March 2002 - Rotorua has secured the 2002 ISPA Asia Pacific Conference & Exhibition to be held at the Rotorua Convention Centre 12-15th June 2002.

Plans are well underway to ensure that this conference reflects all that New Zealand has to offer.  The district is blessed with unique natural resources of rivers, lakes, forests and open countryside and is complimented with natural geothermal mud and natural springs.  Rotorua�s legacy as a natural spa is born from its fascinating history and it is the intention of the committee to ensure that all of these elements are showcased as part of the conference programme.  

The conference has already received international attention and has secured world class speakers such as the Master of Ceremonies: Jonathan Stapleton, General Manager, The Old Course Hotel, Golf Resort and Spa, St Andrews, Scotland, President ISPA Europe.

Additionally, acknowledged experts in health, wellness, spa design, hotel spa management, human resources and skin care will be presenting in an information packed program.

Of particular interest to hotel owners and operators will be speakers focussing on the role and profit potential of well designed and managed facilities which add value to the guest experience.

The conference aims to cover the trends and innovations in the following topics:

• Developing a spa from idea to reality
• Indigenous wisdom�s and therapy integration
• Complementary therapy and medical integration reality
• Spa management challenges
• Spa cuisine
• Skin care

A blend of session presentations, workshops, site visits and open-space forums have been carefully programmed into the three-day conference with key note and session presenters will be utilized in a variety of forums to provide maximum opportunities for delegates to interact, question and be informed.