When it comes to film adaptations, most people seem to agree that the book is almost always better than the movie. When spa consultant Darlene Nicholson designed a promotion around author Elizabeth Gilbert’s bestseller-turned Julie Roberts flick, Eat, Pray, Love, she aimed to create bundles of spa services that would elicit as much excitement as the beloved book.

“Even if you haven’t read it, or seen the movie, you can still appreciate the adventure with these themed packages,” says the co-owner of The Ultimate Spa Marketing System, a brand-new company. “They’re designed to evoke the author’s stunning journey through Italy, India and Indonesia.”

Nicholson’s client Karen Sollman was immediately sold on the idea of testing the Eat, Pray, Love-themed packages out at her facility. “I absolutely loved the book, and we all had so much fun with a Sex and the City 2 special earlier this summer, that this was a no-brainer,” says the owner of Absolute Beauty Day Spa in Evansville, Indiana.



Sollman used Facebook and a client e-newsletter to spread word about the following three packages, available throughout the month of September. “Eat” ($99) consists of the spa’s Chocolate Body Scrub, a 30-minute chocolate massage and a Hershey’s candle, which allows guests to take the spa experience home with them. “Pray” ($110) includes an aromatherapy scrub, a 60-minute Lomi Lomi massage and a take-home heated muscle pack with a scented candle.

“It’s designed to facilitate sweet dreams and foster meditation,” Nicholson says.



Respect for skin and prevention of free radical damage are the driving forces behind “Love” ($160). The package provides two microdermabrasion sessions and a retail eye balm.

Sollman says the latter has been the most popular package so far. “It’s only been three days, so it’s hard to say. All three selections have been a hit, but my clients are extremely pleased with ‘Love’s’ savings.”



Nicholson advised Sollman to create a sense of urgency. “If we tell guests that, due to the incredible value of each package, we can only offer ten of each, people are more likely to book right away,” she says.

Sollman has also raised visibility of the promotion by slightly altering her front desk staff’s telephone protocol. “Now we pick up and say, ‘Thank you for calling Absolute Beauty. Would you like to hear about our monthly special?’ I’d say it’s created some intrigue.”

Are you planning any promotions around your favorite books, movies or music? Tell us about it by writing koreilly@creativeage.com. The most creative submission WINS $200 worth of spa goods!—Katie O’Reilly

When pop superstar Lady Gaga rolled in to St. Paul, Minnesota for two sold-out, back-to-back concerts during the last week of August, the stars aligned for Ivy Spa Club to devise a unique promotion. Coincidentally, the Minneapolis-based facility had just launched celebrity manicurist Deborah Lippmann’s nail lacquer collection.

Lady Gaga, 24, is currently featured on the cover of the September issue of Vanity Fair sporting Lippmann’s matte gray “Waking Up in Vegas,” polish. What’s more, one of the line’s top-selling hues is the Gaga-inspired “Bad Romance,” a black-sparkled fuscia.




Spa owner Pamela Margolis figured the best way to promote the new product line was to brainstorm a concert tie-in. “With her connection to the Lippmann Collection, we knew we could use Lady Gaga’s local performances to drum up some excitement for our new product selection,” she says.

During the days before both concerts, guests were invited to come in for a mani/pedi. If they also purchased a Lippmann Collection polish, they received a 10% discount off their total purchase.

It was a hit. “We were completely booked, both days,” Margolis says. “Mostly by groups of female concert-goers.”

The spa was a sight to behold, as clients arrived already decked out in Gaga-reminiscent fashion designs. “Feather boas, sparkles, masks—we saw it all that day,” Margolis says.

Have you centered any promotions around pop culture zeitgeists? We’d love to hear about it. Write to koreilly@creativeage.com. The most creative submission WINS $200 worth of spa goods! —Katie O’Reilly

Not even the threat of Friday the 13th could keep nearly 100 industry professionals from attending The Spa Buzz and Southern California Spa Director’s Association (SCSDA) event at the beautiful seaside Laguna Cliffs Resort & Spa in Dana Point, California.

“The main goal of Spa Buzz events is to connect professionals,” says Kristi Konieczny, founder of The Spa Buzz. “I always want people to walk away with something—whether it’s a new contact, an idea for business or the ability to see what vendors are doing to make the industry better.” If the sounds of note-taking filling the conference room or the attendees engaged in conversation with the evening’s vendors were any indication, that goal was certainly met, if not exceeded.

