SpaCast

Massage Therapist On Call(TM) launches Free Massage for All

Like Johnny Appleseed of legend, "Dave Freerub" is on a mission, too. The mission: free massage for all!

In a time when deep economic woe, record foreclosures and bank failures, ridiculously high gas prices, global insecurity, an unpopular war and despair grips the nation, it may seem to some that a massage is a bit frivolous. To the contrary, a free 5 minute massage and neck rub from a professional, licensed massage therapist could well be the momentary relief everyone in America needs from all these troubles and tribulations.   Massage Therapist On Call(TM) (mtOnCall.com) is partnering with major retail and commercial locations to provide massage stands which offer FREE 5 minute massages to anyone and everyone.

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It’s Not Easy Picking a Path to Enlightenment

So many paths to serenity; so many pilgrims: 30,000 guests a year come to Kripalu, which bills itself as the biggest retreat center in the country, offering 700 workshops and seminars annually.  But behind the scenes in a crowded second-floor suite at Kripalu’s sprawling lakefront campus here in the Berkshires, things are a tad less restful.

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Do we really need to turn a visit to the Gyno into a Spa Experience?

Usually we're all giddy about spa openings, but sometimes even we have to stop and say, no, really? Phit, a 58th Street newbie (as seen in today’s Times' Thursday Styles section), is a … different kind of spa. Because it’s for your below-the-belt region, and we ain’t talkin' bikini waxes. It's a "gyno spa." Wait a second, let it hit you. Yes, we said gyno spa.

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Free Gas Cards - Relief from LA's Le Petite Retreat Day Spa

Le Petite Retreat Day Spa in Los Angeles has announced their "Free Gas Card" summer program to help relieve the economic difficulty people are facing during this time of inflated gas prices.

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If you've got Five Large and 8 hours of free time in New York, visit Spa Chinois

Spa Chinois in New York is offering a new take on the term "day spa”. They are offering a full day at the spa from 10 am to 6 pm, for $5,000, with its "All You Can Spa" program.  The spa closes for the day so the client has complete privacy and run of the spa. The client can have any and all spa services that day. The “All You Can Spa” day escape is for one client or up to five friends. The clients will also receive a catered lunch, afternoon snacks and champagne.

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Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa, Arizona, Offers Reimbursement for Airline Luggage Fees

Guests of the Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort & Spa  (Arizona) are being invited to show proof of a luggage charge and will be reimbursed $25 per person, up to $50 per guestroom. This gesture on behalf of the Resort is meant to relieve any stress or economic pressures from the new airline policies and to reassure guests that their business is valued and appreciated.

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Get an Oil Change, Massage, and Manicure

Auto dealers wnat to appeal to women, and setting up a showroom like a spa is one marketing idea taking off.   Auto dealers are embracing creative new strategies to entice buyers into their showrooms.  You can get a manicure, hit the driving range, order a snack from the cafe or sip on a drink while you wait. It's a welcome change from the stale coffee and day-old doughnuts of the past. 

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Girls will get the low-down at Camp Day Spa

Nothing goes together quite like young girls and make-up. But how young is too young for make-up? How do you know that you are teaching your daughter the best techniques for make-up application? What about all other forms of personal hygiene and self-care?

Valerian Day Spa in Wisconsin has designed and will be holding its first annual Camp Day Spa. This day long workshop is intended to teach girls ages 8 to 14 about proper care for their growing and changing bodies. Topics covered throughout the day will include brow shaping, proper skincare, nail maintenance and aromatherapy. In addition, product kits and healthy snacks will be provided throughout the day. Participants will also give and receive manicures and pedicures.

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Medical doctors attracted to cosmetics: Physicians can earn more with lasers and Botox than primary care

To most people, the word "obstetrician" signifies babies, not Botox.  Yet a number of obstetrician-gynecologists, as well as primary care doctors and dentists, are peddling cosmetic treatments that relax wrinkles, plump lips and banish cellulite.  Why? The short answer is cash.

A more nuanced answer gynecologists and internists give is that people are getting these procedures anyway at spas or other nonmedical locations, so they might as well get better treatment in a safer environment from a doctor they trust.

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Mind, Body & Spirit Cruises

Crystal Cruises is introducing two "Mind, Body & Spirit" cruises this December. Holistic, comprehensive programming incorporates lectures, classes and workshops given by leading experts and instructors from The Cleveland Clinic, Tai Chi Cultural Institute and the line's exclusive Walk on Water program.  The Mind, Body & Spirit focus is set for Crystal Symphony's December 7 South America voyage from Los Angeles to Valparaiso, Chile and Crystal Serenity's December 12 Panama Canal cruise from Caldera, Costa Rica to Miami

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Lodging Interactive To Provide Spa Industry with Internet Marketing Services

Lodging Interactive, one of the industry’s leading hospitality Internet marketing agencies, has announced the launch of Spa Interactive to drive online revenue maximization for Spas and Health Clubs. Spa Interactive is designed to offer comprehensive marketing strategies and solutions for those running and maintaining health spas.

