The Wrap Up
The first Hair Festival, held at Carriageworks in Sydney earlier this month, was a celebration of the hair industry – its people, its products and its creativity. It’s been three years since the hair industry gathered for a dedicated weekend of hair and, judging by the energy in the room over two full days of Hair Festival, the excitement of that reunion and celebration was palpable with 4300 industry members walking through the doors of Carriageworks. Over the Queen’s Birthday long weekend, as is the legacy of hairfocused weekends; it was two days all about the salon industry. The MarketPlace floor was more than the proverbial candy shop promised, it was a packed haven of every hair innovation. Attendees grabbed a hot drink at the Festival Hub, had their business questions answered at the Business Hub and checked out AREA Academy and their inspiring collaborations at the Barber Hub. Beyond that, a vast assortment of stands showcased everything from the latest in hair tools, products, extensions, supplements, uniforms, sustainability, education, media and so much more. Attendees left with handfuls of bags of the best and latest the hair market has to offer. Thank you to AMR for supplying portable basins, stools and barber chairs for the MarketPlace and Education Sessions. We also saw the 50 metre AHIA Creative Gallery showcasing over 500 beautiful images that constituted the collective works of all 2022 AHIA Finalists. Attendees were asked to vote for their favourite collection which saw Paul James Graham, Paul and Paul salon win for a second ear running for his Avant Garde Collection, and which was announced on Monday night at the 2022 AHIA Gala. “Hair Festival has truly positioned itself as the seminal event on the Hair Industry calendar and I’m so proud of our team who have worked tirelessly to create an experience to meet the needs of the community,” shared Bethanie Tobin, Hair Festival Director “Faced with the uncertainty of organising a significant event during a pandemic, there’s been an unbelievable amount of flexibility – we’re all very good at pivoting and thinking outside of the box in order to deliver a memorable event and the results speak for themselves.” “We welcomed over 4300 hairdressers, barbers and business owners to explore over 80 leading brands in the MarketPlace, three networking hubs, and multiple dedicated education rooms with a curated program from leading brands, energetic competitions, and a full-day business forum. The event was crowned by 1000 guests at a spectacular party overlooking the city’s skyline at the Australian National Maritime Museum,” she continued. “An event of this size takes a full-year of planning and we’re already underway for 2023. Without revealing too much, we can certainly say that we’re raising the bar, again.”
