March 1, 2007

American Spa and American Salon Run for a Cure

American Spa and American Salon would like to thank all the companies that so generously contributed to the annual end-of-year beauty sale hosted by our magazines. The money raised from the sale went to support staffers from both publications, who joined together to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by running the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll Half-Marathon in Phoenix on January 14 as part of the society's Team in Training program. Team in Training, which trains participants for endurance events, including half-marathons, marathons, and 100-mile bike rides, is a nationwide fundraising organization for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. In turn, participants are required to raise money for the society to help fund its efforts to find a cure for blood cancers. Each staffer was required to raise a minimum of $3,800, and it couldn't have been done without the support of the following companies, which provided products, tools, gift sets, and gift certificates to help us raise almost $40,000 total for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society.—Carrie Watson

Left to right: American Spa's Deena Goldblatt, Julie Keller, Heather Mikesell, Nanci McArdle, Cristina De Oliveira, and Victor Maze and American Salon's Carrie Watson ran for charity.

Questex Acquires SPATEC

Questex Media, owner of the Folio award-winning American Spa magazine and the International Esthetics Cosmetics and Spa Conferences (IECSC), has acquired McLean Events International, the appointment-based business events company behind SPATEC.

Special thanks to those that contributed

SPATEC is a three-day forum of one-on-one meetings between spa owners, directors, and design/management companies with leading spa suppliers and vendors in a variety of categories, including skincare, equipment, spa software, linens, hydrotherapy, tanning, uniforms, fitness equipment, and more.

The acquisition brings SPATEC, as well as several European-based health, fitness, and spa meeting events, under the growing umbrella of successful spa-related Questex properties, further catapulting the American Spa-led beauty group into its position as the market leader.

"We are thrilled to add SPATEC to our growing list of magazines, shows, and tools that help the spa market grow and thrive," says Joyce Jamison, group publisher of the Questex Beauty Group. "American Spa and the IECSC are at the forefront of the industry, and we look forward to maintaining our position as the industry's market leader and using all of our resources to help spa businesses succeed."

The next North American SPATEC event, sponsored by American Spa and held in association with Spa magazine, is scheduled for September 23–26 at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess (Scottsdale, AZ). Plans are also underway for an East Coast-based spring SPATEC event, also sponsored by American Spa, in early 2008. For information, visit www.spatecna.com email daniela@mcleanevents.com, or call (011) 954-942-8143.

Pureology Hits the Red Carpet

Jim and Cheryl Markham, the founders of Pureology, recently attended the 15th annual Women in Entertainment Power 100 Breakfast at the Crystal Ballroom of the Beverly Hills Hotel, where Pureology donated 700 bottles of HydraCure. Sponsored by Ford and presented by The Hollywood Reporter and Lifetime, the event celebrates the year's 100 most powerful, talented, and recognized women in the entertainment industry, with Meryl Streep as this year's special honoree.

Cheryl and Jim Markham, founders of Pureology, with Meryl Streep

The Markhams with film industry executive Sherry Lansing

MURAD APPEARS ON THE SMALL SCREEN

On the season finale of the FX show Nip/Tuck, Murad products were stocked on the shelves of the plastic surgeons' waiting room. During one scene, a guest inside the fictional McNamara/Troy plastic surgery office picked up Sheer Luster Day Moisture SPF 15. Murad's Essential-C Line and the Hormonal Aging Line could also be seen.

Marilyn Brush Featured in Beauty Alliance Stores

Marilyn Brush president and CEO Anthony Parkinson recently announced that Beauty Alliance, a distributor of professional-only beauty supply products, will distribute the hairbrush line in its professional-only stores in 13 states. Marilyn brushes will be available in 145 Beauty Alliance stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia. "Beauty Alliance is a name that is recognized as a company that provides the best brands in the beauty industry, so it makes perfect sense that our brushes are part of its inventory," says Parkinson.

