo 2020 will do for you in Dubai? Helen Merchant says spas must start tracking this now. Can your product company support your growth over the next six years?

12.30pm: Salina Handa is running delegates through the key points to consider before building a spa business plan: define your market, understand the competition, consider location and footfall. Pick the most accessible location with available parking  - somewhere people can easily see. Where is your funding coming from adn what is the pay back period? Handa advises flexibility too - you might have to change yourr target market to adapt as the market changes and grows.

12.35pm: Handa admits she has tried to change the "personality" of SensAsia in the past but the results have always been less than favourable. Own your USP, she says, and go back to basics.

1.10pm: We're into the final session of the day, with 150 spa professionals gathered to listen to the team from Cleopatra Spa & Wellness give a first hand account of how they have achieved licensing for their massage therapists via Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The licensing regulations are relatively new and yet to be rolled out to hotels it seems. It is expected that all massage therapists will have to be licensed going forward. Spas with repeated licensing violations may face fines or even closure. 

1.30pm: Regulation is a good thing, says Jumeirah's Paul Hawco from the audience. The process may be complicated at the moment with some confusion over the timeline for implementation of regulations, but the result will be a properly regulated industry that can compete on the global spa scene.

1.45pm: Anxiety regarding therapist licensing is rife, with many delegates concerned about how to provide the right paperwork. One issue seems to be that therapists either must already have appropriate certifications or at least two years experience working in Dubai before then taking the necessary certifications. According to the regulations adhered to by Cleopatra's, therapists must have 500 hours' work experience, but this may be difficult to achieve across the industry - would a decrease in the requirement of hours make licensing easier?

2.05pm: The licensing and regulation issue is certainly a pressing one for the industry. As our delegates make their way to lunch, it's the hot topic on everyone's lips. Feedback and queries from our audience have been collected and will be passed on to DHA in a future meeting with a select group of spa operators.Rest assured Hotelier Middle East will also be doing our best to find out about the new laws and when they are being implemented. If you have any more ideas, please tweet us @HotelierME or email louise.oakley@itp.com

2.10pm: It's been another hugely successful Hotelier Middle East Spa and Wellness Summit. Thanks to our speakers, sponsors and all the attendees for their participation and questions. Keep reading HotelierMiddleEast.com and Hotelier Middle East March issue for a full review of the event!