What’s your background? I’ve been in consulting for 16 years including senior manager roles at global business consultancy firms Andersen and BearingPoint. I’ve been involved with the modernisation of major multinational companies in varying sectors – from aeronautics to consumer goods. For three years, I focused on healthcare organisations, including the healthcare ministry in France and several French hospitals.
My work and travels eventually led me to the wellness industry, where I thought my experiences of project management in complex environments would help. I spent three years as managing director of the Swiss spa and skincare brand After the Rain with a view to developing it internationally.
How did you hear about evianSpa? I crossed paths with Laurent Houel in early 2012 when he was finalising the first evianSpa concept in Tokyo (see p30). I was immediately taken by the concept and intrigued by his ambitions to roll it out worldwide. He had the marketing and business development expertise in the luxury sector and a deep knowledge of evian’s core values; while I had the spa experience and business development/project management expertise.
I set up the Global Project & Spa Advisory consultancy and evian is my first client.
What will your work involve? I’ll be focusing on the international development of evianSpa. Initially, I helped to put the finishing touches to the concept and business plan and to set up the development strategy. As part of the development process, I’m now setting up prospective meetings with hotel partners that will hopefully lead to projects and implementing the evianSpa brand. As part of the licence we’ll provide all the necessary support from understanding the concept to treatment menu and therapist training and operating protocols. Management support is also available via my consultancy if it’s required.
It all depends on the hotel’s needs. Our common goal is to secure consistency and quality of the evianSpa brand. We can work with a hotel to implement an evianSpa that fits with its specific positioning – whether its introducing more locally-inspired treatments, therapies for couples or children, or working on something that can increase a guest’s length of stay.
Will evianSpa be your sole client? Not exactly. Launching a worldwide spa concept is a huge project, which requires deep involvement and working in lots of different areas. So, evian is the main focus for Global Project & Spa Advisory, but there are some other possibilities in the pipeline.
Wellness is a young and exciting industry. There are lots of challenges, especially the growing need for delivering high-quality experiences consistently and developing financially sustainable businesses. But there are also lots of opportunities.
What’s exciting about evianSpa? The arrival of evian in the wellness industry, with a new and fresh approach is clearly exciting and it generates a real business opportunity. The idea of making the concept relevant to different markets and cultures is what really inspires me.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2012 issue 4
Interview: Laurent Houel
Evian's global brand development
director tells Katie Barnes about the
group's new evianSpa licence concept
that's set for a strategic global rollout
Promotional feature: Value Proposition
If you're thinking of investing in a spa development bigger than 300sq m,
a feasibility study – at a cost of only US$10k-US$18k – can reveal the
business model most likely to succeed.
Research: Work it out
Katherine Johnston reveals key
recommendations following a
much-needed study on global spa
management training
Top team: Miraval
The team that created the new spa at
Miraval shared a bold vision as Liz
Terry discovered on her visit
Family matters: The Brepohls
Natural medicine is the focus at
Lapinha: one of Brazil's original
medical spas. Neena Dhillon talks to
the founding family
The making of...: A massage table
Up to 18 million parts are needed for
a year's production of massage tables.
Lisa Starr takes an ‘undercover' look
at just what goes into making this
industry staple
Research: The cold war
Meditation and exercise can
significantly reduce sick days taken
due to colds and flu
What’s your background? I’ve been in consulting for 16 years including senior manager roles at global business consultancy firms Andersen and BearingPoint. I’ve been involved with the modernisation of major multinational companies in varying sectors – from aeronautics to consumer goods. For three years, I focused on healthcare organisations, including the healthcare ministry in France and several French hospitals.
My work and travels eventually led me to the wellness industry, where I thought my experiences of project management in complex environments would help. I spent three years as managing director of the Swiss spa and skincare brand After the Rain with a view to developing it internationally.
How did you hear about evianSpa? I crossed paths with Laurent Houel in early 2012 when he was finalising the first evianSpa concept in Tokyo (see p30). I was immediately taken by the concept and intrigued by his ambitions to roll it out worldwide. He had the marketing and business development expertise in the luxury sector and a deep knowledge of evian’s core values; while I had the spa experience and business development/project management expertise.
I set up the Global Project & Spa Advisory consultancy and evian is my first client.
What will your work involve? I’ll be focusing on the international development of evianSpa. Initially, I helped to put the finishing touches to the concept and business plan and to set up the development strategy. As part of the development process, I’m now setting up prospective meetings with hotel partners that will hopefully lead to projects and implementing the evianSpa brand. As part of the licence we’ll provide all the necessary support from understanding the concept to treatment menu and therapist training and operating protocols. Management support is also available via my consultancy if it’s required.
It all depends on the hotel’s needs. Our common goal is to secure consistency and quality of the evianSpa brand. We can work with a hotel to implement an evianSpa that fits with its specific positioning – whether its introducing more locally-inspired treatments, therapies for couples or children, or working on something that can increase a guest’s length of stay.
Will evianSpa be your sole client? Not exactly. Launching a worldwide spa concept is a huge project, which requires deep involvement and working in lots of different areas. So, evian is the main focus for Global Project & Spa Advisory, but there are some other possibilities in the pipeline.
Wellness is a young and exciting industry. There are lots of challenges, especially the growing need for delivering high-quality experiences consistently and developing financially sustainable businesses. But there are also lots of opportunities.
What’s exciting about evianSpa? The arrival of evian in the wellness industry, with a new and fresh approach is clearly exciting and it generates a real business opportunity. The idea of making the concept relevant to different markets and cultures is what really inspires me.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2012 issue 4
Interview: Laurent Houel
Evian's global brand development
director tells Katie Barnes about the
group's new evianSpa licence concept
that's set for a strategic global rollout
Promotional feature: Value Proposition
If you're thinking of investing in a spa development bigger than 300sq m,
a feasibility study – at a cost of only US$10k-US$18k – can reveal the
business model most likely to succeed.
Research: Work it out
Katherine Johnston reveals key
recommendations following a
much-needed study on global spa
management training
Top team: Miraval
The team that created the new spa at
Miraval shared a bold vision as Liz
Terry discovered on her visit
Family matters: The Brepohls
Natural medicine is the focus at
Lapinha: one of Brazil's original
medical spas. Neena Dhillon talks to
the founding family
The making of...: A massage table
Up to 18 million parts are needed for
a year's production of massage tables.
Lisa Starr takes an ‘undercover' look
at just what goes into making this
industry staple
Research: The cold war
Meditation and exercise can
significantly reduce sick days taken
due to colds and flu
OMA has completed a major transformation of New York's New Museum, creating a larger
cultural campus that combines expanded exhibition spaces with learning, performance,
hospitality and public programming.
A US$50 million (£44.2 million, €51.2 million) transformation of Chicago's historic McCormick
Mansion has created a new destination that combines live magic, immersive theatre, dining and
private membership under one roof.
The Montana Historical Society has officially celebrated the opening of its new Montana
Heritage
Center, a US$107 million (£79 million, €92 million) destination that combines immersive
storytelling with cutting-edge audiovisual technology to bring the sta
San Antonio Zoo has reported a US$283 million economic impact for 2025, following a decade-
long transformation programme that has seen almost US$200 million invested into the Texas
attraction.
Plans for the AU$180 million redevelopment of Reef HQ Aquarium in Townsville, Australia, are
progressing, with the project set to transform the attraction into a global centre for reef
education and conservation.
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
