IECSC New York Brings Booming Business
to the Big Apple

The spa industry was busy doing business in New York City this past week! The 2010 International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference – New York enjoyed a packed tradeshow floor, and a well-attended conference program at the Javits Center in New York City, which took place March 7-9. With more than 200 manufacturers on the show floor, attendees were able to source and purchase the newest products in the spa market. Conference offerings focused on how to sustain business in a difficult economy.

“This was an extremely successful IECSC New York event, surpassing prior New York shows” said Dana Lupton, vice president of the spa industry group. “Spa industry professionals came to this event to buy and seek out relationships with new suppliers, and we are hopeful that the activity on the show floor is a positive sign of great things ahead for the spa industry.”

The show floor was also host to multiple product launches, including:

• Revitalash, America’s #1 Cosmetic Eyelash Conditioner, promoted their newest product, Revitabrow which helps revitalize eyebrows so they look thicker and fuller in just weeks, utilizing the power of peptides and botanicals for strengthening, conditioning and nourishing.
• Blinc announced the launch of its latest innovation, Fountain of Youthful Color Eye Shadow Phase One, the original eye shadow base invented to keep eye shadow put, while providing skin with anti-aging benefits at the same time.
• Éminence Organic Skin Care debuted their new line for Spring 2010 which included Lychee & Chestnut Firming Leg Treatment, an immuno boosting leg cream. Horse chestnut and butcher’s broom work together to improve circulation, stimulate the skin, and reduce visible signs of varicose veins.

For the first time at the New York show, the ‘Best Booth Awards’ were given out for the most attractive and unique booths on the show floor. The American Spa editors and IECSC show management team walked the aisles, and placed their votes. Farmhouse Fresh won in the smaller booth category, while Your Name Professional Brands, took the honor in the larger booth category. Congratulations to both companies!

IECSC Las Vegas is up next, taking place April 24-26. Following that will be IECSC Florida, November 6-7, in Fort Lauderdale. All of the IECSC events are sponsored by American Spa magazine. For more information please visit www.iecsc.com.

—Alyssa Harmon, Marketing Manager, Questex Media

SpaExec Excites In NYC

The weekend of IECSC New York also featured a successful SpaExec event filled with excellent education, great networking opportunities, and a packed party where industry movers-and-shakers gathered for cocktails and connections. The event kicked of on Monday, March 8, at the Javits Center with a keynote address from Sarah Boumphrey, countries and consumers research manager at Euromonitor International’s London Office, who addressed the topic of “Looking Beyond the Recession.” Next, a panel that included Peggy Wynne Borgman, CEO of Wynne Business and Preston Wynne Spa; Susie Ellis, president of Spa Finder; Mia Kyricos, director of global spa brands and programming for Starwood Hotels & Resorts; and Denise Vitiello, spa director at the Mandarin Oriental, New York discussed strategies to target the new generation spa consumer. SpaExec attendees then hopped on a bus to the Westin New York at Times Square. There, they enjoyed cocktails and appetizers while learning about new products and exciting offerings from Being True, Chadsworth & Haig, Comfort Zone, Éminence Organic Skin Care, GliSODin Skin Nutrients, Infinity Sun, La Bella Donna, M.D. Corrective Care, Matis Paris, Harms Software, O2 Intraceuticals, Oakworks, Pevonia Botanica, Pino, Rena Levi, RevitaLash, Sanitas Skincare, Sothys Paris, SpaRitual, Universal Companies, and Your Name Professional Brands. Next up is SpaExec Las Vegas, which will take place April 23 during IECSC Las Vegas. Visit www.spaexec.net for details.

Highlands Spa at Ritz-Carlton Tahoe Helps Guests Get Their Beauty Sleep

On the heels of Heather Mikesell’s blog entry a few days ago about National Sleep Awareness Week, which ends today, I was thinking about a remarkable sleep treatment I had in December. I was going through a particularly stressful time in my life at the end of last year and was having trouble sleeping. Yes, I had broken into the Ambien and it was the only thing that allowed me to get some decent shuteye. I was in dire straits by the time I flew to Tahoe mid-month for opening weekend of The Ritz-Carlton Highlands, Lake Tahoe (here’s my story!).

