A strategic partnership agreement has just been signed between ITEC France (Organiser of the Beyond Beauty Paris International Fair) and ISPA (International Spa Association) covering the European SPA market. The aim of this agreement is to provide the European SPA Industry with a powerful forum and skills centre centered on the Spa Industry, its partners and its offshoots thus enabling the industry to provide and enhanced service to the SPA consumer. «Federating and uniting skills», such is the basis of this agreement. David BONDI, President of ITEC France spoke to us on the subject.

EMOTION SPA Magazine: how has this partnership between ITEC and ISPA come about?

David BONDI: In a strongly expanding market returning a 61% growth rate over the past 5 years in France alone, it became clear that internationally acknowledged professionals needed to produce working tools that allowed us to better appreciate the Spa market stakes.

The ambitious target set by the instigators of this agreement extends to agreeing on the definition of a Spa and its various sub-families which are extremely diverse in Europe, varying from one country to the next ; evaluating the business generated by the Spa in each European country; understanding Spa client expectations; acquiring a tool for monitoring and analyzing these changes.

«Two momentous developments and two outstanding moments
occurred during the Beyond Beauty Paris event»

E.S.M: What can you tell us about the distribution of the first European survey on the Spa industry in Europe? 

D.B: This is an ITEC France / ISPA exclusive. The European members of the ISPA will take part in this first European Summit during which the very first survey of the European Spa industry, undertaken in collaboration with the ISPA, will be unveiled: financial potential, segmentation of the various SPA typologies, user identification, motivation surveys, economic weight of this industry within each of the countries concerned, specific nature, operations, consumer expectations, consumption statistics, market outlook, profitability, job creation, etc. The overall survey will be revealed on the occasion of the forthcoming ISPA Conference to be held on the 12-15 November at Kissimee, Florida (USA).

E.S.M: What will be the content of the first European «Spa & Wellness» summit? 

D.B: ITEC France has announced that it will be holding the first European Spa & Wellness Summit on the 1st and 2^nd October and that this will be an exclusively trade event. For two days, the aim of the organizers of this first summit is to provide the trade, in one single exchange venue, with a real «incubator» of information and knowledge, to weave a web of SPA professionals throughout Europe in order to produce powerful dynamics on a market where growth forecasts are constantly rising.

FOCUS: ISPA

Ispa is the leading Worldwide Association of SPA professionals that represents the trade’s interests. Founded in the USA in 1991, the Association now has 2700 members in 75 countries, in the health and wellness sectors. The ISPA aim consists in furthering the Spa industry by implementing and providing closely-targeted market studies. ISPA is reinforcing its international network in order to create business opportunities and supporting the trade so that its true worth is acknowledged. The Association has been recognised internationally as the «trade benchmark» for the SPA industry.

The 5th edition of Beyond Beauty Paris will now take place over four days, from the 1st to the 4th October 2007, at the Parc des Expositions de Villepinte.
For further information: www.beyondbeautyparis.com

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