FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                           Contact:Hannelore R. Leavy

DISTINGUISHED DAY SPA AWARD 2003

New Jersey - Tradition lives on … this year’s award celebration was held during The Day Spa Association’s networking dinner which was part of the official program of the Spa & Resort Expo in New York City, on April 27th at the Le Parker Meridien Hotel. DSA President Wendy Bosalavage arranged for this setting which turned out to be just beautiful, overlooking Central Park at a clear spring evening experiencing a spectacular sunset and watching the city’s lights come alive. Food and service were superb; the music was donated by a wonderful duo organized by American Leisure Corporation.  Elixr Tonics & Teas and Dragonfly provided give-a-ways to the attendees of the dinner comprised of members of the Day Spa Association and the International Medical Spa Association and other visitors to the New York City conference. They were “the who is who and leaders in the day spa and medical spa arena”. The announcement of the winner was anticipated anxiously, especially by the owners and managers of DSA accredited day spas, many of whom were present. Not everyone can be a winner, however they all cheered when the "Distinguished Day Spa Awards 2003" were presented to:

Brass Rose Salon and Spa of New Jersey & Preston Wynne Spa of California

Ms. Peggy Wynne Borgman, the CEO of Preston Wynne personally accepted this award, Rosemary Weiner, the owner of Brass Rose unfortunately was detained that evening. The award consists of a beautiful wooden and marble plaque with the name, award title and year engraved in gold. This esthetically pleasing plaque now adores the reception area of both spas to attest to their high quality of service, their commitment to their clients and to uphold the excellent reputation Day Spas Association members are receiving throughout the industry. “We had a tie this year with two of our accredited day spa members receiving the same amount of votes from our Advisory Board, so we had no other choice than awarding two of these titles this year”, confesses Leavy.

 “Preston Wynne and Brass Rose have been members of the Day Spa Association for a number of years”, comments Hannelore R. Leavy, Executive Director of The Day Spa Association. “They entered every year since the inception of this program in 1998, with Preston Wynne having been awarded this title once before. They surely deserve and earned this award”.

            In order to be considered for The Distinguished Day Spa Award of the Year day spas have to be accredited by the Day Spa Association as to their adherence to the Associations' guidelines. "When we get ready to choose our Award winner, we invite all accredited spa members to submit a 50-word synopsis why they think they deserve this award presented once a year at a major industry show", explains Leavy. The DAY SPA BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND THE DSA ADVISORY BOARD then cast their votes judging not only by the spa menu, their quality of service and commitment, but taking into consideration all aspects of operating a Day Spa, with special emphasis on continuing education available to their entire staff, as well as their commitment to create a nurturing atmosphere for their clients and for all spa personnel; their commitment to community, environment, humanity and the spa industry influences the decision process.                  

In order to become an accredited day spa, facilities first have to be a member in good standing of The Day Spa Association. The accreditation application consists of an extensive questionnaire about the spa’s business and facility, licenses, press coverage, other awards, etc. If approved, spas receive a beautiful 4-color glossy "Accredited Membership Certificate" and an especially created decal for their doors or windows attesting to their accreditation. They are also encouraged to carry this accreditation emblem on all their marketing materials, including their letterhead. In addition, The Day Spa Association will issue a press release to their local media informing them of the spa's accredited status, which separates them from other day spas in their area and gives them this special "seal of approval".

Accredited spas are clearly marked in THE DAY SPA DIRECTORY, as well as on www.dayspaassociation.com, including a separate page where they are listed alphabetically for the world to see! … and that page gets the most visitors of the 400,000+ hits a month the website receives!

Essences of a Day Spa: a clean, safe, calming and nurturing environment Private treatment rooms for each client receiving a personal service Showering and changing facilities for women and men Spa robes and shoes for all sizes Business licenses; professional, licensed estheticians and therapists on staff Professional spa products for which estheticians and therapists have received training in their use Massages: Swedish, Lymph Drainage and Reflexology (Optional: Shiatsu, Polarity, Sports, Deep tissue, and Deep muscle) Body treatments (one or more on the menu): Body packs and wraps, Exfoliation, Cellulite, Body toning/contouring, Waxing, Homecare program (Optional: Electrical impulse body toning, heat treatments, Aryurveda treatments, Laser hair removal, Electrolysis, Hand & Foot care) Face: Cleansing facial, Homecare program (Optional: Medical facial, Electrical toning, Laser hair removal, Electrolysis, Cosmetics, Make-up consultation) Aromatherapy: Personalized for body and/or face One of the following: Hydrotherapy or Steam and Sauna One of the following: Nutritional Counseling/Weight Management or Private Trainer/Yoga/Meditation or Spa Cuisine Optional: Hair - full service salon, Scalp treatments and hair packs or Spa manicure and pedicure

The elite circle of Accredited Day Spas: Adam Broderick Salon & Spa, Ridgefield, CT • Atzen Clinical Spa, New York, NY • Beauty Spa at Englewood, Englewood, NJ • Bellissima Day Spa, Escondido, CA • The Brass Rose Spa & Salon, Blairstown, NJ • Carapan Urban Spa and Store, New York, NY •  DePasquale, The Spa, Morris Plains, NJ • Derma Clinic European Day Spa, Westport, CT • Enhance Face & Body Spa, Hartsdale, NY • FACE WORKS Day Spa, Richmond, VA • Fayez Beauty Spa, London, Ont. • Feline Spa-Salon, New York, NY • Glen Ivy Day Spa, CA • Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa, Corona, CA • Harmonie-European Day Spa, Saratoga, CA • The Light Touch, Louisville, KY • Mario's International Spa, Aurora, OH • Preston Wynne Spa, Saratoga, CA • Renaissance European Day Spa, Fayetteville, NC • The Retreat At Pine Tree, Wexford, PA • Serenity, The Rejuvenating Day Spa, Overland Park, KS • Simonson's Salon & Day Spa, Anoka, MN • Simonson's Salon & Day Spa, Maple Grove, MN • Wolf Mountain Day Spa, CA.

Past recipients of The Distinguished Day Spa Award: Adam BroderickSalon & Spa • Atzen Medi-Spa • DePasquale, The Spa • Fayez Beauty Spa • Glen Ivy Hot Springs Spa • Mario’s International Spa • Preston Wynne Spa

For a copy of THE DAY SPA DIRECTORY 2003-2004 and to see why joining The Day Spa Association "has its privileges" call 201-865-2065 or send your request via e-mail to DaySpaAssn@aol.com. You may also sign up online at www.dayspaassociation.com

            This year’s award dinner was also a fund raising effort on behalf of the Weekends of Hope, Jim Leavy Foundation, founded by Hannelore in the memory of her husband. This charity foundation enables cancer survivors and their loved ones to spend a weekend at a spa town for networking, learning and spa treatments. The first Weekend of Hope to benefit these efforts is organized by the town of Stowe in Vermont with the assistance of the Vermont Cancer Network. Corporate Sponsors for this dinner were Marine Agency, Spectrec Marketing Communications, Healthlynx and Association Bodywork and Massage Professionals. Cossini Corporation sponsors this weekend on an ongoing basis by donating 1% of their gross sale derived from the spa industry. For more information and additional weekends in the development stages, please see attached fact sheet. Donations can be sent to: Weekends of Hope c/o The Day Spa Association. The website www.weekendsofhope.org is now being developed and will soon accept donations online.

May 2003