ISPA TIMELINE

ISPA Timeline

1992 

Sept. 11-14 - ISPA (then known as the International Spa and Fitness Association) is officially launched at the first ISPA Conference.

• There are 150 attendees from 10 countries and no trade show.
• The membership does not include day spas and very few affiliates.
• Deborah Szekely kicks off Conference with an inspirational keynote speech that prompts newly elected ISPA president Werner Mendel to appoint her an "Honorary Chairman for Life."
  

Sept. 13 - Inaugural Board of Directors Meeting. The first BOD included:

               Werner Mendel, ISPA President
               John Lipis, Vice President 
               Naomi Wagman, Secretary
               Mark Vinchesi, Treasurer 
               Bernie Burt, Executive Director

Other board members included: Bodil Anderson, Martha Ashelman, Alan Wayler, Karen Antenucci and Mary Gendron Picower.

1992 

October 1992 - Doral Telluride Resort and Spa in Colorado hosts the 2nd ISPA Conference with the theme "Meeting the Challenges."

1993

September 1993 - PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., hosts the Conference. Deepak Chopra, M.D. is a keynote speaker.

December 1993 - The first ISPA membership directory is mailed to all members.

1994

August 1994 - Marriott Desert Springs in Palm Desert, Calif., hosts the annual Conference.

1995

Cornell University conducts research on the spa industry, which is funded and distributed through ISPA. This was the first research of its kind in the spa industry.

July 1995 - The first ISPA Media Luncheon is held in New York, N.Y.

• Topic: The role of spas in preventive wellness.
• 63 journalists were present to hear ISPA President Alex Szekely and Dr. Pamela Peeke speak.
  

September 1995 -The ISPA Conference is held in Dallas, Texas, at the Wyndham Anatole. The inaugural Silent Auction is held.

1996

July 1996 - 2nd annual media luncheon held at The Plaza in New York, N.Y., drew 83 attendees.

• Marla and Donald Trump spoke about their interest in the health and business benefits of spas.
  

September 1996 - Buena Vista Palace Resort & Spa in Orlando, Fla., hosts Conference.

1997

October 1997 - The ISPA Conference was held in Banff, Alberta, Canada, at the Banff Springs Hotel.

• The European chapter is established.

1998

In one year, membership nearly doubled, which marked a 1,000 percent growth since ISPA began.

January 1998 - ISPA headquarters moves from the Wayne Smith Company's in Alexandra, Va., to management under HOST Communications in Lexington, Ky.

The spa experience is defined as "Your time to relax, reflect, revitalize and rejoice."

June 1998 - First Conference of the European Chapter is held at Rogner Bad Blumau in Austria.

August 1998 - ISPA's first appearance in cyberspace - www.globalspaguide.com goes live.

November 1998 - Conference in Colorado Springs at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colo. breaks the 1,000-attendee mark.

The International Spa and Fitness Association Inc. drops "Fitness" from its name, and the new logo incorporating the lower case "i" and capital "SPA".

1999

January 1999 - Membership category is restructured to look much like it does today.

February 1999 - ISPA Education Foundation (now called ISPA Foundation) is created from an initial seed grant of $30,000 from Vincenzo R. Marra of Innovative Beauty Innovations.

March 1999 - Pulse evolved from a newsletter into a magazine.

April 1999 - The first Asia Spa Summit in Singapore launches the ISPA Asia-Pacific Chapter.

May 1999 - Job bank moved from Pulse to the Web site.

July 1999 - The ISPA Media Luncheon introduces its popular interactive spa marketplace with spa sponsors. 

August 1999 - The ISPA Conference is held at Saddlebrook Resort in Florida. ISPA outgrew the space before arriving in Florida for the Conference and a tent was added to hold the General Sessions.

• Horst Rechelbacher, founder of AVEDA, spoke at ISPA offering challenges and inspiring attendees.
• The first Spa-goer Study is released and provides benchmarks for the industry.

2000 

The first regional roundtables (now known as Knowledge Networks) are held.

March 2000 - ISPA Medical Advisory Board met for the first time.

ISPA's new Web site, experienceispa.com, is launched, and the membership directory is now available online.

ISPA defines "spa cuisine" as "fresh, natural foods low in saturated fats and cholesterol, with an emphasis on whole grains, low-fat dairy products lean proteins, fresh fruit, fish and vegetables and an avoidance of added salt and products containing sodium and artificial colorings, flavorings and preservatives."

September 2000 - Hours before the ISPA Media Luncheon, the FOX early morning talk show Fox and Friends highlighted four sponsors in several spa segments. President Jane Segerberg provided insights on the spa industry.

October 2000 - ISPA declares October Spa Awareness Month.

November 2000 - The ISPA Conference is held in Las Vegas, Nev., at the brand new Venetian Resort Hotel Casino. The hotel also featured the first Canyon Ranch venture into day spas located inside a hotel.

• Attendance almost doubles from the previous year with nearly 2,600 delegates.
• Online registration is launched.
• First Spa Industry Study is released reporting that spa revenues were $5 billion 1999.
  

November/December 2000 - First perfect-bound copy of Pulse is published.

