Looking to let potential clients know your spa is green and eco-friendly? Consider becoming a Vios Certified Sustainable Spa. A new, global program from Vios Spa Group—a spa consulting, management, and education platform—assesses and recognizes leading spas with sustainable best practices and quality standards through 200-point criteria from a third-party source. The certification is designed to help spas showcase their initiatives, enhance their operations, and gain recognition for their efforts. It also allows for consumers to ensure they’re visiting and supporting sustainable spas that are committed to eco-conscious practices.
“We understand how much effort it takes to create a spa with eco standards,” says Shelley Lotz, principal of Vios Spa Group, founder of the Vios Certified Sustainable Spa global program, and author of Green Spas and Salons: How to Make Your Business Truly Sustainable. “Our new certification program has been meticulously designed to not only recognize those establishments, but to also inspire and educate spas in ways they can go green. And now consumers will have a way to find and experience verified spas who care about people's health as well as keeping the planet healthy.”
The program consists of four steps to certifying a spa:
- Apply for the certification and receive an assessment estimate based on the spa's team size. Since Vios aims to make certification accessible to all spas, the program is priced on a sliding scale based on spa size. Should it be needed, a monthly payment plan is available for easier budgeting.
- Once the application is accepted, schedule a two-day assessment date and receive a copy of Green Spas and Salons in the mail, which outlines standards and provides the checklist to prepare for your on-site assessment. Schedule a free pre-assessment call with a Vios team member who can answer any questions.
- On the pre-scheduled date, a Vios assessor performs an on-site assessment utilizing Vios' proprietary standards checklist. Spas must achieve 75 percent to pass and qualify for the program.
- Receive your spa's report within 30 days of your assessment. A graded report, a certificate (if the spa passes the assessment) and a recommendations summary will be mailed to the spa upon completion.
The third-party certification is available to all types and sizes of spas within the U.S. Vios’ accessors are spa and sustainability professionals with extensive experience in spa management, education, green business, and certification. Besides Lotz, the founding team of reviewers includes Bonnie Baker, cofounder of Satteva Spa and Wellness Concepts and president of GSN Planet (formerly Green Spa Network), and Kari Brayman, operations manager of Vios and a strategic branding and digital marketing expert with experience in the non-profit, organic food and beverage and hospitality industries.
For more information or to apply for the certification, visit www.certifiedsustainablespas.com.
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