SINGAPORE, SPAcademy By Raffles International and Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration have teamed up to put together Asia’s first Cornell-SPAcademy Executive Development Programme in Spa Management, which will be held in Singapore from 10 to 14 January 2005. The first-of-its-kind in Asia, the programme aims to provide aspiring spa owners and managers with an operational blueprint for running a successful spa business.

The five-day executive development programme boasts a comprehensive curriculum covering a range of topics specific to the spa industry, including feasibility studies, identifying consumer trends, marketing strategies and managing finances. It will also provide an ideal platform for spa practitioners, spa owners and managers, and spa entrepreneurs, to draw on Cornell’s expert knowledge in spa management and share experiences.

Professor Mary H. Tabacchi, a veteran in the American spa industry, will lead the executive development programme. A regular speaker on spa management issues and trends, Professor Tabacchi has authored more than 30 different case studies and presented more than 100 papers and talks at conferences around the world. She was a primary constituent in the conception and development of the International Spa Association, and currently teaches Spa and Spa Resort Development, Tying Wellness Practices to Company Profits, Healthy Cuisine, and Airline Management at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration.

Mr Tommy Ng, Executive Director of Raffles Knowledge Private Limited (RKPL) says, “The spa industry in Asia has seen robust growth in the last 3 years. SPAcademy By Raffles International is proud to work together with Cornell University, a world-class education institution, to present this executive programme to meet the demands and needs of Asia’s bourgeoning spa market. In ensuring that we continue to meet the market demands of the industry, SPAcademy by Raffles International will strive to constantly introduce relevant and practical training courses and programmes.”

With initial funding from the Ministry of Manpower, Singapore, SPAcademy By Raffles International was established in 2001 to jumpstart the spa and wellness industry in Singapore by providing recognised qualifications and skills enhancement programmes for new entrants and practitioners. It offers more than 10 different spa related courses and is the first in Singapore to offer the ITEC (International Therapy Examination Council) Diploma in Sports Massage, which teaches principles and techniques on injury prevention, and healing treatments and rehabilitative training for common sports injuries. The next intake for this 100-hour training course is in March 2005. In November this year, SPAcademy by Raffles International was recognised for its excellence in spa education when it was conferred the Best Spa Academy in Asia in the prestigious 2004 SpaAsia Crystal Awards organised by SpaAsia.

Mr Thomas J Kline, Director of Executive Education, Cornell University said, “This is the first time we have developed a customised programme in Asia to provide real-world curriculum for spa owners and managers. With the exponential growth of spas in Asia, and the continual evolution of spa concepts, the Cornell-SPAcademy Executive Development Programme in Spa Management comes at an opportune time to meet the growing demand for spa professionals and entrepreneurs.”

For more information on the Cornell-SPAcademy Executive Development Programme in Spa Management, refer to

About Raffles Knowledge Private Limited () - Raffles Knowledge Private Limited is a wholly-owned subsidiary and training arm of Raffles International Limited (RIL). RIL is the hotel management subsidiary of Raffles Holdings Limited, and it is a name well respected in the hospitality industry for high standards of quality, award winning concepts and innovative approaches towards hotel management. Raffles Knowledge is committed to providing quality hospitality and tourism education, and it takes pride in offering effective and innovative learning solutions to build an organisation’s human capital. Raffles Knowledge’s integrated expertise includes the Raffles International Training Centres and SPAcademy By Raffles International.

SPAcademy By Raffles International is the region’s premier state-of-the-art spa education and training institute. The Academy educates and trains aspiring entrepreneurs and spa professionals, and provides opportunities for existing spa practitioners to upgrade their skills.

About Raffles Holdings Limited & Raffles International Limited - (om and ) Raffles Holdings Limited is a hospitality company listed on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited. It is headquartered in Singapore and has an approximate 12,000-room portfolio comprising hotels and resorts in 32 destinations across Asia, Australia, Europe, North America and South America.

Raffles International Limited is the hotel management arm of Raffles Holdings Limited and is a name well respected in the industry for its standards of quality and award-winning concepts. Raffles International markets its hotels and resorts under two brands – Raffles Hotels & Resorts and Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts.

Raffles Hotels & Resorts () is a collection of 13 luxury hotels located in major cities around the globe and distinguishes itself by the highest standards of products and services. Each hotel is a landmark in its respective city and most are positioned at the top of their local markets. The collection of legendary hotels includes Raffles Hotel and Raffles The Plaza in Singapore, Raffles Grand Hotel d’Angkor, Siem Reap, Cambodia, Raffles Hotel Le Royal, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Raffles L’Ermitage Beverly Hills in the US, Raffles Resort Canouan Island, The Grenadines, Raffles Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten, Hamburg, Germany and Raffles Le Montreux Palace, Montreux, Switzerland.

Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts is a distinctive group of deluxe hotels for today’s discerning modern business and leisure traveller. It combines individual, modern and functional design with local character and renowned standards of Swiss hospitality, service efficiency and product quality. Located in gateway destinations and city centres, the hotels offer convenient access to business and shopping districts and local attractions. Many of the 24 hotels in Swissôtel's worldwide portfolio have won prestigious awards and accolades.

About CapitaLand Limited () - CapitaLand is one of the largest listed property companies in Asia. Headquartered in Singapore, the multinational company's core businesses in property, hospitality, property services and real estate financial services are focused in key cities in Asia, Australia, Europe and the Americas.

The company's property and hospitality portfolio spans more than 70 cities around the world. CapitaLand also leverages on its significant real estate asset base and market knowledge to develop fee-based products and services in Singapore and the region.

The listed subsidiaries and associates of CapitaLand include Raffles Holdings, The Ascott Group, CapitaMall Trust, CapitaCommercial Trust and Australand Property Group, which is listed both in Singapore and Australia.

Goh Kah Lin
manager Corporate & Marketing Communications
(65) 6430-1366
Raffles Knowledge Private Limited