CHAIRMAN'S UPDATE

February 28, 2012

Things are bustling at ISPA and 2012 is off to a great start. The Connect event held in conjunction with the January board meeting in Seattle was a tremendous success. It was also exciting to participate in a lively panel discussion at the Global Beauty & Wellness Exchange in Laguna Beach, California along with my colleagues from ICMAD, Intercoiffure and DSA. Next up is the Houston Connect on March 26 and it is generating lots of interest.

One of the things I most enjoy in my role as chairman is sharing with you some updates from our most recent ISPA Board meeting. Seattle was a rewarding and motivational experience. We made great progress on many fronts and that is thanks to the active, thoughtful and frank discussion brought forward by a dynamic and engaged board. I am truly grateful for their participation and very excited about what's in store for ISPA this year.

Our meeting was filled with discussion and ideas for advancing and promoting the spa industry. We were reminded by our talented governance expert, Nancy Axelrod to zero in on what our diverse membership needs and what promotes their growth. It really boils down to two critical filters - do our decisions advance the spa industry and are they beneficial to our association members? This shapes our strategic planning and guides our decision-making process.

This framework sets the stage for a review of the member benefits and platforms we have in place and where to focus our efforts moving forward. With this in mind, one of the projects the board determined to sunset in its current form is LiveSpa, our consumer publication. We will instead rely on strategic alliances and partnerships to connect with the consumer audience. In fact, we are increasingly looking for ways to align and partner with like-minded organizations to advance the spa, wellness and beauty industry and provide increased benefit to our ISPA members.

I hope you have noticed a new benefit that was added to the mix through our partnership with SmartBrief and the launch of ISPA SmartBrief. The member benefits survey many of you took spoke to how much this new benefit is being enjoyed. Your responses also reinforced how critically important industry research is as a membership benefit and we will continue to invest in the quality research you've come to expect from your association. The newest ISPA Foundation Consumer Snapshot Initiative provided insight into both spa-goers and non spa-goers in the United States. The response to the first edition of the consumer snapshot was overwhelmingly positive and we look forward to continuing these as the second edition rolls out later this year. With increased fundraising we hope to roll out many more.

I am also proud to announce the election of our new Secretary/Treasurer Todd Walter of Red Door Spas. Todd's commitment to the spa industry is admirable and we are thankful for his leadership in this role.

Excitement is building as we look toward the 2012 ISPA Conference & Expo in October. Your Speaker Selection Task Force is already hard at work to secure incredible speakers and presentations that make Conference a valuable, memorable and life changing experience. Memorable experiences that lead to building better businesses and becoming more effective leaders are critical to the success of the spa industry. ISPA is evolving alongside the spa industry to remain the most relevant resource for you.

We want to continue to hear your voice - through serving on our task forces or simply reaching out to give your thoughts - we will continue to evolve and grow together. With the membership renewal season coming upon us be sure to plan ahead for renewing, attending Conference and getting involved in all of the opportunities to gather as members in the coming months. Stay tuned and stay engaged as we grow and mature as an industry and as leaders in our industry.

With thanks,
Ella Stimpson