Surging demand for social sauna-ing and communal bathing drives need for bigger sauna spaces to accommodate large, performative sauna experiences; Event Saunas offer a welcomed new revenue stream for spas, urban bathhouses and other wellness venues
LONDON and AUSTIN, Texas – October 12, 2022 – Design for Leisure (DFL), award-winning hydrothermal spa and wellness specialists, today announced a new comprehensive Event Sauna Services program to better accommodate the growing demand for European-style communal, social sauna experiences in the US and UK. The program offers spas, urban bathhouses and wellness centers a turnkey solution for bringing their own signature Sauna Aufguss experience to life and an opportunity to create an entirely new revenue stream.
Event Saunas are specially-designed, large saunas that typically accommodate at least 10 people (the largest in the world hosts up to 300). In addition to housing more bodies than a typical sauna cabin, they also need to provide enough space for Sauna Masters to perform the “Art of Aufguss” or lead group classes, like meditation or breathwork.
“It’s crucial to purpose-design an Event Sauna from the ground up, but the payoff is significant,” says Don Genders DFL’s CEO. “Individual performances can be upsold, and, depending on capacity, facilities that maintain a 50-person daily occupancy, for example, can easily generate an additional $2,000/day with little additional operational costs.”
“Experiential, communal social sauna-ing is gaining popularity the world over as more people seek back-to-basic wellness that simply feels good for mind, body and spirit. Saunas provide a unique, device-free refuge from our manic world – a place to slow down, share space and enjoy the euphoric sensations that naturally come from thermal therapy. Sauna-ing with like-minded individuals enhances the power of this ancient practice,” said Genders, who also serves as the Chair of the Global Wellness Institute’s Hydrothermal Initiative.
DFL is the team behind the design and build of the first-ever Event Sauna in North America at Resorts World AWANA Spa & Wellness in Las Vegas. In addition, the company recruited Lasse Eriksen to head up Aufguss Training services for AWANA, a role he continues in as DFL expands its Event Saunas Services.
Eriksen, a well-respected figure in sauna bathing, serves as the Vice President of the Aufguss World Championships and President of the Norwegian Sauna Association, and has put together an award-winning team to deliver authentic Aufguss Training in partnership with DFL.
In addition to practical and theoretical Aufguss Training, DFL also provides management teams with a workshop for maximizing ROI. An ROI calculation for Event Saunas can be found here.
In fact, the company is so enthusiastic about the adoption of Event Saunas in the US and the UK that they are offering design services (up to a $10,000 value) to qualifying properties who are looking to build an Event Sauna that can accommodate a minimum of 10 people within the next 12 months.
Note: Don Genders will speak at the International Sauna Congress in Stuttgart, Germany later this month on the growing interest in sauna and thermal bathing in the USA.
About Design for Leisure: Design for Leisure specializes in the design of award-winning hydrothermal spa and wellness environments. Headquartered in London and Austin, TX, the company has been creating high-end, turnkey wet spa areas for both luxury homes and commercial wellness projects for almost three decades. Clients include well-known hospitality and spa brands, such as Disney, Canyon Ranch, Caesars Palace, Four Seasons and Six Senses, as well as well-known architect groups, including Foster and Partners, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, Bjark Ingels Group, Michael Graves and Thomas Heatherwick.