This document provides guidance on planning and hosting successful spa events. It discusses common event types like grand openings, open houses, and customer appreciation events. Important steps in the planning process are covered, including setting goals and objectives, creating a budget and checklist, and assigning staff roles. Marketing strategies like social media promotion, print materials, and securing media coverage are also reviewed. The document stresses having a clear purpose for the event and catering all aspects of the planning and event itself to meeting that specific objective.

2. Exfoliation & Marketing
Rhonda Allison
A Legend
The Official Publication of Aesthetics International Association
The Encyclopedia of Aesthetics & Spa Therapy July 2016

3. contributors
Contributors
Founder of Alexandria Professional
Lina Kennedy
@alexandriapros
“Full Body Salt Scrub: The Easy Exfoliation Add-
On” offers a generic, step-by-step treatment
for exfoliation.
Favorite decade: 2016 to 2026. The possibilities
are endless!
“Harry Potter” or “Twilight”: “Harry Potter.”
Hands down.
Graphic Designer
Cerissa Linday
@cerissadesigns
What you do in your free time: Catch up on my
favorite television shows.
Betty or Veronica: Jughead
Co-Founder of Skin Authority
Celeste Hilling
@MissSkin
“How to Market to Baby Boomers, Millennials,
and Everyone In-Between” discusses emerging
marketing themes and the best way to market to
different generations and genders.
Favorite restaurant: Le Ciel Bleu at Montparnasse
in Paris. My hubby asked me to marry him there. It
overlooks the city.
Cookies or cupcakes: Neither! I’m a salt and
cheese girl.
Co-Founder of Blue Beautifly LLC
Vida Karamooz
“Green with Envy: How Green Tea
Became Skin Care’s Latest Super
Ingredient” evaluates the
physiological and dermatological
benefits of green tea.
Last movie you saw: “The Jungle
Book.” I have seen many versions of
this movie over the years and it gets
better each time.
The ocean or space: Land. I would
prefer to explore the inexhaustible
discovery opportunities on the surface
of our planet.
CEO of Jenetiqa Luxury Skin Care
Christiane
Waldron
@ jenetiqaceo
“The Scrubdown on Exfoliation”
covers the role of the stratum
corneum and briefly explains different
methods of exfoliation, including
microdermabrasion and dermaplaning.
Artist you’d choose to see live:
Salvador Dalí
Saturday night…Netflix or out and
about: When I have been travelling
too long, Netflix. Otherwise, dinner
and a movie at iPic with my husband.
Licensed Aesthetician
Brenda Linday
@LindayConsult
“The Insider’s Guide to a Successful Spa Event,”
co-authored by Cerissa Linday, confers the different
types of spa parties and offers readers a thorough
spa party-planning guide.
First concert you went to: The Grateful Dead.
We drove from Portland to San Francisco.
Dogs or cats: Dogs
Get personal with the contributors that share their
expertise on this month's featured topics.
1 6 D E R M A S C O P E | J u l y 2 0 1 6

4. 7 0 D E R M A S C O P E | J u l y 2 0 1 6

5. S
uccessful spa events are the result of
months of preparation. It is not uncommon
for an average spa to spend 20 percent
of their total marketing budget on events. Dur-
ing these events, clients can enjoy live interactions
with other individuals, making them the perfect
addition to a spa’s engagement marketing strategy.
Person-to-person interactions can pull in a pros-
pect for conversion to the sale and upsell existing
clients for additional products and/or treatments.
The
Insider’s
Guide to a
Successful
Spa Event
by Brenda Linday, L.E., and Cerissa Linday
J u l y 2 0 1 6 | D E R M A S C O P E 7 1

6. COMMON EVENT CATEGORIES
Memorable events make a last-
ing impression. A favorable, last-
ing impression will help to grow
the spa’s business through good re-
views passed along by clients. There
are various types of events that a
spa may choose to hold, with each
event option corresponding to a
different objective.
Grand Opening – These events
are smart investments for new spas
or spas moving to or adding a new
location. At a grand opening, profes-
sionals can showcase their spa, in-
cluding all of the treatment rooms,
and offer demonstrations of their
products and services to entice pro-
spective clients. Learn as much as
possible about the demographic of
the location, inviting the target mar-
ket in that core area and neighbor-
ing communities.
Open House – Spas will host an
open house in hopes of gaining new
clientele and upselling their existing
clients to new products and services.
