Specializing in chair massages for events and the trade show industry since 1999 and since 2002, we have been the in-house event massage provider for Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, The Center of Hospitality, The 2nd largest convention center in the country.
Our company was started by a former U. S. Navy/Marine Corp Hospital Corpsman… bringing a standard of service, that comes from that military uniformity, and discipline, along with that caring and helpful attitude of a medic. A standard of service that still continues today.
We have the experience and know the importance of each and every event, as well as the heavy demands that normally comes along with them. Most importantly, our team knows what it means to be professional and provide quality service for each and everyone of our clients
Over 20 years of providing our services at thousands of different industries’ and events… International and Domestic, large and small, some considered the world’s largest… massaging tens’ of thousands of attendees, we know “Massage” is universal, seen as therapeutic, and now, more than ever, being sought out by people from all walks of life.
We’ve provided massage for such events as the serious American Heart Association’s Annual Conference, the prestigious Professional Golf Association’s Merchandise Show, the laid back Surf Expo, the Global Watersports and Beach/Lifestyle Tradeshow, the Professional Beauty Industry’s annual Premiere Beauty Show, the humongous International Builders Show, the fun loving International Association of Amusement Parks & Attractions, the moving, nonstop, Zumba Instructors Expo, and the American Kennel Club’s National Dog Championships, and many, many more.
We work with, Corporate Executives, Event Planners, Show Management, Exhibitors, Sales/Marketing Executives, CMPs, and DMCs, and try to help them make their events come off with less tension and stress as well as assist those with other medical needs. We pride ourselves in being easy to work with… the less stress, the better… we know that! And with our team’s experience and knowledge of the trade show industry and corporate events, along with knowing the layout of the Orange County Convention Center and other area convention venues, helps make everyone’s job easier and can help things get done a lot faster.
Our Massage Therapists are licensed professionals in the State of Florida, and regulated by the Florida Department of Health and Medical Quality Assurance, as well as trained and experienced in event massage services. So you are literally in good hands! 🙂
Our list of event massage services include, short, seated massages (chair massages), mini-hand massages, reflexology/foot massages, sports and sports style table massages.
How it all got started…
The founder, John Wayne Cosby, has always cared about people’s health and well-being. The son of a nurse, John served in the U.S. Navy/Marine Corp as a Hospital Corpsman during and after the Vietnam War and as an Emergency Medically Technician for a short while after leaving the Navy. He got burned out as an EMT in the civilian life, so worked in sales before ending up as a mail carrier for the U.S. Postal Service
In 1995, John was diagnosed with herniated and degenerative disc in the lumbar area. His Orthopedic doctor recommended him to a Neurosurgeon, who recommended surgery.
John’s wife, a cosmetologist at the time, recommended he try the massage therapist at the spa where she worked. John had never had a professional massage before and was very skeptical, but he decided to try massage anyway. John was amazed by the immediate relief and the knowledge of the massage therapist after just one session. After several sessions, John was completely pain-free and to this day has not had surgery. John, wondered why his doctors had not recommended massage therapy instead of surgery and the prescribed regiment of painkillers and muscle relaxing drugs? John went on sort of a crusade, he told anybody and everybody he talked to about massage and his story.
Less than a year, John left the Postal Service to go to school to study massage therapy. He believed in it and wanted to promote the benefits and the power of massage. He said he wanted people to find out what he found out, massage therapy as another alternative and how it changed his life, literally. John graduated at the top of his basic and advanced massage therapy classes, he took the Florida State Boards to become licensed under the Florida Department of Health. He then went on to become a Nationally Certified massage therapist and a Nationally Certified instructor. John fast became a massage therapist’s therapist. Sharing his knowledge, motivating, and help spreading the word of massage therapy and its’ benefits.
Though, coming out of massage school, John found the job market for male massage therapists were slim to none. The spas wanted females, the clinics and doctors wanted females and sports facilities wanted experience. John had no one to massage but his fellow therapists, family, and friends, who didn’t want to pay. :>) So with no paying clients, John figured if he gave away free massages to the public, he could spread the word about massage and meet prospective massage clients to hopefully start building his own private massage practice. John joined the American Diabetes Association as a volunteer, because his father was a diabetic. John became very active and went to health food stores, shopping malls, supermarkets, department stores, even coffee shops, convincing many of the managers and owners to let him setup and do free massages with any contributions made would go to the ADA. John did this religiously for several hours per week for a little over a year while delivering newspaper from 3am-7am most morning to help pay the bills.
John saw how popular free massage was and that people didn’t mind getting a massage in public as long as they did not have to get undressed. It was also a great opportunity for those who were interested in private massages to meet the massage therapist first in a non-threatening environment and get a feel for their knowledge and technique.
John massaged a lot of people and built an impressive list of clientele during his time volunteering for the ADA. One was a local business owner who gave him his first convention massage job. The owner paid John to give free massages at his exhibit booth during a trade show. It was a hit and that was John’s introduction to the trade show industry.
John went back to his past sales experience and started marketing to show managers and exhibitors for incoming local shows. He got a team of massage therapists, trained them on chair massage techniques. They started to work more and more trade shows and events and became more and more popular. John felt great, because they were educating more and more people about massage therapy. One of his main challenges, is many event managers looking at massage as a luxury rather than “therapeutic”. This still exists today, but to a must smaller degree.
In 2001, Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center, the second largest convention center in the country, realized a need and desire for chair massage at different events held at it’s facility. They selected us to start in January 2002 to provide massage services at their facility. The service quickly become one of the most appreciated services at the center.
Since 2002, with our team of massage therapists, we’ve helped thousands of people from all over the world and from all walks of life. Touching their lives through massage therapy. John says “this is my blessing”… because over 45% of them were just like he was in 1995, they had never experienced a professional massage before.
John says he knows God lead him down this path, because the reason he got into massage was to let people know the benefits of massage therapy and he’s always wanted to help people feel better. The trade show industry has given him that opportunity, much more than he could have imagined.
John firmly believes in educating the public on stress management and the benefits derived from massage therapy. They have a staff of caring massage therapists that share that desire and love of helping people feel better.
The company has donated massage services to over 50 charities and non-profit organizations in Central Florida communities since it started. This helps get the word out on the benefits of massage therapy while giving back and helping people from all walks of life with the magic of touch.
John learned that people are more apt to try the chair massage first. because it’s normally free and it’s out in the open where people feel less threatened than getting a massage in a private setting.
Chair Massage is better than one thinks and much better than no massage. Get one when you can, as often as you can.