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Innovation through Imagination
Kira and Mark Walton from Voya report on this year’s 6th Annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit.
The 2012 theme ‘Innovation through Imagination’ was the result of a careful process of analysis and research that sought to identify the year’s most important topics for the Spa and wellness industry but also for the world.
A social, networking environment
The GSWS saw an international delegation of 300-plus senior executives from 40-plus countries. We have attended for four years now as it is a great way to network with global industry partners, but it is also a cutting-edge event, packed with three days of presentations and panels that have some of the most imaginative and innovative strategies that can propel the $2 trillion global Spa and wellness industries forward.
The schedule, though challenging, also allows for an array of social and one-on- one networking experiences each day: from gala dinners, to group touring and hiking excursions in and around Aspen.
The event is not like a trade show event and overt ‘pitching’ is frowned upon, and competitors are expected to share and contribute to the dialogue to advance the greater good.
This year there was a number of top-tier keynote speakers – and a crucial research initiative on current Spa management education realities and future needs were presented. Annual polls of Summit delegates consistently reveal that a lack of professionally trained managers / directors remains a powerful obstacle to industry growth. So, for
2012, the Summit commissioned research firm SRI International to undertake the study ‘Spa Management Education, Addressing Market Gaps’ – proving to be a great insight into how to bring more professionals into the industry.
The key headline presenters were selected to speak on topics surrounding ‘innovation’ and ‘imagination’. Most valuable for us is not only the research which gives us hard figures locally and also globally, but also the exposure to Spa trends in the industry globally.
Dr Richard Carmona, 17th U.S. Surgeon General and Vice Chairman of Canyon Ranch, kicked off the keynote speaker series touching upon the 'Pursuit of Global Health & Wellness’.
This year one innovative thinker stood out - John Kao. He was dubbed ‘Mr. Creativity’ by The Economist and is the author of global bestsellers on innovation and business creativity. He had a real ‘left brain’ approach to teaching innovation; his talk ‘Jamming: The Art of Getting Innovation Done’ established why innovation is so critical for the Spa and wellness industries.
His discussion around these industry challenges / opportunities was fascinating: from how Spas need to move from the sporadic ‘event-driven’ model to create more sustainable connections and experiences for clients – to how to actually move beyond serving the ‘1%’ and expand Spa / wellness offerings to demographics like children and entirely new cultures.
Mark and Kira Walton, during their stay in Aspen, Colorado for the 6th Annual Global Spa & Wellness Summit.
GlobalSpaSummit 2013 isdue to takeplace inIndia,withdates and locationtobe confirmed.
Formore information, visit:
globalspaandwellnesssummit.org
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He also spoke on how to better meet the deep needs of Spa-goers, who, Kao argued, come in the first place because they are on a personal, archetypal journey of exploration and seek a very different kind of ‘service’.
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