Face & Body Northern California 2010 Wrap-Up

Face & Body's opening day welcomed crowds to the show floor.
Face & Body's opening day welcomed crowds to the show floor.

“Having exhibited for the past 10 years at 60 various trade shows, I found that the Face & Body held in San Jose 2010 was the most successful show in our history. We opened a dozen new accounts and we were busy from the time the doors opened until the doors closed. PFB Vanish Inc. thanks you and we will see again next year.”
—Ottmar Stubler, president, PFB Vanish Inc., about Face & Body Northern California 2010

This year's Face & Body Spa Conference & Expo in San Jose, California, kicked off July 17 and continued on through July 19, 2010.

Day One

This morning, 30 spa professionals toured three local spas, including InSpa Santana Row, La Concha Spa and Skin Logic.

InSpa creates a new simplicity in spa services for men and women. Choices are easy, scheduling is convenient, and the atmosphere is comfortable. Its unique “No Tipping” policy was created to enhance the relaxation experience. Colleen Stone founded InSpa in 1999 with the vision of providing affordable, high-quality spa products and services in a friendly, welcoming environment. The attendees learned that the spa also has plans to go waterless with pedicures in order to be more eco-friendly.

La Concha Spa allows clients to relax and forget the pressures of the world around you. It has proudly been serving San Jose since 1994, offering an array of face and body treatments for both women and men. As the spa professionals toured this location, they learned how it is going back to the basics for clients, and learning how to master social media in order to keep up with the changing times.

Finally, the tour attendees visited Skin Logic, an advanced skin care and acne treatment center in San Jose. Owner and skin care guru Dawn Amador takes pride in offering high-quality and results-driven treatments. At Skin Logic no question will go unanswered and no concern will go unfulfilled. Here, tour attendees learned how Skin Logic makes 60-65% in retail, and uses unconventional methods to market and promote. A successful promotion through Groupon resulted in more than 700 appointments that Amador is working on turning into regular clientele.

After the Spa Tour wrapped up, spa professionals continued to enjoy Face & Body Northern California by checking out the annual Networking Luncheon in the Courtyard Atrium at Il Fornaio Restaurant located within the Sainte Claire hotel. The luncheon was the perfect opportunity to network with peers and share new ideas, strategies and industry trends. Christine Heathman, CEO and president of GlyMed Plus Skin Care, this year’s Networking Luncheon sponsor, presented a keynote presentation on "Winning at the Game of Skin Care in 2010." Some of the golden nuggets of advice she shared included:

  • Failure is the first stepping stone to success.
  • Climb the steps to success one step at a time.
  • Conclusion is the dark place where you got tired of thinking.
  • Empower other spa professionals and seek a mentor.
  • Go out and do what you've learned about.
  • Fifty percent of business is attributed to your relationship with clients.

In addition, Pat Lam, president of Skin Care Consultants, presented the Hubert Lam Memorial Scholarship to this year’s recipient, Rachel Bradshaw of Haiku, Hawaii.

Adding to this incredible day was an entire afternoon of continuing education at the Advanced Education Conference Program. Attendees had the chance to learn from some of the masters of the spa industry about timely topics crucial to today's spa professional. Tracks included Business-building, Esthetic Science, Trends and Wellness/Sustainability.

Rebecca James Gadberry discussed Cutting-edge Cosmetic Science 2011 and Christine Heathman clarified skin cell science, just to name a few incredible learning opportunities. Other speakers included Manon Pilon of Physiodermie/Europelab Inc., Mindy Terry, Creative Spa Concepts, Carol Phillips, BeauteeSmarts and Carl Thornfeldt, MD of Episciences, Inc.

Finally, wrapping up the day was an evening in wine country where spa professionals traveled to the Heart O’ The Mountain Vineyard and Winery in the Santa Cruz mountains for a wine tasting and hors d'oeuvre pairing sponsored by Éminence Organic Skin Care. This premium grape-growing property, once owned by the famous director Alfred Hitchcock and now owned by the Robert Brassfield family, produces a limited amount of handcrafted Pinot Noir.

Day Two

Not to be outdone, the second day of Face & Body welcomed the much-anticipated opening of the expo hall, as well as the opening of the supplier classes. In fact, more than 500 attendees took advantage of supplier classes today, and additional learning opportunities will be available tomorrow, as well.

