Helga Van Dyke

Spa Week Goes Big
Spa Week, the promotion that began in October 2004 with 25 New York spas offering $50 treatments designed to tempt consumers to try the latest spa services, recently announced that this year Spa Week will come to more than 300 spas in 22 markets across the United States and Canada. “The message of Spa Week isn’t just about providing an affordable spa experience,” says co-founder Christina Castro of C&R Media. “It’s about educating the public that the spa lifestyle can help create a healthier America.” A portion of all Spa Week proceeds benefits Cancer and Careers (cancerandcareers.org), a nonprofit organization for working women with cancer.

The spring Spa Week is scheduled for April 16-22. In the fall, the West Coast (San Francisco; Los Angeles; Orange County, CA; San Diego; Seattle; Oregon; and Arizona) will hold the event on September 17-23, while the East Coast (New York; New Jersey; Philadelphia; Boston; Washington, D.C.; Virginia; Baltimore; Atlanta; Dallas; Detroit; Denver; Chicago; Miami; Tampa, FL; Minnesota; and Toronto) will hold the event on October 15-21. For more information visit Spa Week’s upgraded website at spaweek.org. (For a look at L.A. Spa Week 2006, see “The Spa Week Phenomenon” in the July 2006 DAYSPA—Ed.)

Web Update
Skincare manufacturer DermaQuest recently revamped its website (dermaquestinc.com) as part of its overall new image, including new packaging, new color-coded categories for its products and a new company logo. The user-friendly site includes detailed product and ingredient information, company philosophy and background, articles written by president/CEO Sam Dhatt and a professional-only section.

The B.E.S.T. in Hollywood
Salon and spa owners will gather in the glamorous movie capital of Hollywood to celebrate the best of the best in 2008. The B.E.S.T. Foundation (Business Education for Salons Today) has announced that its biannual Global Salon Business Forum and Awards will be held in Hollywood, CA, on June 7-9, 2008. The awards program, created and managed by the University of California, Los Angeles, Anderson School of Management, recognizes leading salon and spa owners who have consistently demonstrated extraordinary business and entrepreneurial success in salon leadership, general management, financial prosperity, marketing/promotion, and have made lasting contributions to the industry and their communities.

The forum is set to include a welcoming event in Beverly Hills and a reception on the Universal Studios backlot. Dr. Alfred E. Osborne Jr., senior associate dean and faculty director at the Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies at the Anderson School of Management, will lead the business forum on topics including leadership, marketing, leveraging business assets and business evolution management. For more information visit salonbusinessawards.com.

Scholarly Honors
The International Spa Association (ISPA) has created a $1,500 scholarship in honor of spa industry pioneer and Cornell University associate professor Mary H. Tabacchi, Ph.D., R.D. Tabacchi holds a Ph.D. in biochemical nutrition and biostatistics, and began teaching at Cornell in 1972. She has published numerous papers and books on nutrition, spas and related subjects. The Mary Tabacchi Scholarship will be awarded to undergraduate students who’ve completed one year of college, are seeking a spa-related degree and have a demonstrated interest in spa management. Recipients will also receive complimentary registration, airfare and accommodations to attend the ISPA Conference and Expo or ISPA International Spa and Wellness Conference and Exhibition in Asia. Scholarship applications are expected to become available sometime this year. For more information contact ISPA at experienceispa.com.

Nail Community Cares
When Creative Nail Design president John Heffner was selected as the City of Hope 2007 Honoree, he made it clear that he was accepting on behalf of the entire nail industry. To that end, CND’s Doug Schoon, OPI Products’ Eric Schwartz and Kupa’s Vicki Peters are spearheading the Nail Community Cares program. The group will sell pink high-shine buffers with the Nail Community Cares logo for $2 each; net proceeds will go to the City of Hope for breast cancer research. The goal is to sell at least 100,000 buffers by July.

If you’re inspired to help the cause, the group is looking for volunteers to work a two- to three-hour shift at industry trade shows to sell the buffers and take donations. Current shows include the Midwest Beauty Show (March 3-5), the Las Vegas Hair and Nail Show (June 2-5) and the Premiere Orlando show (June 9-11); others are to be determined. For information on volunteering or to share ideas for selling more buffers contact Doug Schoon at doug.schoon@cnail.com or Vicki Peters at nailwoman@aol.com.

A Wynne-ing Change
Industry consultant and spa management educational firm Preston Wynne Success Systems recently rebranded itself as Wynne Business. The change coincides with the company’s introduction of its High Performance Spa graduate-level course for spa directors who have completed the Spa Directors’ Management Intensive program. (The course is also open to professionals with comparable industry experience.) The new program covers advanced topics including leadership, marketing, operations, financial controls, human resources and business growth planning. In addition to the name change, Wynne Business has also updated its website (wynnebusiness.com) to include a new spa business blog, written by company founder Peggy Wynne Borgman, drawing upon her experience running her hotel spa and day spa in California’s Silicon Valley. “Our clients appreciate that we’re actually in the trenches today, since the industry has changed so much in the last five years,” says Borgman.

A Whole New Concept
Austin, TX-based Whole Foods Market, known for its organic, healthy product choices, has taken the concept one step further with the opening of its first on-premises spa. According to a December 6 report from the Dallas Star-Telegram newspaper, the Dallas store location features the first Refresh: The Everyday Spa in a 4,500-square-foot space above the grocery floor. The spa includes seven treatment rooms and offers a variety of services, including massages and body scrubs. Clients can order dishes from the chef’s spa menu, or consult with the store’s dietician. Massage chairs placed on a balcony overlooking the main floor offer shoppers a quick break, and the spa’s reception area is stocked with Whole Foods’ higher-end beauty products. For those who’d rather spa than shop, for a fee, the store’s Food Concierge will gather requested grocery items while clients enjoy services upstairs.

Worthy Walking
This year marked the fifth year of participation for nail manufacturer Creative Nail Design in the San Diego 3-Day Breast Cancer Walk to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation and the National Philanthropic Trust, which funds breast cancer research, education, screening and treatment. The Creative Cure team walked 60 miles and had raised a total of $46,447 as of press time. “The experience was truly extraordinary,” said Jan Arnold, company co-founder. “I walked because it’s more than just writing a check—I wanted to personally show that I care.” CND hopes to expand next year’s team (to be renamed Beauty and the Breast) to at least 35 members representing all segments of the beauty industry and to raise more than $75,000. For more information about joining next year’s walk, email teambeautyandthebreast@yahoo.com; to continue sponsoring this year’s CND team, visit the3day.org and search for “The Creative Cure” team or call 800/996-3DAY.