Beauty Link - Volume 4, Issue 3 - (Page 64) Y EAUToarding B B BY SUSAN MILLER Before AIRPORT SALONS TAKE FLIGHT options. XpresSpa’s open early in the morning with some staying open until midnight, depending on the airport location. A key difference between the airport spa experience and a traditional stand-alone spa is the leisure versus efficiency mindset. Travelers have a keen awareness of time, so services must be provided in a manner that is efficient yet still relaxing. Whereas a busy beauty professional in a traditional spa might see nine clients a day, metrics collected by XpresSpa staff spa have indicated their beauty professionals often average 19.5 clients a day. “Not only does time pass quickly when you’re so busy, but our employees enjoy the generous compensation that comes with a full day of seeing clients,” Binn added. Binn and her team are looking for ways to boost efficiency even more. For example, they are testing a “cosmo-cart” which brings manicure and pedicure services out of the airport directly to the gate where customers are waiting to board. “A traveler may not feel comfortable coming in for a service if their plane will be boarding in the next 30 minutes, but by going to the client, we can bring beauty to them before they board their fl ight,” she said. What kind of personality is well-suited to working in an airport salon? Binn says the airport spa is not the right location for shy people. “You are constantly meeting new people in an airport, so you need to feel comfortable around new faces. You also need to have a lot of energy because client volume is high,” she said. An aggressive schedule for opening new salons means that XpresSpa is constantly on the lookout for new talent to bring on board, including recent beauty school graduates. More information on XpresSpa is available at www.XpresSpa.com. Susan Miller is editorial director for BeautyLink magazine. W hen most people think of cosmetology and the runway, they envision couture collections and a team of hairstylists and makeup artists working furiously backstage. But the newest beauty runway is right next to the tarmac. Airport spas and salons are taking fl ight across the nation and around the world, and they’re hiring beauty professionals. XpresSpa was founded by Marisol Binn, an entrepreneur and world traveler who noted that the post-9-11 security environment was resulting in longer airport waits and more stressed travelers. In 2003, XpresSpa opened its fi rst location in John F. Kennedy International Airport and has since established 37 airport spas with 16 more locations scheduled to open. So, what kinds of services are provided at XpresSpa? Almost all of the beauty services available in a traditional salon or spa setting including manicures, pedicures, facials, haircuts, blowouts, up-dos, waxing, shaves and, of course, stress-relieving massages. Chemical-based services such as color and permanents are not offered. “Clients come to us for some rest and relaxation while they’re in the airport. Our team is all about helping the client relieve tension and restore a feeling of wellness,” Binn noted. While a client might move from station to station in a traditional salon environment, airport spas are designed so that the client remains in a central location. For example, the shampoo bowl and cutting station use a shared space. A reclining massage lounge chair allows a client to stay seated while enjoying a manicure, massage, pedicure and various esthetic treatments simultaneously. Binn says the reclining loungers are a key factor drawing clients into the spas. “The majority of our clients are male and they simply don’t want to ever leave the lounge chairs,” she said. Working in an airport environment means different scheduling 64 | B E AU TYLINK | SUR V IVAL | 2 012 http://www.XpresSpa.com http://www.naylornetwork.com/bsa-nxt/ Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Beauty Link - Volume 4, Issue 3 Message From the AACS President and CEA Chair Workings Of Washington Network, Innovate, Grow: AACS Annual Convention & Expo 2012 Attending a Convention: 10 Tips for Success Superstar Graduates A Teacher’s Safari: Managing the Zoo of Personalities Sticking it Out: 10 Threats That Keep Students from Surviving and Thriving in the Real World Step-by-Step NEW! Data Disaster: Protecting Sensitive and Important Records Mixing Generations in the Classroom: Can They Coexist? Beauty Changes Lives Every Vote Counts: Encouraging and Emphasizing the Importance of their Vote Hip-Hop Haircuts: Curtis Smith Sets Trends AACS Listserve Q & A Now We’re Talking: An Education in Communication Multicultural Corner Health & Wellness for Educators: Tips for Being Healthy A Student’s Perspective NEW! And Then There’s Compliance Remembering Two Beauty Legends Beauty Before Boarding: Airport Salons Take Flight Join CEA/AACS Voices From the Classroom CEA Annual Convention Photo Spread Quiz Time: How Well Do You Know Your Association? Associate Member Profiles: Makeup/Cosmetics People & Places New Products & Services New School Members Upcoming 2012-2013 Events Index to Advertisers Advertisers.com Beauty Link - Volume 4, Issue 3 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0113 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0412 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0312 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0212 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0112 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0411 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0311 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0211 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0111 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ2011MediaKit http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0410 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0310 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0210 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0110 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0409 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0309 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0209 http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/naylor/BSAQ0109 http://www.nxtbookMEDIA.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.