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This past weekend saw Sydney play host to beauty industry professionals from all over, for the Sydney International Spa & Beauty Expo. Showcasing the latest trends, technology, products and services for the spa and beauty industry for 20 years now, the 2011 Expo hosted more than 275 exhibitors.
Event director Lauren Ebbeck says that the growth of the expo has been consistent over recent years, and 2011 was no different. The exhibitor’s stands have also had a growth in demand with an increasing number of leading brands and businesses wanting to take part,” Ebbeck reveals. Each year the Expo delivers a fresh new program that is driven by growing trends.”
Exhibitors’ reasons for being there were varied – from focusing on retail as ghd were, to meeting consumer demand for skincare treatments like Advanced Cosmeceuticals’ needling products, Skinstituts "purple pill" and competitive pricing, to shining a light on new ranges like Inskincosmedics’ O Cosmedics range, to giving live product demonstrations á la and showcasing the latest technology as Diamond Global were doing with their New You non-surgical treatments.
This year saw an expansion in several areas of the Expo. The Organics Zone, which included a naturals sector, was noticeably larger than previous years and saw brands such as and Australian Certified Organic showcasing their latest developments in natural skincare and cosmetics. The area even saw a pregnant woman play guinea pig, as she had a spray tan at the Eco Tan stall.
According to Ebbeck, the naturals sector wasn’t the only new thing at the Expo. We also introduced the New Business Zone – a section that is dedicated to companies who have not exhibited at the Expo for the past three years,” she says. These initiatives expand the opportunity for new exhibitors to showcase as well as provide a greater range of businesses for our visitors.”
One of the most impressive areas of the Expo had to be the giant Future Spa” dome, in which the top four Australian spas were featured: a day spa (Gillian Adams Salon & Spa, NSW), a destination spa (Southern Ocean Lodge, SA), a medispa (Peninsula Life Medispa, Vic) and a wellness spa (Gaia Retreat & Spa, NSW). The exhibit shone a light on these four businesses around Australia that showcase the latest trends in the spa arena: sustainable environments, improved health and wellbeing, and the integration of medical services.
The main stage was a hive of activity over the weekend. Saturday morning saw the first part of the Spa & Beauty Expo’s Make-up Awards take place – the Legends of Pop Rock Category. This year was the first in which fashion categories were added to the Makeup Awards and Nail Competitions. This provides visitors with inspiration that they can take away and utilise in their day-to-day client interactions,” explains Ebbeck.
Over lunchtime, crowds gathered to see a Runway to Reality” Celeb Make-up Demo take place, hosted by celebrity make-up artist Nicola Burford. This was followed by the weekend’s catwalk shows, which displayed spring/summer trends in fashion, make-up, hair and nails. The Pure & Simple show, the first of three catwalk events, showcased fresh, parred-back looks, in which a neutral colour palette featured heavily. The Stylish ‘70s show of course channelled the glamorous, overdone hair and make-up looks of the era, while the Pop colour show featured bright pops of colour, allowing make-up artists plenty of creative freedom.
One of the highlights from the Sunday had to be the Rachel Montgomery’s Colour Perfect” Celeb Make-up Demo. Montgomery demonstrated the latest colour trends and what techniques to use when working with colour cosmetics, including shading, highlighting and blending. The show resulted in some truly amazing works of art and proved why Montgomery was awarded 2011 AHFA Makeup Artist of the Year.
Nail brands were featured heavily throughout the Expo, made prominent by huge stands for OPI, and Gel, which was launching its latest Ashes Of Roses” shade (a soft grey tone) and hosting nail demonstrations. The Nail Comp area drew a crowd, as did the Nail Bar, where weary Expo attendees could relax and enjoy a glass of Champagne and a manicure.
