DEDICATED CONTRIBUTOR AWARD
ELLA KENT The 2021 ISPA Conference & Expo
BY JOSH CORMAN
“... I remember being in awe from the very beginning that there was this community of terrific people who were driven by this thing called spa . We truly embrace each other , share our secrets , talk about our strategies — I found that so compelling , to find an industry where people behaved in that manner .”
ELLA KENT WILL — AT LONG LAST — OFFICIALLY RECEIVE ISPA ’ S DEDICATED CONTRIBUTOR AWARD after first being named the recipient in February of 2020 . The award is given each year to an active ISPA member who has “ contributed significantly to the growth of the association ,” and while there ’ s no question that Kent , who currently serves as Rooms Director at Sea Island , more than fits that description today , there was a time that she felt much less sure of her place in the spa industry .
“ I still remember how overwhelmed and confused I was when I inherited becoming a director at a spa , and I didn ’ t know what to do ,” Kent says . Not long after , in 2002 , she attended her first ISPA Conference & Expo , where she was quickly embraced by what she calls a family she didn ’ t know existed . “[ My spa ] wasn ’ t in Vegas or in Phoenix where you could connect with other people who understood your world . I remember being in awe from the very beginning that there was this community of terrific people who were driven by this thing called spa . We truly embrace each other , share our secrets , talk about our strategies — I found that so compelling , to find an industry where people behaved in that manner .”
One lesson Kent says she has carried forward from that first ISPA Conference & Expo experience is that “ Stepping up matters . Volunteerism matters .” She has embodied that conviction throughout her time in the industry , and it
26 PULSE ■ JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2021