memBer perspectives
“Our goal [for the event] isn’t necessarily to make
money… It’s for a marketing and branding boost,
and it gives us a chance to educate people on why
it’s important to care for themselves.”
— tracy harper, director of spa & Wellness, the spa at sun valley
repair and sunscreen products, which
are necessary given the area’s 300-plus
days of sunshine annually.
Since switching to more aggressive
discounting and marketing strategies
in the summer, the spa has seen a
measurable improvement in summer
revenues—“easily fifteen to twenty
percent,” according to howard-may.
red mountain resort – Sagestone
Spa also takes advantage of the
summer slowdown by using it as a
time to train its staff and build the
spa’s culture. howard-may has her
team review spa protocols, as well as
the spa’s handbook, to ensure her
team’s knowledge is up-to-date.
During the summer, the staff will also
engage in team-building activities,
including offsite gatherings and
cooperative goal-setting during team
meetings.
the spa at sun valley offers special events that include poolside services.
When summer gets Busy
The Spa at Sun Valley experiences the opposite season-
ality: busy in summer and winter, slow in spring and fall.
The added demand in winter comes courtesy of ski
enthusiasts, who come to resort’s locale of Ketchum,
idaho, to schuss down the slopes of the 13,500-foot Bald
mountain. in summer, the area is swarmed by campers,
hikers and vacationers who come to explore idaho’s
mountainous terrain and Ketchum’s small-town charm.
To deal with the crush of customers, The Spa at Sun
Valley spends the first half of the year hiring and training
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seasonal staff, according to Director of Spa & Wellness
Tracy harper. Beginning in late January, harper begins
recruiting therapists and estheticians from local schools.
“This year we’re even doing a ‘familiarization trip,’ where
we invite students to stay at our resort, in staff housing,
to see what it would be like if they came onboard,” says
harper. Due to the remoteness of its location, the resort
provides its staff with onsite housing.
once a seasonal employee is hired, they go through
an extensive training process. Every department of the
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