The Collagenizer NEO used at Cliff House Maine .
“ Partnering with local businesses like these allows us to expand our programs while also bringing a little bit of locality to our guests .”
— DINARA LEWIS
meet the demand of their customers , Cliff House Maine has increasingly reached out to local wellness providers .“ We partnered with an esthetician who uses a machine — the Collagenizer NEO — that allows us to tap into more med-spa services ,” Lewis adds . This esthetician offers her services at Cliff House Maine one weekend each month .
In the greater Salt Lake City area , Alisa Draper has seen similar demand for med-spa services . To meet it , Draper — the spa director at Sego Lily Spa , which operates three locations in the metroplex — specifically sought out a local M . D . to provide medical esthetics .“ Our laser company helped us find a partnership . Then , we interviewed them to see who fit our structure and if it would be mutually beneficial ,” Draper says . After piloting the partnership at the spa ’ s Midvale location , medical esthetics services have since been added to a second location in Bountiful , Utah . Logistically , the physician offers online consultations for services that , though they can be performed by the spa ’ s own estheticians , require a doctor ’ s sign-off . For these consultations , the physician receives a flat fee per consultation and a small upfront monthly fee . The physician still travels to Sego Lily ’ s Midvale location once a week to provide more invasive medica esthetics services , however .
The Ocean Reef Club Spa & Salon in Key Largo has similarly partnered with Jill Waibel , an internationally-known dermatologist based out of Miami , to provide results-driven med-spa services . Jill Barron , who is the director of the private residential community ’ s spa , has a long familiarity with medical esthetics and reached out Dr . Waibel based on prior knowledge . In contrast to Sego Lily ’ s arrangement , Ocean
Reef ’ s dermatologist partner keeps all revenue from the treatments performed ; instead , she pays Ocean Reef a monthly rental fee for use of the space , thereby providing Ocean Reef with a dependable revenue stream .
This increased collaboration with businesses in the medical field is a spa-industry-wide phenomenon , according to Mia Kyricos of Kyricos & Associates .“ I ’ ve seen a greater willingness to collaborate between the wellness and medical communities . They don ’ t necessarily need to integrate , but they do need to be aware the other exists in the local community and be willing to share guests back and forth ,” Kyricos says . She encourages spas to put themselves out there by “ beating down the doors ” of local healthcare providers and actively pursuing partnerships . Adds Kyricos ,“ I ’ d like to see spas set up shop in a dermatology or chiropractic office during shoulder periods or low-peak periods . Why not ? If a dermatologist or an acupuncturist is coming into the spa , why can ’ t spa providers go into the doctor ’ s offices ?”
Collaborating with Local Artisans While many spas partner with local product manufacturers , it ’ s important to consider other kinds of local businesses whose products can bring value to your business , too . Cliff House Maine works with a variety of local artisans to enhance the atmosphere of the spa and the uniqueness of the spa-goer ’ s experience . A local potter provides trays in treatment rooms to hold guests ’ jewelry and keys ; a local florist provides fresh Maine wildflowers ; a local apiary provides honey for a cupping service . Cliff House Maine has also partnered with other businesses to provide in-spa activities , such as a candle-making workshop , for its guests . Says Lewis ,
JANUARY 2022 n PULSE 27