NEWS
Clockwise from top left: Dr Elissa Epel, Co-Founder of Telome Health; Ted Souder, Google’s Head of Industry & Retail; Jose Maria Figueres-Olsen, President of the Carbon War Room & Former President of Costa Rica; Martha Wiedemann of Badrutt’s Palace Hotel, Switzerland and Lucie Brousseau of Relais Santé, Canada, with John and Karina Stewart of Kamalaya Koh Samui, Thailand
Global Spa & Wellness Summit 2012
Summit inspiration More business-boosting ideas
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• Harness technological advances Opportunities in the new worlds of wellness gaming and gadgets were a hot topic, from biometric monitoring devices to mobile apps. Spas were urged to improve their online engagement, from embracing social media, including platforms like Pinterest, to encouraging their guests to ‘check- in’ on Facebook or foursquare. They were also urged to create educational YouTube videos of their facilities, treatments and products and ensure that online booking is easy.
• Create sustainable health solutions The latest research described willpower as a limited brain resource, therefore spas may need to rethink their regime- changing programmes, particularly for weight loss. Using the latest techniques in self-control science they were urged to remove temptations, not over-tax client decision-making and implement mindfulness programmes to achieve truly sustainable health changes.
• Reach out to youth The industry was asked to focus far more on children and teens, given that lifestyle behaviours, such as diet and exercise, begin cementing by age two. A global childhood obesity surge is underway. There are currently 155 million overweight adults and 45 million obese children worldwide. Spas have an untapped opportunity to create more youth programming specifi cally focused on developing positive wellness habits.
• Call in the community Medical experts explained how loneliness is at an unprecedented level, and how isolation can lead to serious health problems and early mortality. Spas have a natural opportunity, as trusted places of ‘touch’, to address this problem, but haven’t yet capitalised on their potential as places of true community.
about our biological age and future health prospects. She explained that telomeres, an unfamiliar term for many present, are the buffers, or caps, found on the ends of the 23 sets of chromosomes in human DNA. They protect our chromosomes’ ends from deterioration, from fusing with others, or ‘rearranging’ – all abnormalities that can lead to cancer. Referring to these chromosome ‘caps’ as ‘Clocks of Life’ she revealed that they can give a true refl ection of biological age, as opposed to chronological age. She also shared some of the latest unpublished research work that demonstrates how telomere length will serve in the future as a powerful predictor of cell ageing, pending disease and even early mortality. She also revealed that healthy-living behaviours like stress-reduction, exercise, meditation and good nutrition may work as crucial interventions in improving telomere health, making this a fascinating new frontier for spa and wellness providers to consider.
Moments that matter Google’s Ted Souder, Head of Industry & Retail, gave an excellent presentation called ‘Make Technology Work for You’, tracking the technological revolution and how these advances in technology can be used to positively infl uence
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the spa guest’s experience. He asked delegates to consider how they were engaging with their customers through technology at every stage of the spa journey “to create moments that matter”. He also highlighted how important it is for delegates to engage with their teams. Are they encouraged, at whatever level, to communicate ideas to innovate business? He used the Google business model to highlight the importance of utilising every person in a company in order to gather more creative suggestions, make better decisions and help the business grow bigger, faster. Finally, he reminded us that technology is cheaper than it has ever been, stating: “The cost has never been lower. The ease has never been easier. This is a fabulous time, even with challenging economic conditions all over the world. Use it to build better relationships with your customers.” Souder concluded: “As an industry, we’re feverishly trying to fi gure out how to be liked. You, as a business, should be trying to fi gure that out as well. It’s about economic value. Can [potential clients] fi nd you easily? Can they navigate your site easily? The data [that technology can provide] helps you understand that, so you can provide a more robust experience for your customer.”
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