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Cosmetic Con: Some Clients Say Med Spas Misleading

Medical spas have cropped up everywhere, a billion-dollar industry that offers non-surgical alternatives to cosmetic surgery.  But in response to complaints, the 2 Investigators found one chain that's misleading and harming clients, and as CBS 2 Investigator Pam Zekman reports, leaving some of them in the middle of a cosmetic con.

The seven NuU Medspas in the Chicago area aggressively promote Lipodissolve, a series of injections that supposedly will melt your fat away. The ads talk about reduced inches with no knives, no tubes, and no pain -- a deceptive ad, patients say.

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Bikini Waxing for Tweens! Have Spas Gone Too Far?

The simple mother-daughter stress-reducing day at the spa — complete with perfect manicures and pedicures — has morphed into a full-fledged booming beauty business. Some spas now are giving their tween clients resort-type treatments and pint-size pampering. The offerings go beyond the typical painted nails.

Catering to a kid's every possible desire, some spas have stepped up their tween care by offering hair highlights, microdermabrasion and bikini waxes for girls as young as 11 and 12.

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Spa wars in Australia

The Mornington Peninsula(Australia) will take on the Hepburn Springs-Daylesford region for the title of Victoria's premier spa destination.  Peninsula spa owners held a strategy summit in March and voted to form a regional association to boost their industry.

"We looked at how we can promote this area as a spa destination," says Alana Dyer, manager of the Peninsula Life Medispa in Mornington. "We really think we can make an impression."

Toppling the traditional titleholder - the central springs area centered on Hepburn Springs and Daylesford - would shake up the state's spring and massage industry and further boost tourism on the peninsula.

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Recession? Relax. Spas build sales through corporate clients

The consuming masses may be worried about making ends meet, but the luxury hotel spa industry is finding new ways to attract business. They're reaching out to corporations. 

"Companies are looking for the perfect outing to entertain their best clients or reward their best employees," said Pamela Margolis, co-owner and president of the Hotel Ivy Spa Club in downtown Minneapolis. "You don't have to be good at spa-ing -- there's nothing to practice. It's more flexible than organizing a round of golf ... and it doesn't take six hours out of your day."

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Soft-Price Pampering: Spas Reflect the Economy

Spas have been working hard over the past few years to market themselves as a necessary part of a healthy lifestyle, not an indulgence.  But now that consumers are feeling anxious about paying for even more basic needs — like gas, house payments and butter — some spas are responding with a different strategy to appeal to stressed-out, maxed-out customers: discounts.

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Rosewood Hotels & Resorts of Dallas is branding its spas

Ultra-luxury hotel owner and operator Rosewood Hotels & Resorts is putting its brand on spas. The Dallas-based company, which began prominently including its name on its hotels only two years ago, has launched Sense, a Rosewood spa.    It's a move that mirrors efforts by other upscale hotels to leverage their spas as a marketing tool and revenue driver.

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Is Owning a Spa a Way To Earn a Healthy Living?

During 11 years as a broker serving wealthy South Floridians, Nicole Oden made a lot of money, endured a lot of stress and spent a lot of time in spas getting rid of both. So when she became dissatisfied with the spas in her area, she decided to open her own.

In short order, she researched the industry, prepared a business plan, secured a bank loan and in November 2004 opened Spa Eleven, an 11,100-square-foot luxury day spa in Delray Beach. Ms. Oden says the 70-person enterprise generated a modest profit on $3 million in first-year revenues, and she is investigating two more locations.

Running a spa is perhaps the ultimate feel-good business, and spa owners say helping others look better and feel more relaxed is a major benefit of their job. Earning a healthy income in the business, however, is hard work, given the challenges in employee retention and financing.

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US Dental Spa Market

The dental spa has become an established part of the dentistry market. Dental spa experts estimate that up to 5% of dental practices in USA currently offer dental spa or spa dentistry services. Strong growth is forecast and numbers are expected to increase with as many as three quarters of US dental practices possibly becoming dental spas. They can boost sales by doing so as dental spas report patients spending about 30% more per visit than in a traditional dentists office.

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Chakra balancing, hypnotherapy, sex talk: Today you can find them all, and more, on the spa menu.