2001

January 2001 - ISPA changes the Conference location from Florida to Palm Springs. Construction on the original destination, the Diplomat Resort & Spa, was not going to be completed in time.

August 2001 - Once again, Fox and Friends showcased an ISPA Media Luncheon sponsor in a spa segment and included an interview with then-president Gayle Brady.

October 2001 - The spa industry unites in Palm Springs, Calif., following the attacks of Sept. 11.  The 1,400 Conference attendees banded together in a showing of support and unity in the industry.

• Palapas played host to an evening function with interactive booths for attendees to enjoy throughout a starlit evening in California.
  

November 2001 - ISPA's Hands of Hope Relief Fund raises more than $10,000 for the Sept. 11 Fund.

2002

All members, except general members, must now sign the Standards & Practices agreement.

June 2002 - ISPA launches the first ISPA Marketplace to bring another networking opportunity for ISPA attendees at the Roundtables.

July 2002 - ISPA Media Event becomes an early evening event and changes its name to reflect this.

October 2002 - Conference is held in Anaheim, Calif.

• The TV show "Extra" shot footage in the ISPA Expo.
• Clyde Fessler, the former vice president of business development for Harley-Davidson, spoke.
• Deborah Szekely participates in a discussion offering challenges to the spa industry to become more sustainable.
  

December 2002 - Membership reached more than 2,000 members.

2003

January 2003  - ISPA officially changes the name of the Roundtables to Knowledge Networks.

March 2003 - It is announced that the Europe and Asia-Pacific chapters will be united with the rest of the membership to ensure ISPA's strength and unified voice.

May 2003 - ISPA's current mission and vision are announced.

October 2003 - Conference is held in Dallas, Texas, where Dr. Kenneth Cooper, M.P.H. was a keynote speaker.

• The ISPA Foundation launches the Supervisory Skill Builders Program.
• The Alex Szekely Humanitarian Award, renamed in honor of Alex's many contributions to ISPA and the spa industry, is awarded for the first time.

  

2004

January 2004 - First ISPA studies on the Japan and UK marketplaces are released.

• Student Membership created.
• The ISPA Foundation begins selling Supervisory Skill Builders Leader's Guides.
  

July 2004 - The ISPA Media Event celebrates its 10^th anniversary.

• "Spa" is defined.
  

November 2004 - Inaugural ISPA Consumer Trends Report is released. The ISPA Foundation launches the Uniform System of Financial Reporting for Spas, WageWatch and the Compensation Workbook.

2005

ISPA celebrates its 15^th anniversary.

Sept. 30 - Oct. 3 - ISPA Conference & Expo - Gaylord Texan, Dallas, Texas, USA

ISPA Chairmen's Circle

Werner Mendel   
John Korpi
Alex Szekely
Jerry Katzoff
Jane Segerberg
Thad Hyland
Gayle Brady
Jeff Kohl
Current Chairman - Kate Mearns

2006

April 2006 - Partnered with the Canadian Tourism Commission to conduct the first study on spa travelers.  Identifying the Spa Traveler: A Look at U.S. and Canadian Consumer Attitudes and Motivators for Spa Vacations (2006) was released at the Leading Spas of Canada Conference.

July 2006 - During the 12th annual ISPA Media Event in New York City, new key figures were released on the spa-goer and nearly 160 leading journalists were in attendance.

November 2006 - ISPA releases new research:

• 2006 Spa Industry Update
• ISPA 2006 Consumer Report: Spa-goer and Non-spa-goer Perspectives
• ISPA 2006 Spa-goer Study
  

November 2006 - Record breaking ISPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, Nev., with 3,302 attendees.

2007

May 2007 - ISPA partners with Lifestyles of Health and Sustainability (LOHAS) to hold first ISPA Pavilion at LOHAS 11 Forum on May 14 - 16 at the Marriott del Ray in Calif., USA.

October 2007 - ISPA and ITEC France partnered to produce the first-ever global spa industry research report. Another product of the alliance is an ISPA Pavilion at the Beyond Beauty Paris tradeshow on Oct. 1 - 4 in Paris, France. 

November 2007 - ISPA Conference & Expo is set for Nov. 12 - 15 in Kissimmee, Fla., at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center.

2008

October 2008 -  ISPA attends the Beyond Beauty event in Paris, France.

November 2008 -  ISPA introduces new research at the 2008 ISPA Conference & Expo in Las Vegas, Nev., USA including the ISPA 2008 Global Consumer Study, ISPA 2008 U.S. Spa Industry Update and the ISPA 2008 Executive Interview Findings.  The ISPA 2008 Global Consumer Study is the first of its kind that observes attitudes of consumers regarding spa in 15 countries.  Research is offered complimentary to all current ISPA members.

The 2008 ISPA Conference & Expo has the largest Expo to date with 304 exhibitors and 450 booths.

2009

January 2009 - The first Monthly Snapshot Survey is sent to members.

October 2009 - The ISPA Conference & Expo is held in Austin, TX, USA, October 15 - 18. The Conference theme is "Simplify." Lance Armstrong headlines the event speakers.