While the view of the pool overlooking the deep blue ocean was enough to tempt anyone to take a beach day, participants were enthused to take part in the event’s activities. Kicking off the afternoon was an informative session on the best practices in retail with Charles Compton, president of Mars Solutions, a retail-consulting firm focused on the hospitality industry. He started out in sales at stores such as Neiman Marcus and now works with hotels and spas (clients include The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, Hyatt and Hilton) to implement innovative and effective retailing strategies. Compton went over how some of the more successful traditional retail companies operate, and how to apply those principles to spas’ sales floors. He provided insight on topics ranging from arranging dynamic displays to implementing effective merchandising strategies.

Lisa Michaelis, Universal Companies' regional account manager, demonstrates how to make your own sachets, body butters and scrubs using ingredients featured in Spa Pantry Cookbooks.

Once the seminar adjourned, attendees were directed to a ballroom where a tabletop show was set up. Nearly 30 vendors showcased their products, including Pevonia, Universal Companies and Phytomer. Guests enjoyed gourmet mac and cheese, sautéed mushrooms, mini servings of crème brulée and other hors d’oeuvres as they made their rounds, stopping at each table to learn about the latest in spa products and equipment.

Attendees were encouraged to visit each vendor, because in order to enter the night’s raffle, you had to submit a badge that had been stamped by a representative from every table. “We love getting the opportunity to highlight our products while fostering relationships with our clients in a fun and relaxed atmosphere,” says Lisa Michaelis, regional account manager for Universal Companies. “This event far exceeded my expectations. I really enjoyed their passport system. It’s a great way to motivate attendees to check out all of the exhibitors.”

A catwalk cut across the middle of the room, backlit in blue, for the night’s fashion show presenting lines by Eco Malibu and Barco Uniforms. It was followed by a raffle, which featured tons of donated goodies. The grand prize—a full registration to ISPA Conference & Expo (valued at up to $1,050), courtesy of the International Spa Association—was awarded to spa director Stephanie DeCuir with Spa Namara in Del Mar, California.—Candice Yang

Co-founder Alicia Marantz Liotta and volunteer Robbie Schaeffer of ROB|B—an OPI Concept Salon—on a visit.

Last month marked the one-year anniversary of the Beauty Bus Foundation. This non-profit group is dedicated to bringing beauty back into the lives of those suffering from terminal illnesses, as well as their caregivers. Industry professionals donate their time and services to provide free treatments to homebound men and women, including haircuts, manicures, pedicures, makeup application and facials.

“What has grown out of a way to honor the memory of Melissa Marantz Nealy, and a dream to bring the lift and gift of beauty to other families suffering from disease, is astounding,” co-founder Alicia Marantz Liotta says. “We’re looking forward to continued expansion and the ability to provide respite on a wider scale.”

In their inaugural year, the bus has touched the lives of more than 100 patients and caregivers. With the backing of celebrities such as Sandra Bullock, along with sponsorships from big beauty industry players such as OPI, it rides on in its efforts to afford patients a little escape from reality.

“OPI was delighted to sponsor the Beauty Bus Foundation’s first ‘Beauty Drive’ fundraiser [last April],” says Suzi Weiss-Fischmann, OPI executive vice president and artistic director. “I’m a strong believer that nail lacquer color can change not only your look, but your outlook. Beauty Bus Foundation takes that concept to the next level and shows how a little bit of beauty can go a long way in brightening someone’s day.”

The group centers its outreach on people suffering from ALS (Lou Gherig’s Disease), cancer, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson’s disease, spinal cord injury and stroke.

The Beauty Bus is always on the lookout for industry professionals who would like to volunteer. If you’re interested in getting involved, or if you’d like more information, visit the foundation’s website.—Candice Yang

This month’s Health Wise column (“Spa Spirituality,” page 34) touches on several ways day spas can service the journey of the soul along with the body. For instance, the Dream Insights with Energy Work treatment offered at Spa of the Pines in Lake Arrowhead, California, is a healing session that combines dream analysis, guided imagery and energy work. Nancy Garcia, the massage therapist who performs the treatment, provided us with in-depth information about this service—in exchange for a real-life dream example. As it turns out, there’s a lot to gain from listening to your subconscious. Here’s a snippet of our conversation:

DAYSPA: The other night I dreamt I was watching a parade of unusual creatures, similar in appearance to the monsters from Where the Wild Things Are. It was nighttime and snow was falling. The procession moved in a strange, choppy motion; at some points soothing, and at others, nerve-wracking.