While being quietly tucked away in the mountains did wonders for my stress level, the Drift to Sleep ($300, 2 hours) service at the spa really helped me get back on a reasonable sleep schedule. Developed in house, this service took place in a beautiful treatment room that offered views of the mountain. (Actually, the same room that ran on our cover.) I took a warm soak in a copper tub and watched the snowfall while I sipped a special blend of tea, which promotes relaxation. Following my bath, I had a stellar head-to-toe massage that really left me in a sublime state. The best part was that I didn’t have to rush out of the treatment room after my massage was finished—I had 30 minutes to myself to doze off and recuperate from weeks of insomnia. The treatment—and my weekend in Tahoe—helped me get back on track with sleep and sent me straight to Cloud 9!

For more on sleep-related treatments at the spa, click here.

Holly Doss Helps Brides Become Wedding Belles

While I think it is very sweet that my fiancé sends me a wedding countdown every day through text message, each message is a daily reminder that there isn’t much time left to start that diet, fitness plan, and skincare regimen I hoped to be far along with by now but haven’t even started thinking about yet! That is why I was extremely excited to come across LA-based makeup artist Holly Doss’ new Blushing Bride: A Bride’s Guide to Looking Her Most Radiant book. This beauty bible provides brides-to-be with a wealth of information and her proven step-by-step process to becoming a radiant bride, including a skincare diet and regimen for every skin type, a fitness plan to tighten and tone within a few weeks, tips on disaster-proofing the “look”, products made for grooming and controlling mishaps, and creating makeup looks based on the bride’s wedding type. With only 36 days to go, according to today’s text message, I better start reading!

NYC Spa-Goers To Experience the
Luck O’ the Irish at Just Calm Down Spa

In New York City, it’s not easy to ignore St. Patrick’s Day, which is less than a week away. On March 17, the city will be awash in a sea of green, complete with parades, Irish pub crawls, green beer, corned beef and cabbage specials, and…spa treatments. Thanks to Just Calm Down Spa, spa-goers who sign up for treatments on St. Paddy’s Day receive a free pint of beer, as well as discounts on some of the spa’s most popular services. Massage aficionados score a 20-percent savings on the Great Ginger Escape Deep Heat Therapy Massage, the Morocckin’ on the Marrakesh Express Massage, and the 007 Will Send You to Heaven Dirty Martini Massage. Sweet Shop Manicures Pedicures will be discounted by 20 percent, or guests can opt for a free paraffin treatment instead. Meanwhile, the Signature Swedish Massage and the Jewelicious Deep Cleansing Facial are being offered for 15 percent off. For Irish-minded serenity seekers, it’s a pot ‘o spa gold at the end of the relaxation rainbow.

A Visit to the New Hyatt Andaz Wall Street
Makes for a Relaxing Getaway

Being a travel junkie, I’ve never been a fan of staycations. I’d much rather get out of Dodge. However, after receiving an invitation for a complimentary one-night stay at the new Hyatt Andaz Wall Street, I finally decided to see for myself what all the staycation fuss was about. To my surprise, it wasn’t long before I was won over. Not only did I experience a relaxing Oxygen Boost facial at the Spa at Andaz and a fabulous meal at Wall & Water, the hotel’s open-kitchen restaurant, but I also found time to explore the downtown area, a part of New York City I rarely get a chance to visit. By checkout time, I had discovered a new lease on life and was thinking another staycation might soon be in order. Look for more on the Spa at Andaz in an upcoming issue.

Via Yoga Helps Guests Shape Up South of the Border

Like most women I know, prior to a beach vacation, I seriously amp up my workout routine and watch what I eat more carefully to ensure I will look my absolute best in a bathing suit. But as soon as I arrive at my destination, all my hard work goes down the drain. In fact, upon my return home, I often weigh more, thanks to the high-calorie food I’ve consumed, the fruity cocktails full of sugar I imbibed, and my sheer lack of will power to exercise on my own.

