No.23 BEAUTIFULJOBS MARCH MAGAZINE (KELLY HORRIGAN)

THE LODGE AT ASHFORD CASTLE HOSTS A FULL HOUSE OF IRELAND LEADING BEAUTY, SPA AND WELLNESS OPERATORS, SUPPLIERS AND STAKEHOLDERS FOR THE IRISH SPA ASSOCIATIONS FIRST BUSINESS FORUM OF 2020 The Irish Spa Association (ISA) hosted its second business forum in the stunning surrounds of the Lodge at Ashford Castle in the West of Ireland on Thursday February 6th. Guests travelled from as far as Germany, the UK and Hawaii in the US. With membership increasing from both the hotel and day spa sectors and suppliers, the ISA is set to be a force within the wellness industry in Ireland.

Once again sustainability and recruitment topped with the agenda with expert speakers and panels.

Michelle Ryan, Spa Manager at Ashford Castle chaired the panel on sustainability that included Ailish Keane, Head of purchasing & Sustainability at Ashford Castle Estate, Maurice Bergin, Green Hospitality Programme (greenhospitality.ie) and Robert Cooper, Spa Sustainability Association (SSA) in the UK. Ashford Castle is a leader in sustainability in the hotel sector in Ireland. Working with Green Hospitality, major changes have been implemented through the Castle estate including the elimination of plastic water bottles in 2019, saving 56,928 bottles from landfill. “In the spa we are partnering with companies with a low carbon footprint,” Ryan adds, “but we need spa suppliers to work with us to,” she pleads.

“Look at how you are sending products to us – be mindful of he paper you are using, reduce the boxes and bubble wrap etc,” “Sustainability is the most abused term around,” Bergin says. Sustainability is made up of three pillars: economic, social and environment. These principles are also informally used as profit, people and planet. Green Hospitality specialises in environmental sustainability in the hospitality sector and Bergin urges everyone to do their bit to make our hotels, spas and planet a better place. “Basically, use less energy – pollute less (stop plastic dead!) and waste less - especially food.”

“Align your business model with the needs of your customers and of Generation Z (born between 19952015) as this group is forecast to be the single largest consumer market in the world by 2030.”