During these classes, industry suppliers present their specific products and techniques and conduct hands-on demonstrations and lectures. Attendees were able to learn from the experts themselves and gain valuable face-to-face time with their favorite suppliers in an informative and interactive setting.

In the expo hall, excited attendees were able to shop, compare and find the right products and services for their spa from the Face & Body Northern California exhibitors. A steady flow of attendees flowed through the expo floor, eager to learn about new products and treatments available, and learn retail, market and business tips and ideas from suppliers as well as their colleagues.

Day Three: Closing Day

The last day of Face & Body Northern California 2010 brings a large crowd to explore the expo floor, benefit from the supplier classes and learn about how the medical industry and the spa industry can collaborate in this brave new world.

 

New this year produced by Merge® magazine and co-sponsored by True University Esthetics and Jan Marini Skin Research, the Medical Esthetics Summit was designed to help estheticians and practitioners working in a medical setting or those looking to expand into this specialized area. Attendees learned everything from emerging medical esthetic trends to how to build medical esthetic businesses and client retention from speakers such as Jennifer Linder, MD, Terri Wojak and Susanne S. Warfield.

Terri Wojak of True University Esthetics presented an overview of the medical esthetic industry, and discussed how the esthetician can best assist the physician. She covered "5 Tips to Being Successful in Medical Esthetics," including:

  1. Abide by state regulations
  2. Follow medical guidelines
  3. Always act as a professional
  4. Listen to the physician
  5. The client's well-being is most important

Wojak then moderated a panel discussion led by industry experts including Jennifer Linder, MD, of PCA Skin; Manon Pilon, Physiodermie (Methode); and Colleen Shimamato, DermaQuest Skin Therapy. Each panelist highlighted upcoming trends. According to Linder, an upcoming trend is understanding science and having ingredients that work. "Talk about what you are doing and using on a client during a treatment," she stressed. "This will help build compliance."

Pilon stressed that the esthetician must be educated. "Estheticians can help doctors increase their cash income," she said, stressing that a well-educated, certified esthetician can help design a treatment protocol. "Estheticians certainly can enhance what physicians are doing, but they must be educated."

Shimamato discussed combining esthetic treatments with other medical resurfacing treatments. "This is how you come up with the best results," she stressed.

The panel went on to discuss that estheticians can enhance what the doctor is doing--that they are there to enhance, not replace. It was emphasized that the esthetician can increase revenue for the doctor by assisting with client retention.

Tracy Drumm, vice president of IF Marketing, discussed The Oprah Experience, a 5-step guide to thriving in a medical office. She stressed thinking from your clients' perspective—take a look from their point of view. Drumm's presentation was based on her experience and observations after attending a taping of The Oprah Winfrey Show, and draws parallels back to the esthetic industry. "Set personal guidelines for yourself," she emphasized. "Always give off a consistent message."

Susanne S. Warfield of Paramedical Consultants, Inc., led a discussion on "Combining Medical and Esthetic Treatments to Help Build Client Retention." Her presentation included defining an esthetician; usage of titles; scope of practice; defining esthetic treatments; defining medical treatments; defining practice philosophy; and patient education among many other timely topics. She said that customer service is the provision of a service to clients before, during and after a treatment or procedure.

And finally, Jan Marini, president and CEO of Jan Marini Skin Research, gave a compelling keynote presentation during the Networking Luncheon about "12 Reasons to Stay out of the Sun. They included:

  1. Malignant melanoma is on the rise;
  2. Rosacea;
  3. Cataracts;
  4. Basal cell cancers/squamous cell cancer;
  5. Actinic keratoses;
  6. Solar lentigines/brown pigmented areas;
  7. Stimulates greater oil production;
  8. Flat macule pigmentation/post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation;
  9. Dulls hair, removes color;
  10. Indoor tanning beds;
  11. 90-95% of what we perceive as aging is sun damage; and
  12. Women with common, usually nonfatal forms of skin cancer have double the risk of developing unrelated cancers.;

"Sun protection is not just a cosmetic issue, it's a health issue," said Marini.

And as the doors close on another phenomenal year of Face & Body Northern California, next year's show is already being planned to be even better than 2010! Don't miss Face & Body Midwest, March 12-14, 2011, at McCormick Place West in Chicago and Face & Body Northern California , August 27-29, 2011, at San Jose McEnery Convention Center in San Jose, California. See you next year!

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