To help vacationers avoid falling into this trap, Via Yoga is offering a yoga and surf retreat in Sayulita, Mexico that will help guests get in better shape while enjoying the magic of Mexico. And as an added incentive, clients will receive 15 percent off when they book a retreat through April 23rd. The trip, which ranges in rate from $1,995 to $4,095 per person, includes:

• Two 90-minute yoga or Pilates classes each day in an open-air studio overlooking the ocean

•Daily surf lessons

• Six night accommodations at Villa Amor in an open-aired oceanfront villa

• Daily maid service

• Daily breakfast and three group dinners at Villa Amor and local restaurants

• A one-hour massage

• A day trip to Punta Mita for surfing or snorkeling

• Roundtrip airport transfers from Puerto Vallarta International Airport

According to Lauren Oktay, a naturopathic physician and owner of Basic Goodness Whole Health Coaching in Seattle, vacationers can burn up to 1,500 calories a day, depending on their body type and the intensity of the classes, plus this vacation offers motivation to stay in shape at home. “A week of great food and mindful fun exercise is a great springboard for an ongoing health and fitness routine,” says Oktay. “One week of awesome self-care reminds people how good it feels to have muscles that are worked and minds that are de-cluttered.

A vacation where I come back from looking better than when I left? Sign me up. For more information, click here.

Spa-Goers Experience Springtime Awakening
At The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn

After a long, miserable, and snowy winter, we are finally seeing signs of spring in New York City. It’s been sunny and above 50 degrees for the past few days, and I’ve definitely got spring fever. So have the folks at The Spa at Rancho Bernardo Inn. They’re getting spa-goers into the spirit of the season with a selection of springtime specials.

The Spring Spa & Lunch Package ($140 Monday-Thursday; $160 Friday-Sunday) helps spa-goers shed their winter skincare woes with a 50-Minute Facial or Massage, a Detoxifying Back Masque, and a scrumptious Spa Lunch. They’ve also unveiled their springtime Made Fresh Daily ($150, 80 minutes) experience, which is available through March 31. The Avocado & Rosemary session includes a scrub, wrap, and massage using ingredients culled from the region. The spa is also bringing back its Sample the Spa event, which occurs several Sunday afternoons in April and May. For just $99, guests can partake in  three 15-minute spa treatments that are each paired with a flirty springtime beverage.

Rancho Bernardo isn’t the only spa offering springtime specials. We’ve highlighted some spectacular spring-inspired treatments in our April issue, so be sure to check out the In Touch Menu section for a selection of tantalizing treatments. What are you doing to usher in spring at your spa? Post your comment here!

WellWise Launches Supplement Website

WellWise.org, which is owned by a nonprofit organization and has a mission to provide unbiased, accurate, and authoritative information regarding healthy living and nutrition, recently launched its online site. Visitors to the website can find extensive information on a range of supplements and the latest information on their impact on various health conditions and links to scientific research. The site also features blogs by numerous scientists, food and nutrition writers, researchers, and doctors. In addition, each month, the site will highlight a “Featured Nutrient” and will provide in-depth reporting on the value of and science behind the nutrient as well as video and audio interviews. Says WellWise.org’s editor-in-chief James Townsend, “We aspire to become a trusted source of information on supplemental nutrition and news, as well as a meeting place for intelligent consumers, nutritionists, integrative medical practitioners, and researchers in this important field of dietary supplements.”

For more information on supplements, check out The New Ingestibles in American Spa’s February issue.

The Benjamin in New York City Launches Sleep Package During National Sleep Awareness Week

I used to be a pretty sound sleeper, but now I’m like millions of other Americans who struggle to get a good night’s rest. This week, March 7 through 13, marks National Sleep Awareness Week, so I’m determined to get a full eight hours of shut-eye in the next couple of nights. The Benjamin hotel (New York City) is also doing what it can to send guests to the land of nod with “The Art of Sleep” package (starting at $289 per night). Available through December 31, the package includes suite accommodations for two nights, a consultation with the hotel’s Sleep Concierge who offers advice on selecting a pillow and other sleep-related issues, a nightly bedtime snack of the hotel’s famous PB&J finger sandwiches, 20 percent off a sleep-inducing spa treatment at The Benjamin’s Wellness Spa, and a late 2 p.m. checkout. Guests will also receive The National Sleep Foundation’s Guide to Sleeping Well kit, which features an eye mask, lavender bath salts, a soothing CD, and a copy of A Good Night’s Sleep. And starting March 7, Benjamin Dream Journals are being placed in guest rooms and suites to encourage guests to share their dreams. For sleep tips and the chance to win various sleep-inducing amenities, head to Twitter and check out what The Benjamin’s Sleep Concierge has to say at @sleepconcierge.