The International Spa Association’s (ISPA) 24th annual Conference and Expo today (13 October) gets underway at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, running until 15 October.

Several high-profile keynote speakers will lead discussions on the future of wellness. Erik Wahl, an internationally recognised graffiti artist, author and entrepreneur will focus on profitability through innovations – while also illustrating his point on canvas.

The second speaker is futurist Mike Walsh, who scouts consumer trends and carries out live research with big corporations. Walsh will talk about creating a blueprint for spa businesses in the 21st Century.

Meanwhile, Jewel – the renowned singer-songwriter and founder of the charitable initiative Project Clean Water – will deliver a speech about her experience with homelessness as a teenager and will then perform a song.

“With the CREATE theme, our keynote speakers will be looking at ways to explore creativity in the spa industry to improve the overall guest experience and maximise profitability,” said ISPA president Lynne McNees.

Research commissioned by the ISPA Foundation and carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers – which shows the US spa industry is currently booming – will be detailed at the Conference.

Liz Terry, managing director of Leisure Media will be representing Spa Opportunities and Spa Business at the Expo and tweeting from the event. Find her on Twitter by clicking here.