Let’s look inside Beauty Expo Australia 2015

There’s something about arriving at an expo hall that conjures excitement within. Perhaps it’s the hum of expo attendees having their hurried discussions about the newest products, or the excited stylists and therapists reaching over each other to be the first to try the latest inventions in skin therapy. Maybe still it’s the funky music that adds to the allure and drowns out the more flamboyant voices among us.

As with any event of this size, the first item on the agenda is always to take a full walk around the venue to see what’s on, which of the big names have come, and what there is of interest to come back to and take a more serious look at.

All the tan

After I’d had a gander, I immediately noticed that tanning was going to be big again at this year’s expo. Spray tanning and self-tanning lotion seemed to be everywhere, and there were plenty of naked and well-tanned men walking around with their wares in full display. I’m not complaining!

In this department (tanning, not well-tanned men), the big ‘new product’ buzz wasn’t a tanning one, but ‘anti-tan’ which removes any left over tan before your next application. Nifty!

Presentations on the main stage were on point

When it came time for presentations on the main stage, I was both inspired and impressed. The speakers were fresh and creative, and their demonstrations were well-prepared.

One of my favourite presentations came from Simone Lee, a Creative Director who has an impressive resume too  too long to list here.

Simone’s Music Artists vs Movie Stars main stage session was a stunning demonstration of hair and makeup artistry that truly showcased what it takes to create characters for the genres of film, music and everything in between. Being a wig dresser for “ Andrew Lloyd Webber’s famous “CATS” musical, Simone’s perspective and knowledge on the subject was intriguing.

Celebs

The organisers of this year’s expo really outdid themselves when the secret celebrity appearance was none other than Sophie Monk, who presented on the main stage while filming for the Celebrity Apprentice Australia. Sophie did a presentation on fast makeup secrets, and was offering 15 minute appointments with Tim Dormer at their stand.

The competing Celebrity Apprentice team were also fundraising for their chosen charity by offering celebrity foot massages. When they invited me to join them, I decided to take up the opportunity to rest my weary feet, donate to their charity, and enjoy the fun. I look forward to seeing the show on TV and finding out who wins the challenge.

Zing has zest

With my feet cramping no more, I set out to catch up with Lisa Conway, director of Zing Coaching. I love Lisa Conway’s professional attitude, so I took the opportunity to catch up with her and have a chat on video about beauty and business. I really wanted to get to the bottom of what holds beauty and hair business owners back and how they end up so time poor.

We spent a good deal of time chatting about what salon owners can do to overcome that. The majority of salon owners were once therapists or hairdressers, so its no surprise that most salon businesses excel in this area. But Lisa also shared her thoughts on what they can do to increase their efficiency when it comes in the business aspect of what they do. I’m going to share her video interview soon, so watch this space!

As day one came to an end, I caught the ferry from Glebe Island back to the main land. Darling Harbour has always been the home of hair and beauty expos, and with some great dining options in the heart of Sydney just around the corner, Darling Harbour ticks all the boxes.

There’s so much to see and do outside of the expo in Sydney. On most Saturday nights you’ll be appeased both in taste and sight, with a vivid fireworks display accompanying your evening dining experience. Oh and one more thing, don’t be caught out! You only need to learn it the hard way once; making a dinner reservation is essential.

Day Two

With most salons being closed on Sunday, day two seemed busier than the first. Luckily I had seen most of the exhibitions the day before, so on the second day my focus was on meetings, education events and interviewing exceptional people that have contributed significantly to our industry.

The delightful ladies from Harbour Day Spa made for lovely lunchtime conversation, and listening to their story and hearing about their growth plans for the future was inspiring.

Australian Hairdressing Council

I also made time to explore the networking lunch hosted Sandy Chong, owner of the Suki salon and CEO of the Australian Hairdressing Council. (Yes, I had two lunches, what of it?!) 

I admire Sandy’s ability to have her feet planted in many very different camps. With one foot in salon life and the other firmly rooted in AHC, Sandy navigates the worlds of politics and business with ease. She has a way of telling stories which bring the creativity of the hair world into the stiff corporate space of politics and legislation. I take my hat off to her.

The highlight

While both lunches were delicious and the company much more so, the highlight of the expo for me came on day two, when I was chatting with Julie Piantadosi. Julie is one of the most charismatic mumtrepreneurs I know, whose mindset is about choosing to make your life what it is through gratitude and choosing your attitude. Our industry is uplifted by the experience and attitude of someone who not only shares what she knows, but is still practicing what she preaches every day.

We have our game face on when we’re at work. Then we walk in our homes, put on our trackies and we show our real and grumpy side to those we love – it doesn’t seem right to me. I keep my game face on for the ones I love, they deserve the best of me.

We chatted for a long time about her life, chosen career, juggling business and family. I look forward to sharing her interview with you soon.

You know what they say; all good things must come to an end, and by the end of the Expo’s two days, I was ready to call it a wrap and head home to my family in Wellington.

While meeting Julie was the highlight of my trip, what made the whole journey worthwhile was really two things. I loved that, while I sat chatting to some salon owners in my Timely tee, people would walk past and call out saying how much they loved Timely. And then when I boarded my plan to return home in Wellington, it was a delight to see Timely featured in the Air New Zealand magazine in front of me. It was a reminder that Timely is slowly but surely taking over this world, and it was the perfect way to end my weekend travels.

You bet you’ll see us at Beauty Expo Australia next year.