ISPA FOUNDATION
FOUNDATION
ONE WORD TO SUM UP 2020 SO FAR:
UNEXPECTED.
I doubt anyone really predicted back in December
2019 the massive disruption that was
headed our way in just a few months. Although 2020
has been a challenging year, I’ve consistently been
amazed by the flexibility, adaptability and resiliency
of our industry. In the end, the only way to overcome
the unexpected is to remain flexible—a fact which
applies to the ISPA Foundation just as it does to
spas.
As an organization dedicated to educating the
spa industry and providing ISPA members with insightful data, we understand the
importance of measuring the impact that COVID-19 has had on spa. For that reason,
we have been hard at work with our research partners, PricewaterhouseCoopers
(PwC), to advance the timeline for the forthcoming 2021 ISPA U.S. Spa Industry Study,
which will measure the spa industry’s scope and performance in 2020. This study
would typically be released in the fall of 2021. However, we know that having key data
on the effects of COVID-19 as soon as possible is critical, and so we will release some
of the key findings of the reports at next spring’s ISPA Conference & Expo.
While the full findings will not be released until later next year, we anticipate having
the ‘Big Five’ statistics—total revenue, spa visits, spa locations, total employees
and revenue per visit—ready to share by next May, plus a few additional findings regarding
the impact of COVID-19 on our industry.
I know that the spa industry will rebuild and recover from the destructive impact
of COVID-19, but we cannot arrive where we want to be without first understanding
where we are now. I sincerely hope that the forthcoming research will answer this
question, providing all of us with the knowledge we need to gather our bearings and
set off toward a bright future for our industry.
ISPA FOUNDATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
OFFICERS
CHAIRMAN
Frank Pitsikalis
ResortSuite
DIRECTORS
Garrett Mersberger
ISPA Chairman
Brennan Evans
ISPA Vice Chairman
Lynne McNees
ISPA President
MEDICAL ADVISOR
Brent Bauer, M.D.
Mayo Clinic
HONORARY BOARD
MEMBER
Deborah Szekely
WELLNESS WARRIOR
The ISPA Foundation
wishes to thank the following
supporters for their generous
contributions:
BENEFACTOR
Dr. Howard Murad
PATRON
Circadia
Mynd Spa & Salon
ResortSuite
—FRANK PITSIKALIS, ISPA FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN
FUNDRAISING ADVISORS
Lynelle Lynch
Yvonne Smith
56 PULSE ■ AUGUST 2020