SpaFinder, Inc., the global spa resource, has announced it will award its fifth annual Visionary Award to Canyon Ranch founders Mel and Enid Zuckerman. The Zuckermans will be honored for their visionary contributions to the spa/wellness industry, including the development of one of the earliest wellness programs (the Canyon Ranch fitness resort in Tucson) and, more recently, the creation of the first residential community with a health and wellness focus, Canyon Ranch Living.
The Visionary Award will be formally presented by SpaFinder, Inc. CEO, Pete Ellis, and President, Susie Ellis, to the Zuckermans during an invitation-only gathering at New York's Vanderbilt Hall, Grand Central Terminal, on November 1st, 2007, as part of SpaFinder's "The Spa Experience 2007," a public sampling of elite spas from around the globe.
Enid and Mel Zuckerman created the Canyon Ranch fitness resort more than 25 years ago, providing guests seeking to look and feel better with a medically-guided total wellness experience - a quantum leap beyond the typical "fat farm" destinations of the time and a sweeping redefinition of the spa concept. In 2005, the couple once again pioneered a new direction for the industry with the announcement of Canyon Ranch Living Miami, creating an environment where people can fully integrate health and wellness into their lives and homes - in turn spurring a booming new business model. According to Spa Finder, there are now 220 health/wellness-focused residential communities worldwide.
"It's impossible to imagine the modern spa experience without the contributions of Enid and Mel Zuckerman," said Susie Ellis. "They're the embodiment of everything our Visionary Award represents - and their vision has not only guided the spa industry in the U.S. for the past 25-plus years, they've also developed Canyon Ranch into the brand leader for destination spas globally."
Notably, the Zuckermans are the first SpaFinder Visionary Award recipients who aren't medical doctors. Previous honorees include Juva Medi-Spa founder Bruce E. Katz, M.D., for his pioneering work in developing the medical spa concept; Deepak Chopra, M.D., for his role in bridging Eastern and Western medicine in the spa environment; Dr. Howard Murad, the anti-aging skincare pioneer; and Dr. Stephen and Lyn Krant, co-founders of the SK Sanctuary, for raising awareness of melanoma and providing support and free spa nights for cancer patients and survivors.
Today, the Canyon Ranch empire encompasses Canyon Ranch destination spas in Tucson, AZ, and Lenox, MA; Canyon Ranch SpaClubs in Kissimmee, FL, at the Venetian in Las Vegas, and aboard the Queen Mary 2; and Canyon Ranch Living residential communities in Tucson, and soon, in Miami Beach--with a Chicago Living community planned to open in 2011. Altogether, Canyon Ranch spa properties received seventeen 2007 SpaFinder Readers' Choice Awards, far more than any other spa brand.
About SpaFinder, Inc.
The world's largest spa marketing and media company, SpaFinder reaches millions of wellness-focused consumers via its global media network, including the award-winning SpaFinder.com, Luxury SpaFinder magazine and the annual Global SpaFinder Directory. SpaFinder Europe and SpaFinder Japan offer regional spa marketing programs, including localized, native-language websites showcasing day spas, salon spas, and onsens. Redeemable at 4,000+ spas worldwide and available at thousands of retail outlets across North America and the United Kingdom, SpaFinder Gift Certificates and Gift Cards represent the world's largest spa gifting program. Through its investment partnership with SpaBoom, the company also provides an array of technology and online marketing services for spas. Founded in 1986, the privately held company is headquartered in Manhattan.
Media Contact:
Beth McGroarty, RBI
(213) 300-0107, beth(at)rbicom.com