ISPA FOUNDATION
FOUNDATION
THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT THAT
THE 2020 ISPA CONFERENCE & EXPO
has been postponed to May 2021 also means that
the full ISPA Foundation Live & Silent Auctions have
been postponed, although we may yet do an
alternative, digital-centric Auction this Fall. This is
certainly not how any of us—ISPA members, ISPA
staff, the ISPA Foundation Board or the ISPA Board
of Directors—anticipated celebrating 30 years of
ISPA. But exceptional times call for difficult choices,
and we’re confident that next spring’s ISPA
Conference & Expo will be worth the wait.
Everything we had in store for this fall’s Live & Silent Auctions still stands for next
year. In addition to an incredible slate of items up for bid, we’ll be debuting an
all-new bidding system—Handbid—that will allow attendees to bid on Silent Auction
items remotely via a mobile app, automatically place bids and view the entire catalog
of items digitally. There will be no need to hover by a paper bid slip and carefully
monitor it to see if someone outbids you. Next spring, you’ll be able to simply check
the status of your bid from the Expo Hall, an education session or the lunch area,
for example, and raise your bid on the spot.
As your spa or business reopens over the coming months, I hope you consider
donating to the 2021 ISPA Foundation Live & Silent Auctions. The past few months
have demonstrated the power of community, shared knowledge and data, as well
as the fundamental good of giving back. Every item donated to the Auctions, no
matter how big or small, turns into dollars we use to fund research like the ISPA U.S.
Spa Industry Study and the recent Consumer Snapshot measuring Post-COVID-19
consumer behaviors. These resources—the very ones you’ve likely used to help
weather this storm—are a product of your own generosity and the generosity of
others. We couldn’t do it without you!
If you’d like to learn more about donating to next year’s Auctions or making a
cash donation, visit experienceispa.com/about/ispa-foundation.
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
FUNDRAISING ADVISORS
Lynelle Lynch
Yvonne Smith
—FRANK PITSIKALIS, ISPA FOUNDATION CHAIRMAN
58 PULSE ■ JULY 2020