A questionnaire for new clients at the Murad Health Center, a spa in in El Segundo, California, wants to know everything about you. Ever had heart problems? How about back pain? And what if you had no obligations tomorrow? Do you have any meaningful plans for the rest of your life?

The 34-page lifestyle Q&A doesn't hold back. It wants to know "the last time you felt really well" and whether you "begin the day with activities that nurture your body and spirit." If the answers are hard to find, then you'd better start thinking about them. Today's spas are out to do more than merely erase age spots or ease a few kinks in your neck.

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Marriott Guarantees Sunshine ... or a Spa Treatment is Yours

A $50 resort credit serves as the silver lining if rain puts a damper on visits to Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa in the new year.   To accommodate sun-seeking guests in all types of weather, Harbor Beach Marriott Resort & Spa will now serve up an additional $50 resort credit if there is less than a 75% chance of sunshine (forecasted as 25% chance or greater of rain) during their stay. Travelers can spend the resort credit on any of the hotel's indoor amenities, from spa to shopping.

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Spas Cater to Couples Trying to Conceive

Aspiring to go from being pampered to becoming parents, a growing number of couples are turning to spas to increase their chances of conceiving.  Instead of taking hormone injections, prospective mothers are submitting to acupuncture needles. Meds are being traded for massage. And in place of a cold doctor's office, couples enjoy feng shuied rooms, cascading waterfalls, and enough New Age music to turn a pit bull into a poodle. It's all part of the philosophy that relaxation is the drug-free path to reproductive success.

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Pay Per Click Plans For Massage Schools and Day Spas

Visionary Search, Inc., a local Atlanta search engine marketing agency specializing in pay per click marketing, today announced growth plans which include focusing on massage schools, massage clinics and day spa facilities.

With expertise in both the pay per click and the massage industries, CEO Melissa Fontenot who is also a Certified Massage Therapist continues to grow her internet marketing business by focusing on an industry that is very close to her heart -- massage. Understanding the benefits of massage definitely keeps her aware of how important it is to promote this invaluable service.

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Creative Marketer of the Year: Dove Redefines Beauty

A study called "The Real Truth About Beauty: A Global Report" revealed to personal care product maker Dove that women want to see more diverse images of physical attractiveness, ones that reflect the vision of beauty women have versus those currently portrayed in popular culture. It inspired the brand to launch the global Campaign for Real Beauty a few years ago, featuring TV spots and a website.

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Inc. Ranks TIG Global Among Top Advertising and Marketing Companies in the U.S

Inc., the daily resource for entrepreneurs, recently recognized TIG Global on its list of the fastest-growing private companies in the United States. Rankings for the 2007 Inc. list were based on the year over year revenue growth of private U.S. companies. In this first year of acknowledgements, TIG Global ranked as the 53rd fastest growing advertising and marketing company in the nation

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TIG Global Collects International WebAwards for Superior Website Design

TIG Global (www.TIGglobal.com), the leading interactive marketing company for hospitality, recently announced the receipt of two WebAwards for excellence in website design and strategy. This year’s international competition, held by the Web Marketing Association, received 2,400 entries from over 40 countries. Websites were judged on design, innovation, content, interactivity, ease of use, navigation, and use of technology.

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After losing its 5 star rating, The Greenbrier Refocuses

On Jan. 11, 2000, the editors of Mobil Travel Guide stripped away The Greenbrier's coveted five-star rating, proclaiming the historic hotel no longer stood among the few dozen considered the world's finest.  The Greenbrier     (nyse: GBX) had failed to keep up with the times, lacking radios, telephones in the bathrooms and suitable TV stands. Though still a fine hotel, Mobil decided, it was no longer perfect.  .Work to regain the fifth star began immediately.

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Westin Debuts New In Room Spa Program

Westin Hotels & Resorts today announced a new in-room spa program that will bring the personalized luxury and comfort of a full-service spa to the privacy of the hotel room. The hotel industry's first global in-room spa program, the experience was developed by the Westin spa team and includes a luxurious yet portable spa bed and a spa basket filled with sensory items to be enjoyed before, during and after the massage.

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Manly Men Getting Waxed

Metrosexuals, move over. The burly, macho men of Colorado Springs are barging in on your territory. Manscaping — the art of transforming men’s hairy bodies into something manageable — is not just for frou-frou, fastidious guys anymore. Neither are soft cuticles, flawless skin or pedicures.   The guys who are visiting spas these days range from preteens to great-grandpas and come from all walks of life: the military, business — even trucking.