Nancy Garcia: How did you feel when you awoke?

DS: Confused, disoriented and a little anxious.

NG: That’s what many clients say about their dreams. In this treatment, we journey back to the dream and employ guided imagery to change its course, taking it past where you woke up and on to a place that empowers you. Once you decide where you want the dream to go, I’m going to use a drum, stones and crystals to take you into a deep meditative state while you reimagine the dream, concentrating on what your subconscious is trying to tell you.

DS: I’d like to take the dream somewhere that’s not at all scary, only soothing.

NG: Unusual creatures represent things we fear. The fact that you were able to be in the presence of them may mean that you’re now strong enough to deal with fears that you used to hide in your closet, much like many childhood monsters. You may just require extra support in combating your fears. Maybe some dialogue with the creatures would help.

DS: So I need to confront them?

NG: A better step than confrontation is to imagine having a dialogue with them, where you express everything you want to say, and then are also open to listening to their responses. This is an important step because they’re a part of you that’s trying to get your attention, trying to communicate through the dream with your conscious mind. By having this dialogue you begin the process of understanding, integrating and transforming the “inner monster” into a inner friend, into the teddy bear, into a shiny unicorn. The goal is for guests to reimagine the dream to gain something positive out of it; to tune into the subconscious for that special “Aha!” moment that helps you gain insight into a situation or relationship taking place in your waking life.

DS: Okay, I’d like to recreate it as a happy parade, with no element of fear. It can still be snowing.

NG: That’s interesting that you’re still allowing it to snow. Did you know that water represents emotion in dreams? Frozen water–or snow–could be an emotion that you froze, or were at one point unequipped to deal with. Now that the snow is falling, your subconscious may be telling you that you’re now strong enough to process it. Why don’t you go “back” into the dream and imagine classic symbols of support—a wise old woman or man—standing beside you throughout the parade? Give this dream a goal. How do you want it to conclude? How do you want to feel when it ends?

DS: I want to enjoy the parade and find the creatures interesting and approachable. I want to sense the triumphant nature of the parade.

NG: At this point, I’d ask you to get onto the treatment table, and imagine your capacity to take charge of the parade. I’d then lure you into a meditative state with a Native America drum.

DS: What does the drum do?

NG: While the rhythm will help regulate your breathing, facilitating a trance-like, deeply meditative state, the beats will bring your left and right brain waves into harmony and balance. I also use stones, crystals and a tuning fork intuitively throughout the treatment to help guide your energy flow. It clears the aura around you so that you’re ready to pick up on your subconscious and receive messages your subconscious communicates to you through dreams.

DS: So I’m searching my subconscious for clues?

NG: You’re opening a doorway so that they may come to you. The unconscious mind picks up on a lot of signals that the conscious part misses. It knows when you’re asking for help, and it picks up on red flags and positive signs in your life.

DS: How about afterward?

NG: A range of emotional reactions may occur. I’ve had clients cry, reach epiphanies and experience euphoria. We then discuss the experience, and I offer my professional input on what the dreams mean. In your instance, we’d examine the issues ‘parading’ through your subconscious, in a newly-clear light. Then I offer tips for the client to take home that will help her hone in on future dreams and retain valuable pieces of information from the subconscious.

DS: Can you give an example of a tip?

NG: For the next couple of nights, as you’re drifting off to sleep in bed, repeat to yourself, “I want to remember my dreams; I want to remember my dreams.” This triggers subconscious activity. And keep a dream journal. Writing down even the smallest, most fleeting images can open a window of insight.

Does your business offer any treatments that are off the beaten spa path? We’d love to hear about them. Write to koreilly@creativeage.com.—Katie O’Reilly

It’s that time again! The DAYSPA team is looking for the best in the industry for our upcoming 2011 DAYSPA Top Honors. Every year, we acknowledge exceptional spa facilities and the stellar management efforts that back them up. From Top Spa Design to Top Employer, we make sure all bases are covered and that the very best are represented in each category.

