Economist Kjell
Nordström warned about a loneliness pandemic
Celebrating Africa: delegates donned bright-coloured
kaftans, ate tagine and danced in the desert under the stars at the Arabian Nights gala dinner
Watch out for 3D product printing and robots in retail said Paul Price
commissioned sector-specifi c studies and fi gures from this year’s report – the 2014 Global Spa & Wellness Economy Monitor by SRI International – were attention-grabbing. The worldwide spa industry is worth US$94bn (€73bn, £57bn), employs an estimated 1.9 million people and has grown by 56 per cent since 2007, it was announced. It’s part of a global spa and wellness cluster which SRI values at a whopping US$3.4tn (€2.6tn, £2tn) and we take a closer look at this data on page 94.
Outsider influence The 2014 co-chairs Neil Jacobs and Anna Bjurstam from Six Senses (see SB13/2 p30), along with GSWS president Susie Ellis, put together a roster of compelling speakers from outside the industry who provided fresh perspectives. Retail guru Paul Price from Creative
Realities looked at the shopping experi- ence of tomorrow using technology that’s yet to come and urged everyone in the room to “move technology into
your marketing department”. He spoke about the importance of social commerce, pointing out that Instagram has already integrated a buy button, wearable tech (see p98) and painted a picture of an AI store. In the store, customers will be spotted using facial recognition technology and recommended purchases based on their digital profi le. Although the AI store seems a while off , it does sound plausible for spas and we highlight another application for facial recognition systems in our Spa Foresight™ on page 37. Other things we’ve picked up on in our foresight that Price mentioned include both robots (see p33) and 3D printing (see p34) which could have huge implications for product houses. From international architect Bjarke
Ingels, delegates heard about ‘hedonistic sustainability’. Using a number of thought- provoking case studies, he demonstrated how his fi rm, BIG, specialises in creating designs that are not only eco-friendly but also increase people’s enjoyment. A standout example was an urban ski slope
Spa Business 4 2014 ©Cybertrek 2014 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com/digital
he’s developing around a recycling waste incinerator in Denmark. He suggested a new approach to spa architecture: “You not only have the ability, you have the respon- sibility to change the spaces we live in.” Prepare Yourself for the Urban Express
was the theme of Swedish economist Kjell Nordström’s presentation. The co-author of Funky Business said that “we’re at the beginning of the fastest urbanisation in human history. In 2006, 50 per cent of people lived in cities. In 30 years time that fi gure will be 75-80 per cent. The world economy will be transformed from 200 countries to 600 cities.” The trend will impact on health as well, with loneliness being a key factor. As the traditional family unit disappears, more people are living alone – even today, 50 per cent of households in most major western cities are those of single occupancy. Loneliness has severe ramifi cations for health and this is something else observed in the Spa Foresight™ (see p30), along with how spas might address the problem.
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