Distributors from 24 countries, from as far afield as Australia, Africa, Asia and the Middle East, gathered in London on 20-24 February for the very first international distributor conference by British skincare brand Elemis.

A total of 37 guests were flown in from around the world to hear the company’s strategic development plans. “Our aim is to achieve substantial growth in the next five years and the majority of that will be growth in international markets,” says Elemis’ managing director Séan Harrington. “We have an exciting long-term vision of how we expect to grow, which we shared with the distributors.”

Central to the expansion, is the launch of Elemis Biotec – a machine which combines different technologies such as ultrasonic peeling, microcurrent lifting, galvanic rejuvenation, light therapy and oxygen infusion, with actives and hands-on touch. The machine has been clinically trialled and developed for results-driven treatments and there are eight accompanying facials.

“Biotec is very topical for our distributors and has opened up new opportunities with the brand,” says Harrington.

On top of that, distributors were presented with the 12 product launches and promotional programmes that are planned in 2014, plus other new product developments that are in the pipeline over the following three years.

Designs for the new vision of the Elemis flagship day spa in Mayfair, central London were also unveiled. The day spa is currently being transformed into the House of Elemis – Skincare & Grooming Spa, which will serve as a potential concept for distributors to rollout in their own territories. With a view to increasing business three fold, the new spa will incorporate a ground floor retail/sensory experience, plus a healthy food and juice offering; a Grooming on the Go section for men and women; a floor dedicated to Biotec facials; and one of the most luxurious penthouse treatment suites in the city.

On the last two days of the conference, the distributors attended Professional Beauty – one of the UK’s biggest beauty trade shows.

“This has been one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had [in my 24 years] with Elemis,” says Harrington. “We’ve been so focused on building a British success story here in the UK that to finally see how it’s gaining traction and meaning so much to different nations and cultures is very rewarding. All of the distributors spoke with the same passion about Elemis and had great knowledge of the brand. Just to see the professionalism and the scale of everyone in one place was also testament to how successful Elemis has become overseas.”

The international distributor conference is set to become a fixed event for Elemis each year. Elemis, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2015, is a subsidiary of Steiner Leisure. It supplies products to four- and five-star resort spas around the world including 60 Mandara spas, 150 cruise ship spas and more than 1,000 independent operations. Its products are also distributed in 120 department stores globally and via home TV shopping channels and e-commerce.