The open house is also the perfect
opportunity for the community to
meet the spa owner and the staff, al-
lowing current and prospective cli-
ents to ask questions in a relaxed and
fun environment. During the event,
professionals can encourage the cli-
entele to visit the spa and bring their
coworkers and friends, offer special
pricing on products or services that
are purchased at the event, and hold
raffles and give guests goodie bags
with sample sizes of the products
that are often supplied by vendors.
They can also host a pre-event gath-
ering for neighboring businesses to
help get the word out. Do not forget
to promote the event on social me-
dia and in the spa’s newsletter.
Customer Appreciation – These
events are always popular because
everyone enjoys being appreci-
ated. Customer appreciation events
are the perfect opportunity for the
spa to thank clients who have sup-
ported its growth and bring in new
business! During these events, cel-
ebration can also be used to thank
the staff.
Live Streaming – Tools such as
Google Hangouts on Air, YouNow,
MeerKat, and TwitchTV are oppor-
tunities for live engagement with cli-
entele or prospects over the internet.
Professionals can choose to share a
PowerPoint presentation or deliver
a live demonstration during the
streaming session.
Educational Seminars – De-
liver important information on new
products or treatments to clients.
Seminars explain the benefits of the
product or treatment, allow time to
answer questions, and often provide
a treatment demonstration. Attend-
ees should be offered a discount if
they purchase products or schedule
a treatment at the seminar.
Webinars – Webinars are an ex-
cellent way for professionals to show-
case their expertise on a treatment or
educate clients on ingredients and
the proper usage of products. Many
clients lead busy lives and find that
they are unable to call the spa dur-
ing business hours to ask questions.
A live or pre-recorded webinar that is
embedded into the spa’s website can
be the ticket to prospective sales for
the spa. Because webinars take exten-
sive planning, skin care professionals
will need to research the topic, cre-
ate content, and design the slides for
the presentation.
A webinar can be an effective tool
in creating a buzz related to a new
product or treatment. Be sure to take
adequate time when planning the
webinar strategy. Webinars are also
expected to be educational events,
not sales platforms. Therefore, if
the professional wishes to promote
a product, they should do so sub-
Objective for the event
Best type of event to meet objective
Invitation list
Venue
Date and time
Theme
Tone
Venue format
Goal tracking system
Return on investment
$5,000 in revenue and 50+ new leads
Open house
Prospects, current clients, and bloggers
In-house
8/11/2016 from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Pretty in Pink
Informal and fun
Food and Drinks - Hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, and
infused water.
Presentation - Two vendor facial demonstrations
Microsoft Excel
TBD
EVENT PLANNING WORKSHEET EXAMPLE –
INITIAL PLANNING STRATEGY
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7. liminally. Do not forget to practice
the presentation for timing.
Consider technology when de-
ciding to add webinars to the event
marketing strategy. How many cli-
ents will be logging in to the we-
binar portal? Will the webinar sys-
tem accommodate the anticipated
number of attendees? What is the
quality of the connection? Does the
presentation include video?
Furthermore, be sure to consid-
er the client's computer savviness;
they may have difficulty download-
ing software, for example. Profes-
sionals should also practice switch-
ing from a video to a PowerPoint
presentation and consider that not
all webinar systems accommodate
videos within a presentation.
Professionals should research to
see which of the many webinar com-
panies best fits their needs. Citrix
offers Go to Meeting, which can
handle up to 25 attendees, and Go
to Webinar, which can accommodate
up to 1000 attendees.
REASONS FOR HOSTING AN EVENT
Although there are a number
of reasons to host a spa event, a suc-
cessful event will have been planned
around a specific reason and will ca-
ter to that reason during the event.
Building the Brand – Events pro-
vide an opportunity to engage with
clientele outside of the fast-paced
workday. It is the professional’s op-
portunity to share more about their
business, goals, and vision with cli-
ents. Effective marketing strategies
create a buzz about the spa and this
event is an opportunity to build the
spa’s identity.
Expense
Primary Expenses
Location rental (if held outside
the spa)
Catering food – Lunch/Dinner/
Hors d’oeuvres
Breaks/Coffee/Tea/Sodas
Cocktails
Staffing (catering) or staff hourly
rate to work at the event
Incidentals
Airfare for any special guests
Hotel for any special guests
Transportation
Miscellaneous incidentals
Brand promotion
Flyers/Collateral
Pop-up banners
Giveaways
Audio visual
Projector/Screen/Microphone
BUDGET WORKSHEET (SAMPLE)
Estimated Actual
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8. EVENT CHECKLIST (SAMPLE)
Event Name:
Date:
Catering:
Social Media:
Vendor Contacts:
Initial Meeting Pre-Planning
 Create a timeline for all
action items.
 Schedule weekly meetings for
team updates.
