The beauty and spa industry came together for Professional Beauty London on March 3–4 for two days of making connections, meeting the best suppliers in the market, learning from incredible speakers and celebrating top talent at the awards and competitions.
20,116 visitors flocked to ExCeL, including international spa directors, salon owners, home-based beauty therapists, nail techs, lash artists, MUAs and more.
More than 300 brands were there to show off their latest innovations, demonstrate their treatments and meet professionals in person.
All sectors of the market were represented, including spa, skincare, medical aesthetics, nails, lashes, brows, make-up, software and more.
Exhibitors were delighted to see the industry turn out in force for the show. 3D Aesthetics managing director Roy Cowley said, “all the major players are here, none of the big exhibitors are missing. Everyone seems to come to this show so it's good for all of us.”
He added, “We come back to Professional Beauty London every year because it's the biggest show of the year. It is a great place to showcase something new as they have always have a big audience.”
Debbie Merdjan, chief executive of skincare brand Thalgo UK, described the show as “fantastic”, adding, “The quality of the customers coming has been really amazing. The show gives us an opportunity not just to meet them on the stands but also to build a relationship with these customers.”
First-time exhibitor Dee Sudra, owner and founder of Aesthetics Solutions, agreed the show was a great place to make connections. “We’ve met new start-ups and clients with existing clinics that want to upgrade their devices – the show has generated us a lot of leads,” she said.
“Being face to face with customers is always good. It's an ideal way for customers to see your brand, meet you in person and play with the devices. It's great getting a leaflet via email, but there's nothing like in-person events.”
Visitors agreed the show was the ideal place to meet suppliers and other salon owners to make connections. “You've got all the major beauty suppliers here, along with all the little ones as well, so it's a great way of seeing what is out there within the beauty industry,” commented Anita Stubbings, director of Body Matters salon in Buckingham.
“It's amazing for exchanging ideas too - especially if you're in one of the lounges and you get chatting to like-minded salon owners and their teams - it's just a great place to connect with like-minded people.”
The show also featured a wide range of conferences including the International Manufacturers and Distributors Forum and the World Spa & Wellness Convention.
Delegate John Nielsen, general manager, Hotels and Hospitality, Five Elements Retreat in Bali, said, “It’s important for us to make it to the event because it's about connecting with people and exchanging business ideas. People come to you and seek trusted advice and vice versa.
“I've met people I've never met before, so there are lots of new people coming in, and recognising what's going on in the world of wellness.”
Visitors were also able to attend round-table discussion session at the Beauty Roundup, get advice at the new Careers Hub and hone their skills with a range of hands-on workshops.
There was also a huge programme of talks and demos across three education sessions across three free live stages: Business & Digital Skills, Skin & Advanced Treatments, and Trends & Techniques.
Speakers included skin influencers Alicia Lartey and The Skin Priest, Pinterest’s Tom Spratt, multi-site salon owners Kerri-Ann Angus and Karen Thompson, and business coaches Lisa Gallagher and Jo Tompkins.
The show also hosted PB’s Nail Competition, in association with the Federation of Nail Professionals, with nail techs and students competing, as well as the Make-up Competition, in association with Lan Nguyen-Grealis and Emma Rutherford, where MUAs competed.
On the Sunday night of the event, winners of the Professional Beauty Awards and the World Spa & Wellness Awards winners were announced at a black-tie event at The Brewery in London.
Commenting on the success of this year’s show, Professional Beauty Group’s managing director Mark Moloney said, "With all the ups and downs in the economy, this years show gave the industry a much needed boost. There was a real positive feeling in the air at ExCel over the weekend.
He added, "It was good seeing so many salon owners connecting with exhibitors and catching-up with their professional friends. Importantly, every sector of the show did well; from the spa and skincare brands, aesthetic devises to salon favourites such as waxing and nails there was some serious business done on the stands."
