The International SPA Association has launched a new virtual event series called Heart of the Matter, which brings together luminaries from a variety of fields and backgrounds for in-depth conversations intended to spark thought, discussion and inspiration in the spa industry and beyond. The on-demand series launched in August with ISPA Dedicated Contributor Award winner Bryan Williams, who led an inspiring virtual session on fostering inclusion and diversity through leadership. Confirmed upcoming participants and topics are as follows:
• Tembi Locke, New York Times best-selling author and actor, will speak with ISPA Board Chairman Patrick Huey about grief, resilience and healing. Tembi’s memoir, From Scratch, was selected for Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club in May 2019 and is currently being developed for television by Netflix.
• Kathryn Hahn, Emmy-nominated actor and star of the upcoming Disney+ series WandaVision, HBO’s I Know This Much is True and the hit film Bad Moms, will speak with Huey about seeking joy and the challenges of persevering in difficult times.
• ISPA Medical Advisor Dr. Brent Bauer and Dr. Nadir Bhuiyan of the Mayo Clinic will discuss the spa industry’s pandemic response and share insights on planning for the immediate future.
“So many members of our industry have worked so hard in recent months to safely reopen their spas,” said ISPA President Lynne McNees. “Through Heart of the Matter, we hope to offer the ISPA family an opportunity to pause during this hectic period and receive inspiration from the insights, advice and stories that will be shared in this series.”
Heart of the Matter adds to ISPA’s recent virtual offerings, which have also included a series of Reopening Town Halls featuring spa professionals highlighting their reopening efforts and Chats with Product Pros, which have focused on the ways in which spa resource partners have adapted to business during the pandemic. Collectively, those events have attracted more than 20,000 total views.
“It’s been wonderful seeing our industry come together to share their experiences and observations during ISPA’s Reopening Town Halls and Chats with Product Pros events, and Heart of the Matter gives us an opportunity to remain engaged with our spa colleagues while offering wisdom that is relevant to us not just as professionals, but also as human beings,” said Huey.
ISPA will announce further installments of Heart of the Matter as participants are confirmed. All session recordings will be available on demand at exerienceispa.com and the ISPA YouTube channel.
