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Pearl Resorts & Spa and Le Taha’a Private Island & Spa’s Partnership with Monoi Institute
Monoï oil is the signature Tahitian blend of highly refined coconut oil and extract of the Tiare flower, the combination of which provides a moisturizing, sweet-scented oil known for its natural aromatherapy healing properties. Since 1942, it has been manufactured commercially, although native Polynesians have known for centuries about this ancient, natural beauty secret. The Monoï Institute was created by a group of local Polynesian producers, driven by a shared goal to educate spa professionals about the unique quality and production of the monoï oil in French Polynesia. By developing this organization as a strictly business-to-business operation, they were able to successfully target the top cosmetic professionals in the world. In 2003, the Monoï Institute initiated a worldwide competition geared toward these high-end cosmetic laboratories, professionals and students, challenging them to creatively produce a new, monoï-based product. The winners were offered luxurious and unique prizes for their efforts, and encouraged to create a product that connected to either the energy of the islands’ competitions and races (Monoï Extreme Category) or the powerful sensuality of the Polynesian spirit (Monoï Well-Being Category). Fifty projects were submitted from many different countries, including the United States, Brazil, Spain, France, Greece, Italy and the United Kingdom. The winner of the Well-Being Category invented a multi-dimensional product that serves as a scrub, massage oil and moisturizer, while the winner of the Extreme Category brought together two rare flowers, the Polynesian Tiare and the Edelweiss, to create a moisturizer ideal for the extreme athlete. Because of the competition’s success, 2004 marks its second annual occurrence, which began with a September 2004 launch and will run through June 2005. In addition, the institute has capitalized on this opportunity to heighten worldwide awareness, and has instigated related tradeshows in New Jersey, New York, Paris, Russia, Thailand and Germany. Coincidentally, in recent months, Pearl Resorts & Spa and Le Taha’a Private Island & Spa have begun renovating the resorts’ amenities, including the addition of an all-natural Manea Spa product line. Developed with monoï as the base, these products have served as the perfect opportunity for Pearl Resorts and Le Taha’a to participate in the Monoï Institute’s 2004 competition. As part of this unique sponsorship, Pearl Resorts and Le Taha’a Private Island & Spa have offered a grand prize for contest winners: a complimentary six-night experience in French Polynesia, to include three nights at Le Taha’a Private Island & Spa, and three nights at Moorea Pearl Resort & Spa, exclusive of international airfare. These properties, considered to be two of the most luxurious in the portfolio, are the only to offer full-service spas on site. Both spas are proud to incorporate these all-natural, monoï-based products in all treatments. In recognition of this partnership, Pearl Resorts and Le Taha’a Private Island & Spa have been included in all promotional materials surrounding the competition, including direct mail, e-mail announcements, trade show signage and collateral. They actively participated in September’s New York Health & Beauty America trade show ( http://www.hbaexpo.com), and will participate in the Cosmeeting trade show in Paris (http://www.cosmeeting.fr) in September 2005. Further information about the Monoï Institute and its annual competition is available online at : http://www.monoi-institute.org.
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