The Southwest EduSpa Summit on June 1, 2009 from 8 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. will bring together some of the leading lights of the spa industry for a day-long workshop on the challenges and opportunities provided by the global economic downturn. The summit, titled “Meeting the Economic Challenge” will take place at the Conrad N. Hilton Hotel & Conference Center at the University of Houston, which shares its facilities with the Hilton College, one of the top-ranked hospitality programs in the world. The conference is being co-hosted by the Conrad N. Hilton College, University of California-Irvine, and the Houston Community College.
“This is a chance for the three leading spa educational programs to be an important resource for spa industry executives as they go forward in this climate,” said Carl Boger, associate dean of Academics at the Hilton College. “This crisis has forced businesses to become more efficient and more cost effective, but it’s also provided some opportunity and motivation to retool where changes are needed.” Such is the position of the Hilton College at the University of Houston that a recent article in the Washington Post newspaper featured a comment from Boger himself addressing the economic downturn and its potential consequences for the spa industry.
Among the discussions at the summit will be the urban retreat, branding your company with the “green” label, cracking the cosmetic code, managing the numbers, employee compensation and demonstrations such as body sugaring and Hungarian wellness mud. The summit will also include panel discussions on “Making a Successful Spa,” “When a Spa Goes Medical” and “Education for Spa Industry Professionals.”
Angela Jeantet, director of Education Programs at the University of California, Irvine Extension, will moderate one of the panel discussions at the summit and is one of the co-organizers of the Summit. Her own program is the nation’s only online spa management certificate program. “These types of educational programs and university collaborations provide the body of knowledge requisite for this industry and further recognizes this group as a profession,” Jeantet said. “From the endorsements we are getting to our spa educational program, it seems that the hospitality industry is intricately linked with the spa industry.
The summit will also include valuable networking time for industry leaders to discuss their business as well as make important contacts for future business and employment. The day will conclude with a wine and cheese reception.
Sponsors of the event include Ageless Aesthetics, Calvin Martin and Company, Alexandria Professional, Beauty Prophet, Bon Vital Products, , gloProfessional, Institut’ DerMed, Osea, Phytomer USA, Scandle, LLC, SpaEquip, Inc., Spa Resources, Somme Institute and Spa Ritual.
Admission to all events is $139, but those who register before May 15th can receive a discounted rate of $99. To register, visit www.regonline/eduspasummit.com. For more information, call Carl Boger at 713-743-2610 or email him at cboger@uh.edu.
About the Conrad N. Hilton College
The Conrad N. Hilton College at the University of Houston is a top-ranked national hospitality program world-wide. Researchers within the College are focusing on spa related issues that include benchmarking studies, consumer behavior, and marketing. The College has established a focus spa management program within the curriculum that allows the students to enter the exciting world of spa management. To kick-off this program, the College hosted a “Spa Think Tank” as part of their annual lecture series to discuss career opportunities, spa industry challenges and opportunities. Over 600 students listened and participated with a panel of spa experts. Dr. Boger, who is the spa specialist at the College, has also been cited in the Washington Post regarding the impact of the financial crisis on the spa industry. For more information about the College or University, go to www.hrm.uh.edu.
About the University of Houston
The University of Houston, Texas’ premier metropolitan research and teaching institution, is home to more than 40 research centers and institutes and sponsors more than 300 partnerships with corporate, civic and governmental entities. UH, the most diverse research university in the country, stands at the forefront of education, research and service with more than 35,000 students. For more information about the University of Houston, please visit www.uh.edu.
About UC Irvine Extension
As the continuing education arm of UCI, UC Irvine Extension is dedicated to providing a university-level learning experience for students, offering thousands of exciting courses and programs to local, regional, and global constituencies. UC Irvine Extension offers a rich array of academic and community programs to support a diverse audience, from a wide selection of academic programs to numerous campus activities. For more information, please visit www.unex.uci.edu.
About the University of California, Irvine
The University of California, Irvine is a top-ranked university dedicated to research, scholarship and community service. Founded in 1965, UCI is among the fastest-growing University of California campuses, with more than 24,000 undergraduate and graduate students and about 1,400 faculty members. The second-largest employer in dynamic Orange County, UCI contributes an annual economic impact of $3.3 billion. For more UCI news, visit www.today.uci.edu.
