LOS ANGELES - Two days of intense activity was kicked off with a standing room only inspirational keynote address by Dr. Deepak Chopra, a sold out expo floor was crowded with serious buyers, overflow conference sessions and spa tours that drew resounding praise as nearly 3,000 spa and medical spa professionals gathered at the 2004 Los Angeles Spa & Resort and Medical Spa Expo and Conference at the L.A. Convention Center, Feb. 15-16.

Even with Valentine's Day and the long Presidents' Day weekend, the NBA All-Star Game and a series of slam jam dunk events vying for coveted parking spaces, thousands of hopeful exhibitors and determined buyers from spas, medical spas and resorts in America's largest spa market made the inaugural Spa & Resort and Medical Spa Expo and Conference here a winner.

"The real winners are the many exhibitors who successfully sold their products and services," said Greg Topalian, Vice President and Show Director of the Spa & Resort Expo and Conference.

On opening day, Feb. 15, world-renowned physician, teacher and author, Deepak Chopra, M.D., spoke to a standing room only crowd in a keynote session on interconnection of mind, body and spiritual healing. The author of 36 books and founder and CEO of the Chopra Center at La Costa in Carlsbad, Calif., enthralled the audience for more than an hour and was mobbed by well-wishers and admirers at the end of his speech.

After the Dr. Chopra address, attendees swarmed into the expo hall in search of the scores of new products introduced at the show by companies such as LPG, Dragonfly, Jan Marini Skin

Research, Allergan, Gemisphere, Cutera, Dusa Pharmaceuticals, La Roche-Posay, Lumenis, Inc., Valeant Pharmaceuticals, Avance, Chadsworth & Haig, Osea, You Glow Girl/La Jolla Spa MD, The Sky Factory, Danskin/Zen Sport, The Comphy Company, Spa Addicts, Synergie By Dynatronics, and many others.

"We sold three machines at the show and expect to sell ten more by the end of this week," exclaimed Terri Mundy, President of InvisiLift, makers of a remarkable ultrasound face lift machine. "It was our first show ever and everything went just beautifully. We also found two major clients who want to purchase in bulk and another who was so impressed he wants to be our exclusive distributor overseas. We are really looking forward to the shows in New York and Miami."

Lesley Ranft, Publisher with Einstein Medical, Inc., was equally enthusiastic. "We quadrupled our sales at this one show. Einstein Medical is at 90 shows a year, but we've never had a 400 percent increase in sales from just one show. Attention from the press was just amazing. The attendees were serious buyers and not just 'lookers.' This is one of the most impressive shows we have ever been involved in. We will definitely be at the other Spa & Resort shows this year"

According to Al Metcalf of Bella Products, "We do 25 shows a year and I was amazed by how phenomenally successful this event was for manufacturers like us. This show was far more useful, informative and sales-oriented than the biggest spa shows. Buyers were genuine and motivated. We took orders for three micro-dermabrasion units, two aspirators and one medical unit for about $50,000 plus lots of qualified leads as well. I have never seen so many press covering a new show, TV camera crews out on the expo floor conducting extended interviews with exhibitors and buyers. This show was up against Valentine's and Presidents' weekends and the All-Star game and it was incredible that so much coverage was obtained from the media."

"I was skeptical about any new spa event being successful on a holiday weekend, but what a pleasurable surprise to introduce Comphy Company's line of fitted sheets, blankets and comforters at this event," said Mia Richardson, President Comphy Company of Blaine, Wash. "We never expected to take so many orders for our products on the spot, or to get 120 very solid sales leads. In fact, I will be meeting this week with two major hotels in L.A. that want to buy our products and I am looking forward to the events in New York and Miami. We wouldn't dream of missing those shows."

Sonia Boghosian, President of Bio Jouvance said, "We were nervous about it being a first show, but the truth is it was great! We sold thousands of dollars of products for people to try out and we are confident that this will translate to much more. This was a show where the buyers were decision-makers. We exhibit at 20 shows a year. Eighteen are bad, but this one was really great."

Katie Hurley, President of Spa Hospitality Worldwide, said, "The leads we generated at the show were qualified and have already resulted in increased revenues for Spa Hospitality. This is our second Spa & Resort and Medical Spa show and we feel that these events are superior in the industry."

This year, the New York Spa & Resort and Medical Spa Expos and Conferences will be held April 18 - 19, 2004 at Pier 94, and the Miami Spa & Resort Expo and Medical Spa Expo will take place on Sept. 12-13, 2004 at the Miami Beach Convention Center. In 2005, the Los Angeles Spa & Resort and Medical Spa Expo and Conference will be held on February 27-28 in the South Hall of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

For more information about these exhibitors, products, services or the Spa & Resort and Medical Spa Expos and Conferences, please call (877) 271-6789 or visit their Web site at www.spaandresortexpo.com.