ESPA: Facing the future together

Throughout these unprecedented recent times, the team at ESPA has been constantly engaging with our spa partners to help them deal with the challenging circumstances we all find ourselves in.

We have been working to help spas adapt their guest journeys and build confidence for their reopenings and long-term post-Covid-19 operation, including at Low Wood Bay Resort & Spa in Windermere, UK (pictured above). We understand that the landscape of spa may be different as we enter this new era, so we will continue to remain adaptable in our strategies as we strengthen our in-spa and digital support.

Supporting spas to reopen successfully

To guide our spa partners, ESPA has collated comprehensive advice in the shape of our Covid-19 Spa Guidelines for use in spas around the world.

We have worked closely with global operators to train their teams and integrate this advice into their working practices, ensuring that safety and sanitisation remains paramount within the industry, and improving the overall wellbeing of guests and employees.

Throughout the pandemic, ESPA has provided an arena for its spa partners to come together for networking sessions, allowing them to connect and support each other as they ready themselves for potential reopenings. During these sessions we have brought the Covid-19 Spa Guidelines to life and created a platform of support within our industry.

The ‘new normal’ requires new thinking

As we begin to look towards an ever more digitalised future, ESPA has been innovative in encapsulating the needs of our partners and consumers, translating this knowledge into a digital platform to be proud of.

We have introduced regular live content on social media; virtual consultations; and education on a range of topics from wellbeing education and lifestyle, including mindfulness and yoga. The pandemic has truly prompted us to find new ways to connect with our therapists and spa guests at home, while also allowing our partners’ clients to stay connected with their chosen spa.

The Spa Partner Affiliate Programme

While implementing this activity across our organic social platforms, we have been mindful to take our spa partners on this journey with us. We have set up our first Spa Affiliate Programme to aid them in driving their revenue, maintaining client engagement and servicing client needs during this time.

This is something we will continue to build on to mitigate the financial strains that some of our partners may feel, as we support them in building a new and resilient future for their business.

As ESPA, we have supported the affiliate programme with a 360-degree approach, not only being innovative in creating this scheme but also supporting our spa partners with content and digital material to build their own channels, drive sales and educate on the importance and use of social media.

Education remains key to excellence

While we have been forward-thinking in bringing our spa partners further into the digital world, we have also been conscious to consider not just our therapists and ESPA teams out in the industry, but everyone else who is feeling the impact of spa closures.

Throughout the lockdown, our team of expert international training managers delivered virtual workshops across the world to motivate and refresh spa teams everywhere – we welcomed everyone to experience the holistic wellbeing that is at the heart of ESPA.

These sessions were primarily focused on reconnecting with our ESPA family alongside non-ESPA branded spa teams, delivering mindfulness workshops, dealing with stress and anxiety in the current pandemic, general wellbeing and ESPA education, where appropriate.

Our founding philosophy of providing natural beauty and inner calm will always remain at the core of ESPA, and we will continue to support the total wellbeing of our spa partners and their clients as we navigate the newly evolving spa landscape.