“DAYSPA looks forward to celebrating industry excellence each year in our Top Honors issue,” executive editor Rhonda J. Wilson says. “We’re proud to acknowledge the spas that excel in these challenging times and inspire others to do the same.”

Oasis Day Spa hasn’t slowed down since it was named the 2010 Diamond Award recipient. It has added multiple regional recognitions to its dossier and maintains a strong reputation.

“Receiving the DAYSPA Top Honors Diamond Award was so gratifying for the whole staff,” Oasis co-owner Bruce Schoenberg says. “Once you’ve achieved a certain level of recognition, the hardest part is staying there. That’s what we want to do. We don’t want to rest on our laurels.”

Introduced in 2010, Top Website is still a fairly new category. With the Internet being so integral to all businesses, it’s been a great one to track. It’s exciting to see how spa owners are stepping it up in this department and making their online presence part of a spa’s overall experience. We hope you agree!

We’ll need your help in identifying the businesses that are worthy of special recognition this year. Nominations are accepted in the following categories:

DAYSPA Diamond: A single-location day spa owner who has perfected every aspect of his/her business.

Top Spa Design: A facility with an outstanding design from the standpoints of functionality, originality, beauty, comfort and client appeal.

Top Boutique: A day spa that does an exceptional job of buying and merchandising products to maximize retail income.

Top Green Spa: A business that goes above and beyond to incorporate environmentally conscious/organic elements into its business.

Top Package: An exceptional combination of services that has continued to bring in new and repeat clients for at least a year, and generates media and client attention.

Entrepreneur of the Year: A day spa owner with one to four locations who has made exceptional business strides in a short time under competitive circumstances.

Top Medical Spa: A medspa that offers a true day spa experience along with in-depth medical services and treatments. (The business must offer day spa services independent of a medical practice and serve a high percentage of repeat clients.)

Top Hotel/Resort Spa: A spa located within a hotel or resort that’s open to clients from the surrounding community.

Top Day Spa/Medical Spa Chain: A business with multiple locations and a corporate structure that can be replicated successfully beyond the direct supervision of the original owner.

Rising Star: An individual with less than five years of experience as a spa/salon owner who has exhibited outstanding business acumen and industry understanding.

Top Employer: A day spa owner who has several long-term employees, outstanding benefits and helps his/her staff grow professionally.

Top Promotion: An exceptional promotional program that brings in new clients, generates word-of-mouth advertising and draws media attention.

Top Website: An online home for a spa that serves as an extension of the business. It should fully explain the facility’s mission and treatments, as well as add to the overall guest experience.

REQUIRED INFORMATION: Include as many of the following as possible for each nominee: business name, business owner name, business description and history, website address, references, service menu and images. Also, indicate the award(s) for which you’re making the nomination(s).

ALL NOMINATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1. The winners will be announced in our January 2011 issue of DAYSPA.

Please email nominations and all required information to rwilson@creativeage.com, or mail it to: Rhonda J. Wilson, DAYSPA Magazine, 7628 Densmore Ave., Van Nuys, CA 91406-2042.—Candice Yang

Last June, the Independent Cosmetic Manufacturers and Distributors Association (ICMAD) hosted its annual dinner and awards ceremony in New York City for cosmetic innovators of the year. Several representatives from skin care and cosmetics companies were in attendance for the association’s seventh annual CITY Awards event.

Clarisonic received the CITY award for Best Personal Care Product. The Opal Sonic Infusion System—a top-selling device that infuses serum into the epidermis to renew the appearance of skin in the eye area—was selected for its originality, packaging and advertising.

Clarisonic principal Robb Akridge, Ph.D., personally accepted the award. “The marketplace is responsive to products that deliver on their promises,” he says. “We’re honored to receive this stamp of approval as a reinforcement of our dedication to innovative sonic skin care.”

Clarisonic principal Robb Akridge, Ph.D.

Advertising, marketing and sales executives serve as CITY Awards judges. While all have considerable experience in the cosmetic industry, none are currently affiliated with any companies. In opening remarks to the 100-plus ceremony attendees, ICMAD president Pamela Jo Busiek said, “The City Awards represent dedication, effort and creativity, and aim to recognize the innovations that independent companies bring to the beauty industry.”

