Business View Magazine | Volume 8, Issue 12

111 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 8, ISSUE 12 day one. In our industry, ‘free’ still has value, it’s very important in the spa channel. So when we advertised that membership in the SIA was now free to join, people were thanking us and telling us how much they needed the benefits and the connections to vendors. In 2010, when my team took over the association there were about 1100 signed up members – today we are approaching 90,000, globally.” BVM: What parts of the industry do your members represent? Share: “Anyone who works within the spa industry can join SIA free of charge. Our members are massage therapists, estheticians, nurses, chiropractors, day spa, spa salons, resort destinations, wellness practitioners, medical doctors – if they’re in the ‘wellness world’, we will allow them to come in as a member. That includes businesses and individuals. “Then, we have the whole vendor side to our program. Anyone who is a manufacturer, or a distributor, or a consultant, or a service company, or in the gift industry – because gift is big in spa. A lot of our spa people go to Las Vegas Market, America’s Mart, Dallas Mart, or NYNOW because gift gives them front of the house retail that they’re looking for. It is incredibly important in the spa channel. In fact, I would say it kept a lot of facilities in business over the last 18 or more months.” BVM: When COVID-19 came on the scene, how did the SIA help your members? Share: “If we go back to March 2020, I had just flown to New York for the IECSC (International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conferences) trade show and set up the booth with my team, when someone said, “In 30 minutes, IECSC is going to announce the show is cancelled because the City of New York uses the Javits Center as a triage. So we have to get out.” It was a surreal moment and one I hope we never repeat. THE SPA INDUSTRY ASSOC I AT ION (S I A) President, Allan Share