Certification and Educational Programs

IMG Associations offers a full range of services in this category, including:

• Educational publications
• Seminars (in-person and online)
• Webinars and webcasts
• Virtual and distance learning programs
• Research
• Certification programs
• Accreditation programs
• Standards
• Best practices

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Client Case Study

Client        
International SPA Association (ISPA)

Objective  
Provide educational resources to sustain an industry

Story
Members and other spa industry professionals look to ISPA for resources that will help advance their businesses and the professionalism of their staff members, while sustaining the overall industry. The Board turned to the ISPA staff for a coordinated strategy and unique ideas and recommendations to meet their members' needs.

How?       
With a dedicated executive director and core staff, IMG worked with ISPA leaders to create the ISPA Foundation in 1999. The foundation was created with the specific purpose of serving the educational and research needs of the spa industry. Since 1999, the ISPA Foundation has developed many valuable resources, programs and initiatives for the spa industry including the landmark Uniform System of Financial Reporting for spas, a workbook to assist in the design and administration of effective compensation programs, and the newest addition to the ISPA resource library, Spa: A Comprehensive Introduction. 

IMG Impact
Support to the foundation is provided by IMG staff, which is representative of IMG’s model, in which our employees immerse themselves in our clients’ universes and offer expert staff support tailored to the association and industry. As the foundation grew (and continues to grow), educational resources have been created for ISPA members (free, added member-benefit) and non-members (for a price). For example, annual industry studies, the ISPA Global Consumer Study (first of its kind), the Spa Operations Manual, Spa Professionals Career Guide and the Uniform System of Financial Reporting help ISPA members manage their businesses successfully. Recently, ISPA added brief, emailed snapshot surveys to provide members with immediate information and statistics to help monitor their businesses’ standing in the industry. In addition, several colleges are using ISPA’s textbooks and educational resources as part of their curriculum. IMG staff and ISPA leaders have given the spa industry the resources needed to grow and build great businesses.