“A LEAP OF FAITH”
With vigilant yet eager anticipation after being remote for 6 months from our spa community, I will step outside my isolated bubble, on behalf of the Florida Spa & Wellness Association to connect at our first in-person “FSA Spa Taskforce LIVE” event at the beautiful Ocean Reef Club. I can hardly wait to see and unite with industry friends after months of uncertainty and distance and consider this a true gift. As an Association representing Florida, we have joined and collaborated over these last 6 months to weather this time. We’ve stayed virtually connected and locked arms with many established and prominent industry organizations having formed new alliances, rolling out new programs, holding endless zoom calls and stalking Florida State Legislators to get accurate information on re-opening guidelines and safety regulations (until they cried Uncle!). This was all in the pursuit to keep our Florida Spa Community informed and looped in so they could start opening their doors safely and resume business. Much of this was also made possible from vendor support, working at lightning speed to provide products and education. We have learned to pivot and make it work in this new environment, having grown as we continue this journey. As our spas continue to open we find that we are coming back stronger.
This coming Monday, September 21st (most of us, as some will join virtually), we will meet in person to continue our work together at the FSA Live event at Ocean Reef. We look forward to diving into our education topics of “Defining the New P&L Statement (bringing luxury and profits to the bottom line)” as well as “Success in the 4th quarter of 2020! We are also anxious to speak with all the wonderful vendor participants showcasing at this event.
Whilst other Ocean Reef gatherings have brought us together in the past under a shared “Staycay” theme, this time we cautiously unite with the utmost adherence to local and current safety guidelines. Social distancing is not something that comes so easily to us spa people, and we will miss our unofficial pre and post event receptions. We take this stand to ensure we are putting the wellness of all our members and families first.
We are incredibly grateful to the ongoing support for our association and commitment to making our industry thrive even in the most challenging of times.
We are thrilled to have this opportunity to gather. With distant air hugs and mask-hidden smiles we will welcome our guests and enjoy this moment of unity that we have missed so much.
In Wellness
Ilana