Pulse Legacy Archive January / February 2011 | Page 36

2010 ISPA CONFERENCE & EXPO

A Day-by-Day
Recap of
Highlights and
Insights
BY SHELBY JONES

Monday’s opening General Session
kicked off the 20th anniversary ISPA
Conference & Expo celebration off
with remarks from former ISPA
Chairman Jean Kolb. She reminisced on the past 20 years’
growth of ISPA and the spa industry.
● The first ISPA Conference attendance grew from 150 attendees to more than 2,000 professionals.
● Pulse began as a newsletter and is now distributed around
the world and digitally.
● The first membership directory was mailed to 300 ISPA
members. Today, the online version represents more than 70
countries.
● In 2000, the first ISPA Roundtable event was held.
Beginning next year, the re-vamped ISPA Connect events
will allow ISPA members the opportunity to interact in a
casual setting at the end of a work day while still providing
access to the newest products and trends.
After Kolb’s remarks, Eric Saperston, accompanied by
recording artist Edwin McCain, took the stage for his “Journey
Unplugged” keynote address. McCain opened the session by
playing his hit single “I’ll Be” while Saperston shared how he
got the idea to ditch the traditional route of finding a job after
college and go on a cross-country journey to answer some of
life’s biggest questions (Why am I here? How can I find happiness? What is success?).
To fund his trip, Saperston sold “sexy kind grilled cheese
sandwiches made with love” for $1 at highway rest stops.
Through meeting people on the road, he began to make connections with known personalities and interviewed them. He

y now you might be sick of
wrapping things up, but with
the holidays behind us, there’s
one more thing left—the 2010 ISPA
Conference & Expo wrap-up. Read
through this special section of Pulse to
relive the memories, connections and
celebrations you enjoyed during the
20th anniversary Conference.

B

MONDAY

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January/February 2011

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “What prevents people from going on great
adventures is the fear of looking foolish.” – Eric Saperston
BEST SURPRISE: The United States Color Guard opened the General
Session by stunning the audience with their moving presentation.
EXPO MOMENT: After two days of setting up, exhibitors greeted attendees during the Welcome Reception & Grand Opening of the Expo.
ONLY ON MONDAY: The Exhibitor Reception helped exhibitors get all
the information related to the Expo they needed, while the Conference
Orientation gave first-time attendees a chance to ask questions and find out
what to expect during the week ahead.