Of course, the only summer days we have had this year, I spent indoors!
Our third year at Spa Life UK did not disappoint, although I appear to have temporarily lost my voice from all the chatting and then somehow passed this on to my cat! Who knew kitties could lose their voices?! Forgive me, I digress.
This year’s Spa Life UK was held at The Old Thorns Hotel and Resort, Liphook and what an incredible venue that is. I did manage to get into the pool on the last day of the conference for a much-needed swim and I have to say, the pool is huge and surrounded by lovely facilities, I think a re-visit might be in order.
I always look forward to Spa Life, not just because it gets my business in front of so many spa businesses, but the real reason I look forward to it so much is good food, great company, beautiful locations and the chance to get to know people in the spa industry on a real and personal level. I have come away (without a voice) with so many new connections made and some really great memories and insights.
I don’t think I have laughed so hard in a long time! I wish I could share, but a girl has to have some secrets!
The Good Spa Guide awards this year were fantastic! Hosted by Sally Phillips from Smack The Pony (this has to be my favourite clip of theirs Oriental Massage), this was a superb celebration of some of the best spas in the UK. I think this was the most finalists I have seen, and I feel so privileged to work with so many of these amazing spas. A huge congratulations to all of the winners!
However, the biggest take-away for me from this incredible event was the speech given from the UK Spa Association, which has inspired me to look into a membership with them. They shared a snapshot of what is going on in the industry right now which included some real eye-opening figures on recruitment within spas. A whopping 44% of spa job vacancies are not being filled, 36% of those vacancies having been left unfilled for more than 6 months. It just goes to show the scale of the problem within the industry right now and the need for more temporary spa therapists.
On a plus side, 60% of spas surveyed have seen a significant increase in the demand for treatments in the last 12 months.
How amazing is that? It is so lovely to see how the general public are continuing to put their health and wellness first and make themselves a priority.
The spa industry is such a vital part of health and wellness and I continue to be thrilled and proud to be a part of it.