SPA FINDER DEBUTS TRAVEL BOOKING SITE

Spa Finder recently launched MySpaVacations.com, a dedicated spa travel booking site. The site allows shoppers to plan their ideal spa vacations according to a range of special interests; check live room, flight, and rental car availability; and book vacation packages and schedule spa appointments in real time. "The first wave of online travel was strictly about price, but the new wave, of which MySpaVacations.com is a part, is all about helping travelers plan their perfect vacations," says Dan Chandre, director of online travel. "Our goal is to provide the best live spa property inventory for the millions of online travelers who want to include spa in their vacation plans."

The live spa property inventory at MySpaVacations.com comprises a range of choices, from traditional destination spas to luxury hotels and resorts that feature spa amenities. During their searches, consumers have access to in-depth property overviews, including photos, pricing, features, amenities, and spa information as well as general spa-going tips and information. Users can search for spas according to special interests ranging from romance to weight loss to wellness. They can also search geographically. For more information, visit www.myspavacations.com.

Spa Company Rebranded As Wynne Business

Preston Wynne Success Systems, a spa consultancy and management training company founded by American Spa columnist Peggy Wynne Borgman, has been renamed Wynne Business. The change accompanies the debut of The High Performance Spa, a new management seminar program conceived as a graduate course for attendees of the company's Spa Directors' Management Intensive, but with admission open to professionals with comparable industry experience. Wynne Business is also launching a spa business blog, www.wynnebusiness.com, which translates spa industry trends into practical suggestions for spa owners.

Celebs Score Pre-Golden Globe t'Zerah Treatments

During dress rehearsals for the 2007 Golden Globe Awards, cast members from the hit TV shows Lost and Heroes received t'Zerah skincare treatments at the Backstage Creations Retreat. Among the stars who visited the retreat were Bai Ling, Daniel Dae Kim, Yunjin Kim, and Ian Somerhalder from Lost and Hayden Panettiere, Adrian Pasdar, Sendhil Ramamurthy, and Ali Larter from Heroes. Each of the actors received a treatment and were given a goodie bag filled with a collection of t'Zerah products presented in a custom-made ivory silk box filled with flower petals and wrapped in handmade Japanese rice paper.

Heroes star Hayden Panettiere enjoys t'Zerah at the Backstage Creations Retreat.

Sanitas Training Institute Expanded

Sanitas Skincare announced the expansion of the Sanitas Training Institute in Boulder, CO, to a newly remodeled 3,000-square-foot space located next to the company's headquarters and laboratory. The facility will hold a range of theoretical and hands-on classes for licensed skincare clinicians and features the Sanitas Research and Development Spa, where products and treatment protocols will be tested.

DERMALOGICA WORKS WITH TEENS

Teenage students got to experience their first face mapping session under the care of instructors from The International Dermal Institute, thanks to Dermalogica. The company partnered with the 02 MAX Fitness Center at Emerson Middle School in Los Angeles to promote the ideas of health, self-respect, and making good habits part of everyday. 02 Max is a fitness club designed to offer structured activity and resources for teenagers.

Iatria Hosts Ribbon-Cutting Ceremony

Iatria Day Spa recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the addition of medical spa and health center services to its Wakefield, NC, location. The Iatria Medspa there now offers clients a variety of medical procedures, including hair removal, Botox, Restylane, Sculptra, IPL skin rejuvenation, and mesotherapy. The health center provides clients with acupuncture, chiropractic services, applied kinesiology, and nutritional advice. Local dignitaries, including members of the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, were on hand for the event.

Erika Mangrum and the Wakefield Chamber of Commerce at the ribbon cutting.

"We are thrilled to expand our existing services for our clients," says Erika Mangrum, president of Iatria Day Spa. "With the capabilities of these new centers, we can continue providing the community with excellent spa and medical services."

Mangrum and Angela Baylis, managing partner, with Iatria employees.

