Spa Executive | Issue 12 | November 2019

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15 | Spa Executive Spotlight
NOEL ASMAR The Importance of Good Uniform Design & the Need for More Sustainability in the Spa Industry Noel Asmar is the CEO and founder of Noel Asmar Group Inc., the lifestyle brand behind Noel Asmar Uniforms, Pedicure Bowls and Asmar Equestrian. The Canadian designer is renowned for reinventing the spa uniform nearly 20 years ago and setting the standard for next generation uniform concepts in the spa and hotel industries. The company’s history goes back to 2002, when Ms. Asmar created the first designer spa uniform. The goal was to create an alternative to the “utilitarian and unflattering” uniforms to which the industry had grown accustomed, and to elevate the look and feel for a growing industry. Companies readily embraced Asmar’s design concepts, and a brand was born. Ms. Asmar has sat on the ISPA Board of Directors and is the recent recipient of the 2019 ISPA Innovation of the Year Award for her sustainable uniforms made from recycled plastic. She has also been recognized as one of Canada’s Top 20 Female Entrepreneurs. More recently, Noel Asmar Group launched Hospitality Lifecycle, an initiative to provide hotels and spas access to practical, cost-effective solutions to safely and securely dispose of used textiles. Spa Executive spoke with Noel Asmar about the importance of good uniform design, the Hospitality Lifecycle Initiative, and the need for more sustainability in the industry. Can you tell us a bit about your career path and how you came to be where you are today? With a love for animals and an equally strong passion for other cultures, languages and cuisine, I chose hotel management school over being a Veterinarian. I worked overseas in hotel management and then as Business Development Director for a marketing firm, where I spent time in Asia. There I was lured into the fabric markets to discover that I really enjoyed the process of fabric sourcing, sketching, and creating designs. I used my evenings and off time to design pieces for friends and family and created a small collection that would lay the foundation for my first start-up. While on a trip home to Vancouver to visit my mom (a nurse) and sister (an aesthetician), I realized their uniform options were boxy and unflattering, and that this applied to spa uniforms in general. I started sourcing fabrics and made my first proto-type – the Zen Tunic. I bought my first URL www.SpaUniforms.com and built the first Spa Uniform Ecommerce site, shipping anywhere in the world, in Dec 2002. Fast forward 17 years, we specialize in Spa & Hospitality, and rebranded to Noel Asmar Uniforms to expand our offerings into other areas within spas and hotels. Our first big hotel opening was City Center Las Vegas – Aria & Vdara. Why is uniform design important? Why did you feel the need to change the aesthetic? The uniform is the single most personal way to touch an employee – literally. Uniforms are important for team moral and for the customer experience. Being properly dressed empowers the team to perform at their best, and to feel like part of a team. The impact is significant: really good when the uniform selection is a success, and really bad when it is not. Uniforms also say a lot about a business and brand. Sloppy, ill-fitting uniforms are taken very seriously by organizations such as Forbes Rating and a property can lose their 5 star rating if the uniforms are poorly executed. I felt I had an opportunity to make a difference and when the first design started to ship out, we could barely keep up with production. I knew SpaUniforms.com was solving a problem. Spotlight Spa Executive | 16
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE #12 NOVEMBER 2019 SPA EXECUTI
Page 3 and 4: Contents November 2019 Volume 12 3
Page 5 and 6: News Spa Executive | 04
Page 7 and 8: CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER’S TOP 30 SPA
Page 9 and 10: Psychobiotic food pyramid In a more
Page 11 and 12: Here are a few tips for sending a s
Page 13 and 14: Growth Spa Executive | 12
Page 15: Spa Executive FOR LEADERS IN THE BU
Page 19 and 20: Women need to believe in themselves
Page 21 and 22: “The encapsulated bacteria are as
Page 23 and 24: 02 ENERGY HEALING Sound baths, reik
Page 25: choices apply to everything -- no p

Spa Executive | Issue 12 | November 2019

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