Business insight at Spa Life UK
Presentations on how to successfully lead your spa forward, advice on maximising the business benefits of internet promotions and findings from the 2012 UK Spa People survey were among the insights to emerge from this year’s Spa Life UK, held November 13-14.
Motivational speaker Frank Dick, former director of coaching at the British Athletics Federation, opened the second day of the conference at the Daventry Court Hotel in Northamptonshire. Dick addressed spa mangers and owners on becoming a successful leader and motivating your team to excellence.
“The winning difference in life is tiny but the consequences are huge,” Dick commented on the subject of how spa owners, directors and managers can develop a winning mentality, in themselves and their teams.
Meanwhile Dieter Buchner, managing partner of learning and development company Urban Healing, revealed the findings of the 2012 UK Spa People survey.
The results of the survey, which canvassed industry practitioners ranging from receptionists and therapists to trainers and managers and was endorsed by the Spa Business Association, show that working with people, career prospects and a passion for wellness are the top reasons staff enter the spa and wellness industry.
Opportunities for career progression, job satisfaction and the strength of the brand they work for rank highly when it comes to the reasons people remain in the industry. Not being recognised and appreciated for the work they do is a key factor for why they leave it.
The survey also shows that employees across the industry are unhappy with their pay. Training was similarly identified as an area of concern, with only 14% of respondents having received retail training and 13% having had customer service training in the past year.
Among other speakers on the programme was Richard Jones, director of partner management at Groupon. Jones spoke on How to Get the Most Out of Internet Promotions, advising businesses to be conscious of why they are doing an online promotion and what they wish to get out of it, in order to successfully utilise the tool.
For the full 2012 UK Spa People survey, click here.