IECSC LAS VEGAS IS COMING SOON

The International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference (IECSC) will take place June 2–4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. The event is a meeting place for more than 40,000 qualified spa attendees. The extensive tradeshow floor and comprehensive education program provides spa professionals with trend information and updates on new techniques and products. The event will also feature a Medical Spa Pavilion, presented by Medical Spa Report. The pavilion is an ideal location for attendees to network with dermatologists, cosmetic surgeons, plastic surgeons, health and wellness professionals, and spa directors in an exclusive atmosphere dedicated to the medical spa industry. Visit www.iecsc.com.

Spa Week Grows Up

Started in October 2004, the concept of Spa Week has evolved to include more than 300 spas in 22 markets across the U.S. and Canada and will take place this year April 16–22. Although originally intended to bring the spa experience to the masses, the idea now encompasses a philosophy of wellness, as well. "The message of Spa Week is not just about providing an affordable spa experience, it's about educating the public that the spa lifestyle can help create a healthier America," say Christina Castro and Cheryl Reid, C&R principals and Spa Week co-founders. The event's website has also assumed a more educational approach, becoming a portal for consumers looking to learn more about the latest in the spa world.

People on the Move

Avancé recently appointed Jennifer Oliveira-Florio to the position of education director. Her responsibilities include directing all training for the Académie of Aesthetics and Wellness and creating new spa treatments.

Mimi Cozzi

Mischeila Haupt has been appointed director of European sales and marketing for Creative Nail Design. In this newly created position, she is responsible for distribution strategies and market-specific promotions in Europe.

Melissa Danciger

Mimi Cozzi has been appointed spa director at the Fairmont Newport Beach (Newport Beach, CA), where she will be responsible for overseeing and managing the hotel's new Willow Stream Spa, set to open next month. Cozzi formerly served as spa director at the Spa and Fitness Club (Costa Mesa, CA), where she was responsible for the overall management.

Christine Hays

Melissa Danciger has been appointed to the education staff of Thalgo International Midwest/Western Division. She will be the education representative for Colorado and the surrounding states. As a CIDESCO diplomat, Danciger educates undergraduate and post-graduate estheticians on topics such as chemical peels, microdermabrasion, cosmetic ingredients, and other techniques, and she serves as a consultant for some destination resorts.

Maria Micu

Christine Hays has been appointed spa director at the Resort at Singer Island's SiSpa (FL), a new spa slated to open this month. Hays, a 22-year veteran of the wellness industry, was previously the director of spa and fitness at the Westin at Our Lucaya (Freeport, Bahamas). She is certified as a licensed physical therapist as well as a massage and skincare therapist.

Diane Varnéy

Maria Micu has been named the spa director at the JW Marriott Cancun Resort & Spa. She will oversee the facility's daily operations, including managing spa and health club staff and supervising all services. In her previous position as spa manager at the Jordan Valley Marriott Resort & Spa (Sweimeh, Jordan), Micu was responsible for the overall management and performance of the spa, including financial operations.

Edith Sebbar

Diane Varnéy has been appointed the director of education at Caesars Palace's Qua Baths & Spa (Las Vegas). With 20 years of hands-on and educational experience in the spa industry, she is responsible for the training and continuing education of all therapeutic "artisans" at Qua. Prior to Qua, Varnéy was the lead masseuse and training manager for the opening of the Bellagio Spa in Las Vegas.

Ravensara Travilian

Edith Sebbar has been promoted to the role of president for Académie Scientifique de Beauté. She formerly served as vice president of operations and education for the company. A Paris trained esthetician, Sebbar has been with the company for more than 15 years and has played a key role in the development of new and existing spa partnerships.

Ruth Werner

The Massage Therapy Foundation recently elected two new trustees—Ravensara Travilian, Ph.D., LMP, and Ruth Werner. Travilian is a Seattle-based massage practitioner who recently completed her doctorate in Biomedical and Health Informatics. She is the author of the upcoming Massage Journal Club Guide to Research Literacy in Massage, and her clinical practice at the International Medicine Clinic at Harborview Medical Center focuses primarily on massage for people living with post-traumatic stress disorder. She also serves as chair of the foundation's Best Practices Committee. Werner is a massage therapist and educator from Layton, UT, whose book, A Massage Therapist's Guide to Pathology, (Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2005) is in its third edition. She is a columnist for many industry magazines and teaches continuing education workshops across the country. She now serves as the Foundation's education committee chair.