 Create a promotional calendar.
 Decide on pre-event promotions
in applicable.
 Assign staff member to create
the announcements.
 Decide upon images to use
with the invites and in social
media posts.
 Create an Event Page on
Facebook, a Company Page on
LinkedIn, and a Pinterest board.
 Assign staff member to be the
“greeter” at the front door.
 Assign someone to take pictures or
consider hiring a photographer.
 Assign staff member to attend
VIP guests.
Location:
Time:
Staff Member Assignments
Raffle Gifts:
Hire Graphic Designer:
Media Exposure:
Pre-Event Social Media Coverage
Facebook
 Set a predetermined number of
daily posts – use pictures!
 Set a predetermined number of
videos to post weekly.
 Consider creating a
Facebook group.
Twitter
 Set a predetermined number
of daily tweets. They can be a
countdown. Stick to the posting
plan! Pre-set tweets.
 Monitor hashtag and
company mentions.
Google+
 Set a predetermined number of
daily posts per the plan.
 Consider promoting with
Hangouts on Air.
LinkedIn
 Set a predetermined number of
weekly posts, then be sure to
post them.
 Start up and participate in a group
discussion about the event.
Pinterest
 Create an Event Pinterest board.
 Set a predetermined number of pin
related images to the Event board
each week.
 Create a contest for the event.
Blog
 Set a number of blogs to promote
the event.
 Include infographics.
Other Social Media Platforms
 Follow a similar format.
Theme:
Budget:
E-Blasts and Invites:
Photographer:
During the Event
 Assign a team member to monitor
social media.
 Respond to tweets, especially
customer questions, retweet
when appropriate.
 Interview customers, leads,
family members, and industry
influencers for social media
posts and blog content.
 Encourage all employees
attending the event to participate
in the tweets, posting pictures
and updates.
 Monitor event hashtags and
company mentions.
Post-Event Wrap-Up
 Schedule a post-event
feedback meeting.
 Review all photographs, tweets,
and videos to post to social media.
 Post Thank You notes to all
attendees on all social
media platforms.
 Send out follow-up materials,
products, etc.
Final Numbers
 Compare goals to
actual achievements.
 Tally final budget figures.
 Tally leads and product sales.
 Determine the event’s final ROI.
 Share successes with the clients
and team.
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9. Creating Company, Product,
and Treatment Awareness – An event
for this reason is the professional’s
opportunity to share other products
and treatments outside of that with
which the client is familiar.
Engaging with Current and Fu-
ture Clients – This spa event reason
is a fun way to engage with clients on
a more personal level. Skin care pro-
fessionals should, however, be care-
ful to always remain professional.
Generating Leads – At this type
of event, professionals should en-
courage clients to bring friends, fam-
ily, and coworkers.
Providing Education to Attend-
ees – A short, informative, educa-
tional presentation by either a staff
member or by one of the vendors
can help to increase sales.
Increasing the Demand for
Products and Treatments – Often-
times, clients are unaware of all the
opportunities available. This event
should familiarize them with the spa
offerings and pique their interest in
trying different treatments.
Showcasing New Products
or Treatments – During an event
that centers around this reason,
professionals should offer trial-
sized samples of products or hold
pre-scheduled demonstrations of
featured treatments.
Upselling the Client – At this
event, professionals can offer dis-
counts on products and treatments,
making it clear that these discounts
will only be available at the event.
STEPS FOR A SUCCESSFUL EVENT
The Initial Meeting
Schedule an initial planning
meeting at least three to four months
prior to the event date, inviting the
entire staff and encouraging their
input. At this meeting, set specific
goals and be prepared to assign the
staff to various assignments through-
out the planning stage and for the
event itself. Explain the importance
of the event and be sure to obtain
their full engagement. It is also im-
portant to emphasize that all staff
members must be involved in order
for the event to be a success.
It is also important to set a bud-
get prior to the meeting and stick to
it. Share the budget with the staff in
order to keep all suggestions in line
with the financial goals.
During the meeting, finalize the
date and time of the event, check-
ing the calendar to be sure that it is
not being set on a holiday or on a
date that conflicts with a local major
Although there are a
number of reasons to host
a spa event, a successful
event will have been
planned around a specific
reason and will cater to
that reason during the
entirety of the event.
J u l y 2 0 1 6 | D E R M A S C O P E 7 5

10. the event by the expenses incurred to
host it.
MARKETING ASSIGNMENTS
When marketing an event, it is
important to segment promotions to
target the right audience. Profession-
als can also hire a graphic designer
to create event flyers, e-mails, post-
cards, images for social media, and
swag. Professionals can also consider
adding an upcoming events page to
the spa’s website.