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Spas – How To Stay On-trend And Make Money

Spas are “hot” but it is easy to get “burned” unless your spa development, marketing and management plans are on-trend and market-driven. Spas are part of just about every new four and five star resort, condo-hotel and lifestyle real estate development. They are also being added to existing properties so that the property does not lose its market share or competitive positioning. Consumers are very spa savvy so it’s important to know how to make your spa different from and better than that of your competitors.

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Massage for the Cure, Houston, Texas, September 10

"A free massage for you can help someone else.”

That’s the theme of a day-long event coming to the Houston area on September 10 . . . but you have to think ahead. This is the first year for Massage for the Cure in Houston. On Monday, September 10, all 22 Greater Houston-area Massage Envy clinics will provide free 1-hour therapeutic massages to any man or women in support of the Komen for the Cure Houston.

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Czech Spas Target Foreign Market

Spas and balneal establishments in the Czech Republic are increasingly turning to foreign markets as health insurers reduce or deny payments to Czech patients and the number of domestic health insurance clients continues to drop. Of the over 340,000 people who visited spas in West Bohemia in 2006, more than 274,000 were foreigners.

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Marco Island Marriott Wants it Guests to Conceive

Marco Island Marriott Beach Resort's Fertile Turtle Package is enticing hopeful couples to come out of their shells and conceive.  Available during Sea Turtle mating season only, the package includes a Couples Massage with fertility-enhancing Aromatherapy, specialty teas and more, plus, Moms and Dads who become expectant parents at the resort will receive a free three-night return stay.

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Spa Man: Steve Case of Miraval

The most convoluted philosophical thinking outside of academe was taking place recently at the Global Spa Summit at the Waldorf-Astoria, with the purpose of fostering “thought leadership” in the forty-billion-dollar-a-year spa industry. One of the keynote speakers was Steve Case, the co-founder of America Online. He now owns a spa in Arizona called Miraval, whose motto is “Life in Balance.”

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Spa Services - Industry Profile

Research and Markets has announced the addition of "Spa Services - Industry Profile" to their offering. Covering over 175 industries and updated every 90 days, the First Research Industry Profiles do the "heavy lifting" for you - saving your sales team valuable research time, enhancing client communications and giving you the competitive edge to win more business.

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St. Regis Selling Membershipsfor an Orange County Resort Lifestyle

So, you can't buy a resort. Would you settle for the resort lifestyle? The St. Regis Resort, Monarch Beach becomes the first resort in Orange County (California) – and one of the few anywhere – to sell access to its entire property through a membership club.  Membership benefits include a members-only lounge, special events such as the annual member-guest golf tournament and discounts on rooms, spa treatments, green fees and food.

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LA Gets Spa for Kids Only

L.A.'s "it" kids now have a special place to call their own -- Spa Di Da in West Hollywood. Spa Di Da is the only spa in the city where the most important clients are kids. Both girls and boys can get a range of grooming and beautification services from the highly- trained and kid-friendly staff.

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Hyatt Testing New Vacation Soundtrack Program

Movies have soundtracks. Now vacations do, too.  In a pilot program, Hyatt is throwing out the elevator music and crafting unique compilations for its lobbies, restaurants and spas. It posts the music online so guests can listen, buy and download the sounds of their vacation.  Three Hyatt hotels are testing the program: in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Hyatt Regency Lost Pines Resort & Spa in Austin, Texas; and Hyatt Westlake Plaza in Thousand Oaks, Calif. If it’s successful, the company will create soundtracks for more of its properties.

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The Green Spa Network

The green travel movement is sprouting new offshoots. In addition to offsetting carbon emissions from air travel and reducing energy use at hotels, eco-friendly travelers may want to know their spa treatment isn't roughing up the planet.

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Dorit Baxter in New York Launches New Style of Pregnancy Massage

Dorit Baxter, after serving a high-end New York clientele for over twenty-five years, especially designed a massage to create a "motherhood mood". This pregnancy massage is for those who want a unique way to diffuse the pressures of becoming pregnant, while creating a serene mental and emotional environment for conception.

Dorit Baxter's spa has become an affiliate of the Center for Human Reproduction (CHR), to increase awareness of the effects massage can have on fertility. The CHR, one of New York's most recognized reproductive endocrinology and infertility centers, has already highlighted the importance of massage to create a relaxed mood for those hoping to become pregnant. By creating the Motherhood Mood massage, Dorit Baxter wants to increase trust and understanding among the population of men and women that struggle with infertility and emotional fatigue.

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Racy Medi-Spa Billboard Stirs Debate

A billboard for a salon and medical spa, promoting cosmetic procedures and featuring a woman wearing little more than an off-the-shoulder top, has outraged some residents who say it sends the wrong message.

