In Las Vegas and Atlantic City, N.J., wellness concepts continue to exemplify non-gaming diversification and innovation.
Health of mind, body and spirit took center stage at IMEX 2015 last October in Las Vegas. With “Be Well at IMEX” programs running throughout the week, the show kicked off with wellness coach and speaker Lee Papa discussing “How to Live and Lead Mindfully,” including leading the mass assembly in a guided meditation. Delegates also took advantage of the spa-like IMEX America Meditation Room, The Play Room and first IMEXrun Las Vegas.
Vegas is no stranger to pioneering spa and wellness concepts for the meetings industry. In 2014, partners MGM Resorts International and wellness pioneer Delos introduced the revolutionary Stay Well Meetings experience at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. The uniquely advanced program blends built-in wellness solutions such as air purification and ergonomically-smart furniture with activities designed to help attendees energize, relax and focus.
Groups convening at ARIA Resort & Casino can repair to the massive 80,000-square-foot Spa at Aria for treatments such as the nation’s only heated-stone ganbanyoku beds, or take the signature Indoor Hike, a heart-pumping 60-minute guided tour of the hotel’s grounds and appealing artwork.
At the Vegas Spa Club outpost of Tucson, Ariz.’s legendary Canyon Ranch—the pioneering health resort founded in 1979—corporate groups can incorporate rock-climbing teambuilders, wellness presentations, chair massages and other programs into the agenda.
Guided pre-meeting meditation is among the unique offerings at M Resort Spa Casino’s Spa Mio, while delegates at the Westin Lake Las Vegas can try “paddle board meetings” or consult with the hotel’s Adventure Boutique on outdoor meeting experiences.
To borrow the analogy, spas have helped significantly “ease” Atlantic City, N.J., toward a more sustainable future over the last decade, and Meet AC is still spearheading that push toward non-gaming fun.
Fittingly, the city continues to enjoy a long-running relationship with the Northeast Spa & Pool Association and its annual Pool and Spa Show. Held this January at the Atlantic City Convention Center, the 35th edition of the three-day showcase attracted more than 11,000 attendees and over 400 exhibitors, generating 7,415 hotel rooms and an estimated $9 million-plus in delegate spending.
Introduced by Elizabeth Arden in 1910, Manhattan’s Red Door Salon was the nation’s first day spa. At Harrah’s Atlantic City, the Red Door Spa offers customized services for corporate events and groups. Other exquisite oases including the ocean-facing Immersion Spa on the 32nd and 33rd floors of the Water Club Hotel; the 35,000-square-foot Spa Toccare at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa; Bluemercury Spa at The Quarter at Tropicana Casino & Resort; and harking back to those ancient Roman times, Qua Baths & Spa at Caesars Palace.
