Review
Review
June 4 › June 5 › Photos › Presentations › Responses › BISA 2011 › PDF Press Release
The 5th Annual Conference of the British International Spa Association (BISA) was held from June 3rd to 6th, 2010 in Budapest, Hungary at the Danubius Health Spa Resort and Grand Hotel Margitsziget, a long-standing member of BISA.
The keynote address by Chairwoman Marion Schneider highlighted the activities of the past twelve months and the importance of BISA’s role in bringing together the spa industry and its related sectors of health care and energy economy. BISA sees itself as a hub of the spa industry, promoting standards for education, quality and sustainability of spas worldwide.
New Strategic Partnership with Green Globe
For years the spa sector has been one of the fastest growing industries in the world. There is strong demand for both spa vacations as well as day spa treatments in urban locations. The aim of BISA’s strategic partnership with Green Globe is to deliver greater transparency for consumers and to provide education and training in sustainability practices for the spa sector. With its high energy and water consumption the spa industry needs to take a leading role in the process of greening the world and caring for nature. The first major initiative will be a review of the Spa Certification Standard, with an update co-developed and launched by BISA and Green Globe in the second half of 2010.
On the first day of the conference Janice Gronvold (USA), moderator of the first session, introduced a series of presentations by Guido Bauer, Bradley Cox and Peter Zimmer from Green Globe on the growing role of sustainability. Presentations by Linda Troeller and Micky Remann highlighted the role of spa architecture, design and art while Ute Rührig discussed the risks and rewards of building green spas.
Spa Business, Tourism and Education
A full day of the conference (June 4th) was dedicated to the topic of spa business. Moderator Mark Moloney (London, UK) emphasised the importance of professionalism for the future of the spa industry. The presentations highlighted the interdependence of tourism, health care and education. With stunning cartoons and a convincing presentation Dr. Franz Linser (Austria) demonstrated how health will play a growing role in all businesses. Dr. Terry Stevens (UK) took the audience – around 90 delegates from around the world – on a journey through the world spa tourism industry and highlighted its growing importance. Spa consultants Anna Bjurstam (Sweden) and Roger Allen (Austria) demonstrated convincingly that creating profits is a result of good strategy and long-term planning.
Well-trained, business-oriented, multilingual therapists and managers are key for the long-term success of spas. Presentations by Jane Crebbin-Bailey (Derby University, UK) and Katinka Will (Adam Ries University, Germany) demonstrated new initiatives in this field. Prof. Peter Elsner (Germany) and Richard Gomersall and Kate Hardcastle (UK) provided additional insights into vital topics for spa managers and owners such as health and skin treatments and new ideas for enhancing marketing.
Responsible Spa – Medical Spa
After an introduction to the beauty of Hungary’s spa resorts by Mark Kincses, Marketing Strategic Assistant at the Hungarian National Tourist Office, Jean-Guy de Gabriac (France), moderator of the June 5th session, discussed the evolving roles of spas in the medical, wellness and healing arts before introducing a series of presentations by Dr. László Puczkó (Hungary) and Kevin Turnbull (UK; Spa and Medical Tourism), Sandra Murcia (France; Psychology), and Dr. Iman Hakim (USA; Public Health). Mary Elizabeth Bondu (France) gave an overview of water therapies for spas, Jörg Demuth (Germany) discussed standards for skin care products and Bart Zonnenberg explained the beneficial properties of salt rooms. The conference concluded with a final day of workshops on June 6th.
Over 90 delegates took part in the conference and the response was overwhelmingly positive: delegates highlighted the quality of the presentations and the familiar atmosphere of the conference and overall the conference provided an excellent opportunity to broaden and deepen their knowledge of this exciting industry. Several journalists took part and further information will be published in forthcoming press articles.
6th BISA International Conference in 2011
In 2011, the 6th British International Spa Association Annual Conference will take place in Buxton, Derbyshire in the UK from 22-24 June 2011.
Press Release
» BISA 2010 Review and Press Release (PDF, 410 kb)
Photos
Click on an image to see and flick through the images. To download a full-size original click on the download symbol beneath each image. Some images are available at a higher resolution for print purposes – please contact us quoting the image number you require.
All images are copyright BISA and the respective author where given. Please always state the image source when publishing online or in print.
Conference Presentations
In response to requests from participants, day speakers and press, many of the speakers have generously given us permission to publish their overhead presentations online. All contents are copyright of the respective authors and may not be reproduced without individual permission from the author.
- Anna Bjurstam – Maximising Spa Profitability (3MB)
- Bart Zonnenberg – Microsalt Dry Salt Aerosol Rooms (4MB)
- Jane Crebbin-Bailey - Trends in Spa Education (136KB)
- Green Globe – Green Globe Certification for Sustainability (3MB)
- HNTO – Hungary Keeps the World Healthy (3MB)
- Iain Trousdell – Divine Water (1MB)
- Richard Gomersall / Kate Hardcastle – Transforming Your Revenue Performance by Delighting Your Customers (10MB)
- Jean-Gey de Gabriac – The Evolving Roles of Spas in the Medical Wellness and Healing Arts Arenas (4MB)
- Katinka Will – Attracting High Performance Personnel (3MB)
- Kevin Turnbull – A New Paradigm: The Convergence of Spa and Medical Tourism (1MB)
- László Puczkó – Medical and Wellness Tourism (6MB)
- Mary Elizabeth Bondu – Developing Water Therapies for Spas (2MB)
- Terry Stevens – New Tourists and New Demands: Market Trends and the Implications for Wellness Tourism (3MB)
- Ute Rührig - Why Should a Spa be Green? Risks and Rewards for Building Sustainable Spas. (3MB)
Responses
A selection of responses from the BISA 2010 conference delegates:
“I wanted to thank you and congratulate you for the excellent conference you organised. I found it very very useful…”
— Sonal Uberoi, Spain
“…it was clear that you had a well-respected event and some fascinating speakers.”
— Kate Hardcastle, UK
“The meetings and talks we had with attendees was an ‘eye-opening’ experience. You succeeded in attracting high-caliber talent from around the world.”
— Guido Bauer, USA
“The presentations were very interesting and I met a lot of fascinating people.”
— Gerald Berger, Austria
“I truly enjoyed the conference and much look forward to next year!”
— Anna Bjurstam, Sweden
“This conference is a really very fine platform for getting to know people dedicated to giving the world well-being and health.”
— Manuela Sonntag, Germany
“The ceremony I was asked to take a leading role in was called ‘Waters of the World’ … Everyone present was in agreement that we are all family and that we are one earth and one people with one love.”
— Tom Blue Wolf, Earthkeepers, USA, on the opening ceremony for the conference
“I have been to many Spa events and exhibitions around the world but the quality of presentations at the BISA conference was particularly high. The informal atmosphere and the friendly approach also make this event uniquely enjoyable and conducive to good networking with other professionals. We look forward to exhibiting at the next conference in Buxton.”
— Robert Czik, Managing Director, Finders International Ltd
“It was encouraging and inspiring to meet with spa professionals from all around the world and exchange thoughts and ideas!”
— Eddy Kabelitz, Klapp Cosmetic and Monalisa