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UK Based Spa Show Relaunched

London-based Expomedia Group has acquired the UK based Spa Show, a consumer event targeting a high-end audience interested in spa vacations held every November, from Spa Shows Ltd. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Carnival Launches Contest to Name New Spa

Passengers on the Carnival Splendor have been given an opportunity to name the ship’s brand new 21,000 square foot luxury spa and, in doing so, win themselves a cruise holiday for two on the ship.

Carnival Splendor will set sail for the first time in July 2008 and in addition to the panoramic sea views and stunning cruise itineraries on offer, you can also enjoy what Carnival Cruises has dubbed its "most spectacular spa ever".

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Cal-A-Vie Launches New Online Presence

Belay Development, the Los Angeles- based interactive consultancy, has redesigned and relaunched the web site of the exclusive Cal-a-Vie Health Spa. The spa was featured on the May 22, 2007  episode of "The Big Weigh In: Best Life Weight Loss Challenge Update" on the Oprah Winfrey Show. The spa's site is listed on the Oprah.com site's page related to that episode.

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The butt facial - the new fad

Spas across the US - from New York, to Miami, Los Angeles and Minneapolis - are promoting "butt facials", promising to tighten, lift and tone the posteriors of clients eager to don their bathing suits and make an impression on the beach.

"I call mine the 'butt lift' and it has got pretty popular especially as the weather gets warmer and the (northern) summer nears," said Kristine Panariello, who runs a spa boutique in the Reed Centre in New York.

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Six Leading North American Spas Launch Green Spa Network To Connect Personal and Planetary Wellness

Six prominent North America spas announce the formation of a network dedicated to bringing environmentally sustainable operating practices to the burgeoning spa industry. A much-needed resource for the spa community, the Green Spa Network seeks to help spas and spa professionals reap the financial and social benefits from implementing environmentally friendly business practices. The intention of the organization is to synergise greening efforts among network members as a way to support spas in reducing their ecological impact, while improving energy efficiencies and reducing operational costs.

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Social Spa-ing is the New Golf

It's Friday night and the techno beats are bouncing around the dimly lighted room. Perfectly groomed men and gaggles of smartly dressed young women are kicking back with wine, hors d'oeuvres and some pretty intense touching. No one is complaining about the very public interactions, especially not Leonard Lanzi.

With bare feet soaking in a sudsy pedicure tub, Lanzi, an executive with Junior Achievement, is surrounded by his employees, who seemed to be having a good time making fun of the boss's calloused feet. Lanzi, for better or worse, invited the office to Happy Hour Friday at Dtox, a new place to socialize in Atwater Village near Griffith Park. Despite the name, Dtox isn't a bar, or a rehab joint, but a day spa that once a month throws open its treatment room doors to add a social element to massages, facials and pedicures.

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Golf is So Last Millenium

For years women have built professional relationships the old-fashioned way: entertaining clients or talking business with colleagues at buttoned-up dining rooms, in skyboxes or on the golf course. But women increasingly are kicking off their heels and networking as they get pedicures, try on clothes or wield sharp knives at cooking classes.

Two weeks ago, when 25 senior female attorneys at Kirkland & Ellis met to network with each other and with female law students, they didn't hunker down in the private dining room of a hip Loop restaurant. They commandeered the fitting room of an Ann Taylor store, where they spent several hours. And while the evening started with shop talk, it quickly got more personal.

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European Spas and Beauty Institutes Merge to Capitalise on Professional Skin Care Market

Fast growth of professional skin care products in Europe has led manufacturers to seek new marketing opportunities - with a new report encouraging them to produce ranges that target both spa venues, and the more common beauty institutes.

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A Merging of Medicine and Spas

At a free evening reception at the Vita Spa in Roslyn, Helen Proimus nibbled finger sandwiches and chatted with other guests about the pleasure of pampering themselves. The sound system lulled them with the soothing music of a typical spa: "Reflections of Nature," Kenny G. and "Zen: The Art of Relaxation."

When Proimus settled in a private room in the back, though, she wasn't receiving a typical spa service - no facial or pedicure or massage. Instead, Dr. Karina Bibicheff, an internist who runs the business, projected a digital scan of Proimus's face onto a screen, throwing into high relief every imperfection that might go unnoticed in softer light.

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Hotels hoping to massage revenues with spa treatments

Bargain-minded spa customers may soon book facials and massages the same way they buy airline tickets. Just as airlines discount seats for flights with low demand, hotel spas are beginning to offer discounts or special offers for off-peak bookings.

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