As we head into the fifteenth year of Beauty Expo Australia, BD sat down with event director Cory Watson about what we can expect from this year's event.
Can you tell us a little bit about the history Beauty Expo Australia?
Excitingly, we’re celebrating our 15th year for Beauty Expo this year – Australia’s biggest weekend of skincare, cosmetics, nails, medi, wellness and spa. The event is dedicated exclusively to the beauty trade, meaning it’s not open to the general public, and was created specifically to provide a direct response to the booming beauty market. The event creates the opportunity for beauty brands to reach and influence beauty professionals, and for those beauty professionals to discover the latest innovations in beauty, network with their peers and other industry professionals, and learn the latest in beauty education from top-tier industry leaders who attend Expo from Sydney and across the country. We’re all about helping the industry stay ahead and informed on all the latest trends in beauty. A lot of what we see at Beauty Expo will end up as the hottest new treatment or service that you’ll be requesting from your makeup artist, skin therapist, or brow technician.
Who normally attends the Beauty Expo and why?
Beauty professionals from across the spectrum – be it skin therapists, makeup artists, nail technicians, spa or salon owners. Our visitors attend Beauty Expo Australia to ensure they stay on top of the latest trends, products, and treatments. It’s also a wonderful source of annual inspiration for our visitors, who come together to network, shop and explore the expo with thousands of their peers over the course of the weekend. We have live competitions in makeup and nail artistry, which are really exciting to watch (or compete in!), as well as curated education on everything from microblading to waxing techniques, meaning our visitors have the opportunity to learn what’s hot in beauty from some of the industry’s foremost experts.
What are some of the benefits of exhibiting at Beauty Expo?
Beauty Expo represents the opportunity for professional beauty brands to get face-to-face with thousands of beauty industry professionals from across Australia (and from overseas). We connect brands with prospective customers, and we also provide a platform for brands to reconnect with their existing client base. It’s a win-win, because our brands get new clients and our visitors gain a competitive edge by meeting with hundreds of brands and picking up the best new products or technologies for their businesses
What are some of your tips for making the most of an exhibit?
As an exhibitor, it’s important to make your stand ‘stand out’ – this is a very visual industry! Our visitors are in the business of making people look and feel good, and this is your opportunity to make them feel special. Free product samples for people to take home and try out, as well as expo specials for our visitors to take advantage of are great ways to get people to your stand, and are also a fabulous talking point for you to strike up a conversation!
What in particular can attendees look forward to this year?
We have so much to see and do at Beauty Expo this year, it’s impossible to list it all! We have hundreds of exhibitors who launch products, perform demonstrations and offer some incredible show specials for our visitors; and I would recommend making the most of the show features. Aside from our curated education program, we also have two free stages providing an endless source of inspiration, and you must check out our live Face2Face Makeup Awards and Nailympia competitions – the body art category in Face2Face is incredible!
Other highlights would be M.A.C Cosmetics, who are exhibiting for the first time this year and bringing some of their top artists (like Pinky) to teach our visitors epic tips in makeup. We have David Zhang who is an international microblading guru and will be showing his ‘6-D brow’ techniques; and other sessions on topics like Brow Henna, lash extensions, natural makeup techniques, radio-frequency technology and micro-needling, and how the gut can influence skin conditions. It’s going to be an amazing weekend, I can’t wait!
Beauty Expo Australia is on September 8 and 9 at the International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour. Entry and Education Tickets are available at beautyexpoaustralia.com.au
Beauty media interested in attending Beauty Expo Australia 2018 can contact Belinda Craigie: Belinda.craigie@reedexpo.com.au