Location: St. Somewhere Spa at Margaritaville Hollywood Beach Resort
Date: May 18, 2016
The Spring Event at Margaritaville was truly a day in Paradise!
Held at the Jimmy Buffet inspired resort, the notorious Margaritaville event was a perfect setting for a relaxed atmosphere, just like “strummin’ a six string, on a front porch swing.” The party started the moment invitees strolled through the door. Guests arrived donning Island Chic apparel and were greeted with a pair of Italian beach sandals, compliments of Sensi Sandals.
Attendees had the opportunity to visit with 34 extraordinary exhibiting vendors displaying their brand throughout the spa. Unrivaled treatments were provided for a luxurious spa experience, including an outdoor cabana “Love My Legs” treatment. Goody bags were distributed to guests to collect an assortment of products that were generously provided by vendor exhibitors.
Over 130 guests attended, representing top brands and the best spas in Florida. The turnout was phenomenal!
We greeted the day with the exhibit and treatments. Lunch was a delicious sit-down meal of salad, chicken and rice, and a healthy fruit plate. During lunch, guests were treated to a hilarious presentation on Spa Operations called the Fun, the Bad, and the Crazy. And crazy and fun it was! The panel consisted of moderators George Powell-Lopez and Suzanne Holbrook. The comedy started when George announced that Suzanne had not made the event due to her plane, Spirit Airlines, being delayed. A “fake” Suzanne, played by Mitchell Berkman, emerged and he pretended to be Suzanne, wearing a blond wig and sunglasses. Just as everyone was laughing, Suzanne burst in asking, “Who are you?” The laughs continued with a panel of 4 top spa directors, William Arango, April Smith, Catherine Warren, and Mitchell Berkman as they discussed how to handle various situations that arise in the spa each day. The moderators took shots of tequila prompted by the audience during this presentation. The performance, although funny and light-hearted, was very informative and enlightened all of us on how spa professionals handle unusual situations that occur in the spa.
The fun continued that afternoon with vendor networking in the expo, as well as, the opportunity to experience state-of-the-art spa treatments. There was tea and “nibbling on sponge cake” during the afternoon expo to keep the energy going.
At the end of the day, roundtable discussions were held for spa directors to gather and explore a variety of topics that relate to spa operations.
The event concluded with everyone gathered at the Margaritaville bar for a celebration of margaritas and a salsa bar sponsored by Salt Chamber and Performance Health. Amazing raffles were won and a group shot with everyone wearing white sunglasses was taken. The energy was electric! Everyone had a great time socializing and just plain having fun getting wasted away at Margaritaville!