Despite the fact that corporate meetings expenditures are under close scrutiny these days, spa treatments and wellness programs for attendees are unlikely to face the chopping block any time soon.
While corporate America continues to deal with financial accountability thanks to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, there is also growing concern over employee wellness. With medical insurance costs mounting, companies are eager to provide ways to encourage employees to maintain healthy lifestyles.
“We’re seeing that companies are working with insurance providers and starting to pay more for nutrition counseling, gym discounts, medical massages, and yoga classes,” says Susie Ellis, president of Spa Finder, a spa marketing company and Internet search engine. “Insurance companies are encouraging corporations to pay for these things, like massage and acupuncture, so there’s not as much to pay in bypass surgery later.”
According to Ellis, one tangible sign that companies are moving into the fast lane on the wellness highway is that they are increasingly purchasing Spa Finder gift certificates in bulk for employees.
“What’s happening today is that taking care of your health is the bottom line. It translates to better performance at work and less sick days,” she says. “Money can be saved with wellness programs; it’s a natural trend.”
Better Living
Now that companies are focusing on employee well-being, meetings that lead to a healthier lifestyle, namely those that incorporate spa time and group fitness, are in demand. At the same time, there is an ever-growing number of spa properties catering to this need.
Among them is the new California WellBeing Institute (CWI), a dedicated wellness facility adjacent to the Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village in Westlake Village, Calif. The institute is the first of two projects—the next is slated for Hawaii—built with a hefty investment from health insurer WellPoint, Inc.
“It’s a corporate beachhead intended to teach the leadership of America’s largest companies how to live longer and live better,” says David Miller, director of sales and marketing at CWI. “Our hope is that these leaders will in turn offer this knowledge to their staffs at large. As we all know, if people are leading healthier lives, obviously insurance costs will be greatly reduced.”
Along with offering 28 treatment rooms where guests may indulge in various spa treatments, CWI employs health coaches, physicians, dieticians, and chiropractors to address each guest’s personal health and longevity.
“We focus on individuals and personalized programs, so the larger the group, the harder it is to accomplish this,” Miller says, explaining that while CWI can accommodate 800 people, its comfort number is about 150.
On the other side of the country, the Sawgrass Marriott Resort and Spa in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., is no stranger to pampering a wide range of group sizes.
“We have accommodated up to 120 appointments a day for large groups,” says spa Sales Manager Sonia Djahanshahi. “The spa experience gives employers a different way of rewarding employees. It’s a healthy and more relaxing alternative to expensive dinners and lengthy fishing trips.”
While there are many sprawling resort spas for planners to choose from, intimate properties that cater to smaller executive retreats with a wellness focus are plentiful as well.
The eco-conscious Sundara Inn and Spa in Wisconsin Dells, Wis., for instance, offers 26 suites and 12 private villas. The property is often approached by companies seeking new ways to shine a positive light on healthy living, according to Carla Minsky, marketing manager.
“It’s not unusual for us to put together an employee reward program, for example, that rewards employees with a gift of wellness for a job well done. It makes the connection in a motivational way,” she says, adding that feeling good makes for a more productive meeting. “The majority of our corporate guests make time for a spa service, which can contribute to renewal and relaxed, clear thinking.”
The Lodge at Woodloch in Hawley, Pa., which accommodates up to 58 people, is another destination spa that only books groups that combine both spa and meeting time.
“Our goal is to provide an education and inspiration experience,” says COO Ginny Michel Lopis. “One of the most powerful places to change lives is a destination spa, and if corporate America needs this, we have it in place—nutritionists, cooking demonstrations and fitness experts who provide groups with knowledge. We help people become more empowered to lead a healthy life.”
Working Knowledge
While a massage goes a long way in relaxing attendees while they’re on a business retreat or at a conference, once the daily grind kicks in back home, they often slip right back to stressing out, skipping workouts and making poor food choices.
The spa community recognizes this and has implemented classes and counseling sessions that ensure delegates will go home with a working knowledge of how to take better care of themselves.
At The Phoenician, lifestyle changes are addressed in one-on-one sessions with Dr. Amy Whittington, a naturopathic physician who works on-site at the Scottsdale, Ariz. resort’s Center for Well Being.
“First, she could speak to the group, taking its demographics into consideration in order to come up with a specific angle—issues from medicinal foods to optimal aging,” says Donna Sampson, sales and marketing manager at The Phoenician. “She allows a wonderful opportunity for group members to ask questions and to follow up on their own one-on-one, and then via phone once they’re home. Even people who think they live a healthy lifestyle learn more from her.”
The newly expanded Emerson Resort and Spa in Mount Tremper, N.Y., located in the Catskills region about two hours from New York City, is scheduled to open a new wellness center this summer that features chiropractic care, acupuncture, acupressure, reiki energy healing, and holistic health counseling.
According to Marketing Director Paul Rakov, the holistic health counselors will work with groups to provide steps toward achieving a more energetic lifestyle.
“While here, participants will meet with counselors individually to spend time looking at their health history, nutritional habits and life goals,” Rakov says. “Tips that can be followed immediately will be given, but more effective will be a six-month program where our counselors provide twice-monthly counseling via phone and a host of materials that help each person accomplish their health goals.”
Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Westglow Resort and Spa in Blowing Rock, N.C., has an on-site dietician available for nutrition assessment and diet consultations, according to Leslie D. Peet, director of marketing and advertising.
“This one-on-one assessment is aimed at helping guests do what they need most, whether that is losing weight, improving cholesterol levels or simply learning how to eat healthier by reducing fat and increasing fiber,” Peet says, adding that the dietician also facilitates educational supermarket tours that teach what labels really mean and how to select healthy foods. “It’s a hands-on field trip to the local grocery store that may change the way you view grocery shopping forever.”
In Wisconsin Dells, Sundara feeds groups nutritional cuisine that is predominantly organic.
“Our menu features the bounty of Midwest sustainable farms, and it’s not unusual for members of our culinary team to come out from the kitchen to answer guest questions as to how they can introduce organic food at home,” Minsky says. “We also offer one-on-one yoga, and sometimes that introduction motivates guests to take a class offered in their own community.”
Get Moving
Most properties that are serious about their spas might highlight the actual spa treatment, but will generally customize group events to also include a fitness component.
“Think of spa and think of four components,” says Spa Finder’s Ellis. “Exercise, nutrition, treatments for stress-reduction and beauty, and mind/body connection, like meditation. The spa experience is all-encompassing.”
Located in Ridgedale, Mo., the Big Cedar Lodge has a National Strength and Conditioning Association-certified trainer available to help guests understand all they can to stay active and vital for life, according to spa manager Gail Burkhart.
“Whatever your fitness goals, age and state of health, our trainer can design an efficient and effective fitness program for you,” she says. “Big Cedar’s fitness center offers services to help you understand how your body responds to exercise and how to maximize your potential to keep you on the path to success when you leave.”
At Georgia’s Sea Island Resort, according to Jim Root, general manager of spa operations and chairman of the International Spa Association, there are 100-plus hours of classes per week.
“We strive to create a ‘Spa of One’ for each group depending on that group’s individual needs,” he says. “Almost anything is possible.”
