Recognizing Innovation + Leadership in Sustainability

The GSN Planet Sustainability Awards honor outstanding accomplishments and innovations in sustainability within the wellness sector. These awards offer a unique platform for participants to showcase their environmental and social efforts with confidence and authenticity, while fostering networking across various industries to promote sustainable solutions.

2023 Categories

Sustainable Spa/Wellness Facility – The Michael Stusser Award

Spa Property or Wellness Facility that fully incorporates sustainability in its business strategy and management processes, spa facility, resource management practices, procurement, programming and treatments, staff and community engagement practices

Finalists: Keemala, Hotel Weihrerhof, Woodlands Healing Spa, The Spa at Séc-he

WINNER:  The Spa at Séc-he

Sustainable Innovator – The Tara Grodjesk Award

Product Company, Equipment Supplier, Distributor or Individual who fully incorporates sustainability in their purpose and management processes, operational practices, raw materials sourcing, packaging and employee and community impact, with special attention to innovation

Finalists: Phytomer USA Blue Beautifly, Acrely Farms

WINNER:  Blue Beautifly

Sustainable Newcomer – The Tracie Wertz Award

Spa Property, Product Company, Equipment Supplier, Distributor or Individual who recently embarked on a sustainability journey, has an exceptional attitude towards environmental conservation and social upliftment and achieved significant sustainability goals in a relative short period and/or with a restricted budget, or made a significant contribution in a specific sustainability field

Finalists: Be Here Farm + Nature, 8 Days Botanicals, Le Prunier

WINNER:  Be Here Farm + Nature

Meet the Judges

An independent judging panel, made up of experts in the sustainability, spa and wellness industries, evaluates and awards companies and individuals that/who are leading the way in social and environmental responsibility. GSN aims to discover, recognize, and celebrate significant accomplishments in regeneration and sustainability within the wellness industry.

Kent Richards. Corporate Operations Director (Spas – Global) Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas

Tara Grodjesk was Chairwoman of ISPA’s first taskforce on Greening and Sustainability. Tara is a Co-Founder of the GSN Network. In recognition of her longstanding commitment to GSN, Tara was honored by the GSN Dedicated Contributor Award being named after her.

Gina Preziosa who is the consulting Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Shankara Naturals , an Ayurvedic line of spa products sold worldwide.  She is an industry veteran, having spent most of her career in the International and Domestic cosmetic and spa industry.

Rona Berg. Contributor, Forbes.com | Award-winning Writer | Best-selling Author | Advisory Board SHAPE | Women in Wellness Environmental Leader Award | Digital Content Creator

Julie Callaghan is the co-founder of Well Defined and an executive recruiter and marketing specialist for Hutchinson Consulting. She is also a consultant and content strategist for numerous wellness brands. She is the former editor-in-chief and publisher of American Spa and was named a 2019 Folio Top Woman in Media in the Industry Trailblazers category and a 2018 winner of ISPA’s Innovate Award. She has been published in ForbesTraveler.com, E! Online, Insider’s Guide to Spas, Luxury Travel Advisor, Spa Asia, and Travel Agent among others.

Lisa Jacobs is the Founder of the Collective Well and Co-Founder of RockDaisy. Nominate the best of best in spa industry by August 31, 2023.

Mary Bemis is the Founder and Editorial Director of Insider’s Guide to Spas. Mary was recently honored as a Top 30 Influential Voice Transforming Wellness in 2023 by Medika Life. Mary is an inaugural honoree of Folio’s Top Women in Media Award and recipient of ISPA’s Dedicated Contributor Award. She is a leader in sustainable spa and green beauty, Mary has co-curated Cosmoprof North America’s Discover Green pavilion and she co-founded Organic Spa magazine.

Darlene Fiske is the owner of The Fiske Group Public Relations and co-founder of S’Well The Agency, a national PR and communications firm. She was named the “Women in Wellness PR & Marketing Guru of the Year” in 2018 by American Spa Magazine and her clients have been consistently ranked at the top of their fields in both Condé Nast Traveler and Travel + Leisure magazines’ annual awards. She has served on the marketing task force for the International Spa Association, is currently on the Women in Leadership committee for the Global Wellness Institute.

Judging Notes

  • The GSN Sustainability Awards are judged by an independent committee of industry professionals.
  • Both the public and judges will provide recommendations for the judges to review as a group. Selections for Finalists and Winners are taken via blind survey systems.
  • If, in the judgment of the Awards Committee, no candidates meet the eligibility requirements, an award may not be given.
  • The Awards Committee reserves the right to present a nominee with an award other than the one for which the recommendation was submitted.
  • Recommendations of candidates not selected for awards may be resubmitted in a subsequent year for consideration.
  • Each finalist, selected in accordance with these procedures, will be requested to provide additional biographical information.

2019 Award Winners and Runners-Up

Property/Spa
Winner: Sloco Massage + Wellness 
Runner Up: Inn by the Sea 

Brand
Winner: Noel Asmar Uniforms
Runner Up: Blue Beautifly

Individual
Winner: Davide Bollati, Founder + Chairman of [ comfort zone ] Davines S.p.A
Runner Up: Dr. Dieter Lenoir, Founder of Sanandi

Award winners received a commemorative piece of art created by Erik Linton of LintonArt Designs, https://www.lintonartdesigns.com. Linton creates tree ring prints made from real trees and printed by hand. The awards art included a tree print from Alaska, Yellowstone National Park, and Grand Tetons National Park.