The 9th annual Forum Hotel & Spa conference took place in Paris yesterday, with industry suppliers, operators and consultants gathering at the Four Seasons George V for a day of talks, roundtables and networking.

Despite rain, flooding and a train strike that wreaked havoc on travel and prevented a reported 30 attendees from making the trip, the event took on its theme of “Looking to the future,” with varied programming across different aspects of the industry.

Speakers included Dr Franz Linser, owner and managing director of Linser Hospitality, who discussed lifestyle changes and how they will impact the future of wellness; Roger Allen, co-founder of Resources for Leisure Assets, who talked about the economic reality of hotel wellness; Anna Bjurstam, vice president of Six Senses Spas, who discussed the company’s new wellness screening and programming; and Ingo Schweder, CEO and founder of GOCO Hospitality, who looked at the growth of wellness communities around the world.

The programme also highlighted new perspectives, trends and the future of thalassotherapy, and included a session on creative wellness and how dance and movement can be integrated in wellness programming.

Additionally, the Black Diamond Award, which recognises the best spa manager, and the Red Diamond, which recognises the best thalassotherapy spa manager, were given out in a ceremony at the end of the event.

Patricia Bortolin, spa director at Borgo Egnazia Hotel in Italy, won the Black Diamond Award, and Nicolas Guichard, spa manager at Hotel Les Flamants Roses in France, won the Red Diamond Award. This was the first year the Red Diamond Award was given out.