Throughout the evening, nine awards were bestowed in the following categories: Product, Package Design, Sales, and Marketing Innovation.

“For me, the CITY Awards represent everything that makes this industry so dynamic,” Busiek says.

For more information, visit the association’s website.—Katie O’Reilly

This month, the Associated Bodywork & Massage Professionals (ABMP) calls on individuals nationwide to relax and rejuvenate through the power of touch. Sunday, July 18 through Saturday, July 24 is EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week. As in years past, ABMP members will hold grassroots events in communities throughout the country to spread the word about the value of professional massage.

In the event’s 16th year, the association is taking things a step further. ABMP recently offered the co-hosts of ABC-TV’s The View a complimentary massage therapy session, on air, at some point during the week. They made the same proposal to Joe Scarborough of NBC-TV’s Morning Joe. The association made these offers in an effort to dispel disrespectful comments about massage therapy that these shows recently aired. The commentary was mostly in light of Al Gore’s headline-making scandal involving a massage therapist in 2006, which was recently leaked to the media.

“There’s no better time than now to tell the world about the value of legitimate, professional massage therapy,” says ABMP president Les Sweeney. “It’s clear from recent events in the news that there are still a few folks out there–including some in the media—who aren’t clear about the code of conduct followed by massage therapists and the therapeutic value of professional massage therapy.”

The association aims to inform a large, televised audience that massage therapy is professional work that requires significant training, licensing and adherence to a strict code of ethics.

We’ll keep you posted on whether these networks will take the ABMP up on their offer. And if so, we’ll be sure to publish the days and times which they’ll be gracing the airwaves.

Is your spa doing anything to commemorate EveryBody Deserves a Massage Week? Tell us about it! Write to koreilly@creativeage.com.—Katie O’Reilly

Austin spas and salons rally together to support charity.


Abby Lewandowski knows there’s power in numbers. When she had the idea to stage a fashion and hair show to benefit charity, the owner of Urban Groove Salon in Austin reached out to the local spa/salon community for support.

“It’s a community that cares,” she says. “Everyone I contacted was game.”

The benefit, held last April, included hair and makeup styles from Vanity Salon, Breeze Salon & Day Spa, MaximumFX Salon Spa, Path Salon, Jackson Ruiz, Bodies by Anne and Urban Groove. Local fashion designers provided the clothing, and the community came out in droves. “We raised more than $1,000 in just one night,” Lewandowski says. “And the next one will be bigger.”

She plans to make Salon Industry Night a regular fixture in the Austin scene. The next event is slated for October and will benefit the Livestrong foundation. To show your support–or join in if you’re Austin-based–visit the Salon Industry Night Facebook page.

“We can all make a difference locally, to support our industry and causes close to our hearts,” Lewandowski says.

Spa owner Audrey Brown is a self-proclaimed “huge fan” of the popular CBS-TV reality scavenger hunt game show, The Amazing Race. And the No. 1 cause she champions is education initiatives for young children.

So when the Chesapeake Health Investment Program (CHIPS), a non-profit organization that provides support and educational services to families of kids aged prenatal through 6, asked if her business could be a stop on an Amazing Race segment to benefit the charity, she raised them one. Not only did Natural Elements Spa & Salon in Chesapeake, Virginia, play host to the 48 teams of four that were scrambling to complete that local obstacle course on race day, but Brown rallied her staff to form a spa team to participate in the whirlwind scavenger scramble.

“It sounded like such a good, fun time, and for the best cause,” she says. “It just made perfect sense.”

While the team worked to raise money by publicizing the event to spa guests, they were meanwhile brainstorming ways to turn Natural Elements into a memorable leg of the obstacle race.

“We finally settled on giving teams a choice between waxing all the hair off of each other’s arms or painting each others’ fingernails,” Brown says. Somewhat surprisingly, more than half took the waxing challenge.

By the end of the race on June 5, the Natural Elements team had racked up the highest combination of challenge points, bonus points and funds raised. The town mayor and several other city officials greeted the winning spa folks at the finish line. They presented the Natural Elements team with their award and showed gracious support for the outstanding efforts of the CHIPS organization.


The huge trophy is now proudly displayed in the spa’s reception area. How does your spa participate in community events and show support for meaningful causes? Send your adventures to koreilly@creativeage.com. –Katie O’Reilly