Henry Newton Pleasant Jr., M.D.

Henry Newton Pleasant Jr., M.D., has been appointed medical director of Iatria MedSpa (Raleigh, NC). In this position, Pleasant is responsible for all medical procedures, including administering injectables, and performing laser hair removal, medical-grade peels, and mesotherapy. He is certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and currently practices at the Carolina Women's Health Center in Sanford, NC.

Bruce Cavan

Bruce Cavan has been named spa director for Larimar Spa at Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino. His new responsibilities include overseeing the daily operations of the spa. Cavan is also a licensed massage therapist.

Aveda Pushes for Clean Water

Aveda's Earth Month campaign, which helps those who live with water pollution around the world, will kick off April 1. To support the cause, the company will offer a limited-edition Light the Way candle, which is made of soy wax and features an organic Bulgarian lavender oil scent. It is encased in an environmentally responsible glass container, and the outer carton is printed with soy ink on 55 percent post-consumer recycled paper. One hundred percent of the sales are going to Aveda's Earth Month partner, Global Greengrants Fund, which provides small grants to grassroots environmental groups worldwide and will help support clean water projects.

Jenny Matya and Jennifer Duda of the Allstate Foundation prepare Bioelements gift bags.

Bioelements Fights Domestic Violence

Bioelements teamed up with the Allstate Foundation and the National Network to End Domestic Violence to organize an all-day retreat in San Diego for domestic violence survivors. Twenty-five women were nominated and chosen to attend the event, which included workshops on personal growth, leadership development, and financial literacy, as well as personal testimonials from the survivors. Bioelements, a long-time supporter of domestic violence prevention and assistance, donated a skincare gift bag to each retreat attendee. "We are honored to be involved with this inspiring retreat and for the opportunity to provide skincare products to such strong, wonderful women," says Bioelements president and founder Barbara Salomone.

Iredale Sponsors Gala Gift Suite

Iredale Mineral Cosmetics recently participated in the charity Ultimate Gift Bag Suite at the 2006 Spotlight & Christopher Reeve Awards Gala. The December event, held at Duvet in New York City to honor those with a longstanding commitment to the arts, was sponsored by The Creative Coalition and Gotham magazine. The Ultimate Gift Bag allowed guests to select items using their Gift Gala Bucks to create their own custom gift bag. Celebrity guests, including Marcia Gay Harden, Heather Graham, and Laurence Fishburne, used their Gift Gala Bucks to receive H\E Minerals Men's Kits, Jane Iredale's One-4-All Kits, and Super-Shape Me Eyebrow Kits.

Foundation Grant Keeps Giving in Central America

Massage Therapy Foundation grant recipient Nikki Nichols recently published a second edition to her book Manual Básico de Masaje Terapéutico (Basic Therapeutic Manual of Massage). Nichols, a certified clinical massage therapist in Seattle, received a 1999 Massage Therapy Foundation Community Service Grant for her project entitled "Bringing Massage to Rural Honduras." The funding provided massages to people in Honduras after an earthquake hit the area in 1998. Nichols traveled to Honduras to administer and teach massage therapy to locals while their healthcare infrastructure was in the process of being rebuilt. Her work there was so successful that her manual continues to be used today. Manual Básico de Masaje Terapéutico contains 71 pages of text and illustrations in Spanish and is designed to instruct Spanish-speaking healthcare providers on how to administer a proper massage as a basic component of care. The manual is designed to be understood by people with varying levels of education. For more information, visit www.metamorphicmassage.biz.

Grant recipient Nikki Nichols's massage therapy book instructs Spanish-speaking practitioners on how to properly perform massages.