Repêchage CEO and FounderLydia Sarfati welcomed over 150 skincare and spa professionals from across the country and across the globe to the Repêchage 18^th Annual International Conference for Salon & Spa Professionals held in New York City. 

 In addition to hearing from industry experts, attendees were part of the launch of the new Repêchage Fusion Express Bar and Spa Masks with Nutriceutical Organic Actives and at-home products. The Conference concluded with the annual Repêchage President’s Awards.

“This treatment provides the best ingredients from the land and the sea,” says Sarfati, “We are using our renowned seaweed-based mask and infusing it with ingredients culled from the culinary world that have true benefits for the skin.” Repêchage Fusion Express Bar and Spa Masks with Nutriceutical Organic Actives utilize Repêchage’s renowned Laminaria digitata seaweed, as well as aloe vera, orange water, coconut oil, and acai berry. These ingredients are combined with organic flavor actives of chocolate, matcha (green tea), mixed berries (blueberry, strawberry, and beet root) and vanilla and pumpkin actives to create the four Fusion Facials: Chocofina Fusion, Matchafina Fusion, Berryfina Fusion, and Vanillafina Fusion.

Dr. Andrea Bovero, Ph.D, Professor of Cosmetology and Communication of Beauty and Wellness, President of CIDESCO Italy, and author followed Sarfati with his presentation: “Mind and Body Integration: The Brain and Skin Care Connection.”  During his presentation, Bovero discussed the connection between the brain and skin care, emphasizing that a connection to the mind and body of a client is through a multi-sensory approach. This is the need for the spa professional to consider during a time spent with the client.  As discussed by Bovero, the most important of all the senses is the sense of smell because it is linked with memories, the most powerful and emotional of all the senses. By using scent, brands are able to connect with consumers on a deep emotional level, resulting in a memorable experience. Creating memorable experiences and emotional connections through getting in touch with a client’s sense of smell is also critical to win consumer spending and long term brand loyalty. Scent can attract new customers, increase sales, heighten value perception and expand brand recognition and customer satisfaction, and when combined with marketing cues, it can amplify a brand experience and establish a long lasting connection with consumers. 

Next to take the stage was Dr. Samuel Shatkin, FACS, MD and Owner of Aesthetic Associate Centre for Plastic Surgery in Buffalo, NY.  During his presentation “Skin Care from 8 to 80: 8 Ways to Stay Ageless”  Dr. Shatkin presented a list of ways in which medical procedures can be combined with professional skin care treatments. For example, one can perform a facial treatment during a teeth whitening session or as a pre- and post-op treatment for surgical procedures to treat a client’s skin. Dr. Shatkin highlighted how his practice has been successful in combining Repêchage facial treatments with his medical procedures and how the spa industry should work more closely with physicians to provide the best results for clients.

After a brief break, Yolanda (Mayola) Amador Origel, International Spa Consultant and Repêchage Mexico Distributor, followed. In “The Whole Picture: The Newest Trends in Spa Treatments” the International Spa Consultant discussed the importance of spas to understand the needs of clients in present day: a spa that offers quality, innovation, price-quality relation, and fun and daring options. Amador pointed out the importance of understanding what makes one’s spa different from competition and how important it is for spas to focus on being innovative so that they cannot be duplicated. Combining this mindset with various marketing efforts including  creating business cards, a website, a spa menu, media events, memberships, promotions, samples, coupons, direct mail, print ads, and in-spa marketing, as pointed out by Amador, has helped her to help be successful with innovative spa concepts that she has brought to Mexico:  Melange World Spa, a spa based on cultural spa traditions from around the world,  Mamma Mia Salon & Facial Bar, an outlet for mothers and daughters to get pampered together, and Barber & Booze, a venue for male grooming services that offers a lounge area to enjoy a signature, mixology cocktail.  

For the last portion of the event, Lydia Sarfati presented the President’s Awards, given in various categories to an establishment or person that demonstrates esthetic excellence as well as dedication to the elevation of the industry.

The first award was presented to Bikram Sapra of JB Skincare, who received the President’s Award for Distributor of the Year as a result of his enormous growth of Repêchage in India’s competitive skin care market.

Euracom, Repêchage’s exclusive distributor in Italy received the next award: Award of Excellence in Marketing. Euracom has demonstrated excellence in this arena by their ongoing presence in print, online and digital media in 2015-2016.

The next award presented was for Rising Star. Odalisa Dominguez, creator of Spa O on the Go, a mobile day spa that brings the spa experience to the venue of one’s choice.

For the last award, Mamma Mia Salon and Facial Bar received the Award of Excellence in Innovation for their unique “mother-daughter” spa concept – the first of its kind in Mexico. Yolanda (Mayola) Amador Origel who played a role in helping this creative concept come to fruition, accepted on behalf of Juan Carlos & Carolina Sierra, owners of Mamma Mia Salon and Facial Bar.

The following day, on May 3, 2016, 60 attendees gathered at the Repêchage Headquarters in Secaucus, NJ for a Hands-On Workshop.  Under the instruction of Repêchage Educators, Lauren Streeter and Lindsay Ramagli, guests spent a full day learning further about Repêchage Fusion Express Bar and Spa Masks with Nutriceutical Organic Actives and at-home products.

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