Australia’s hairdressing community have proven increasingly loyal fans of Hair Expo, with 2016 seeing the trade show record its most successful in years.
Event director Julia Erben says: “We’re delighted at the outcome of Hair Expo 2016. Our visitor numbers were up massively on last year, our exhibitor numbers were also much higher with the return of a number of big brands, and the overwhelming rebooking results for Sydney in 2017 are testimony to their successful experience”.
Visitor numbers jumped 37 per cent from last year, with exhibitor numbers mirroring similar interest - stands increased 30 per cent in number. The event saw 500 hairdressers style on stage, with 2,000 working behind the scenes, and 1,500 models participating. Education sessions saw 3,300 tickets sold, with 16 sessions completely sold out. A further 3,700 guests were in attendance at one of the many evening galas.
The expo space featured brands including Schwarzkopf Professional, Wella Professionals, Goldwell, Ozdare, American Crew, Haircare Australia, Napoleon, BaByliss, and ghd. Helping to pique interest were the appearances of hairdressing gurus Guy Tang, Tabatha Coffey, and Sassoon’s Mark Hayes.
Erben says that Melbourne is not off the cards for future events as a result of this year’s success: “There is obviously a fiercely loyal and passionate hairdressing community in Victoria who took advantage of the move.”
She continues: “We’re delighted that the risk we took in relocating to Melbourne paid off so spectacularly. We’re looking forward to our brand new location at Sydney’s amazing new Convention Centre in 2017. But staging the event again in Melbourne in 2018 is definitely something that we’ll consider.”