Using social media to promote
big events is an excellent way to get
the word out. It is also beneficial to
contact bloggers and the media for
participation. Creating a hashtag for
the event and encouraging all at-
tendees to promote the event with
the hashtag and business name is
a great social media tool. Further-
more, spas that utilize LinkedIn can
add a Company Page to promote
their event.
Utilize RSVPs whenever possible.
Event invitation platforms like Evite,
EventBrite, or Facebook, allow recip-
ients to RSVP and can automatically
create a reminder in their calendar.
PROPOSED MARKETING
PROMOTIONAL TIMELINE
Ten Weeks Prior – Hire a
graphic designer to create mar-
keting materials and consider do-
nating partial proceeds to various
charities to create additional pub-
licity. Furthermore, contact other
local businesses; teaming up with
local vendors, like a catering com-
pany, promotes their businesses
and helps to cut costs. Professionals
can also ask their vendors to pro-
mote the event on their social me-
dia websites and provide raffle gifts
and giveaways.
Eight Weeks Prior – Send out
the save-the-date e-mails, being sure
to personally invite local bloggers to
the event. Post a flyer or invitation in
the office so that clients will see the
information when visiting the spa.
At this time, begin posting weekly
on social media websites, utilizing
hashtags. Be sure to create an event
special or insert a coupon into the e-
mail to be used only at the event.
event. When selecting the time, take
traffic into consideration.
Pick a theme during the initial
meeting and keep in mind what type
of theme the target market would
enjoy, not just the staff members.
A few great options are Girls Night
Out, The Great Gatsby, The Oscars,
Creep Night-Halloween, and New
Years: A New You for the New Year!
Leading Up to the Event
Set up a system to track goal
progress. Whether it involves pulling
a sales report from the accounting
software or tracking scheduled pro-
cedures via a spreadsheet, have some
type of tracking system in place.
After the Event
Set a follow-up date within one
week of the event to discuss feedback
from the attendees. Their feedback
will help determine what worked and
what can be improved upon for the
next event. Measure success by re-
turn on investment, determined by
subtracting the revenues earned at
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11. WEBINAR EVENT TIMELINE
Webinar topics should be cho-
sen eight to 12 months prior to the
event; at that time, begin creating
the topic content. Select the speaker
and create the PowerPoint six and
five months prior to the event, re-
spectively. Create promotional plat-
forms and registration and landing
pages two to three months out and
begin social media and press release
promotions one to two months pri-
or. Social media promotions should
be continued up until the day of
the event. Twenty-four to 48 hours
after the webinar, send out a post-
webinar event survey and evaluate
the webinar’s success.
When hosting a spa event, the
value of efficient planning cannot
be overstated. In order to plan for a
successful event, define the goal, de-
velop a detailed plan, complete tasks
on time, and stick to the plan.
Brenda Linday, L.E., is a
licensed aesthetic instructor
and certified aesthetic con-
sultant with over 12 years
of experience in the medical
aesthetic industry. She offers
consulting services to medi-
cal and aesthetic companies desiring to build
strong sales and education teams. She also
develops educational and engagement-mar-
keting content for employees, contractors, prac-
titioners, and industry distributors around
the world.
Cerissa Linday is an
award-winning graphic de-
signer with more than 10
years of marketing experi-
ence serving the medical
aesthetic and insurance
industries. Linday has won
seven GDUSA In-house Design Awards dur-
ing her career. Her specialties include print/
digital design, branding, and social media
marketing. As with any creative artist, Lin-
day thrives on bringing her clients’ visions to
fruition. She believes the path to branding and
marketing success lies in cohesion, consistency,
and innovation.
Four Weeks Prior – E-mail invita-
tions to clients and prospects.
Three Weeks Prior – Send a di-
rect mail invitation, such as a post-
card or flyer, to clients and prospects.
Two Weeks Prior – Begin post-
ing daily on social media about the
event, counting down the days. Send
a reminder e-mail to vendors and cli-
ents to confirm their attendance.
One Week Prior – Send a re-
minder e-mail to prospects and issue
a press release to local media outlets.
Three Days Prior – Send a confir-
mation e-mail to attendees with the
date, time, address, and directions.
The Day of the Event – Post a
final reminder on social media that
indicates that the spa is looking for-
ward to seeing invited participants
later that day. In this post, do not for-
get to give the time and address and
use the hashtag. Encourage everyone
to tweet and incorporate Instagram
for instant photographs of the event!
Create a selfie stand for event photo-
graphs and post-event engagements.
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