BEAUTY EXPO 2022

SYDNEY’S 2022 BEAUTY EXPO

The Australian Beauty Expo was conducted for the first time since 2019, and Shania O’Brien provides a wrap up of the biggest exhibitors, brands, and industry events during the bustling weekend.

THE 2022 Beauty Expo Australia has come to an end after a weekend of beauty and brilliance. The two-day event was hosted at the ICC Sydney Exhibition Centre in Darling Harbour and was a raging success.

Attendance matched pre-pandemic numbers, with over 6,500 beauty professionals and over 200 leading brands journeying to Sydney for one of the largest industry events of the year. The exhibition hall buzzed with unparalleled opportunity for connection and inspiration, with thousands sparking up conversations and laying down building blocks for life-long friendships and professional connections.

“After a three year absence we were beyond excited to finally be able to open the doors to Beauty Expo Australia, the country’s largest gathering of beauty brands, suppliers and professionals,” said Nina Vidale, the Beauty Expo Event Director.

“With over 200 brands on display, 80+ new exhibitors to the fold, a myriad of education options and thousands of beauty professionals through the doors it was a jam-packed and vibrant weekend that put a spotlight on the latest beauty trends, inspiration, products, technology and world class education on offer.”

“We couldn’t be happier with the results gained for our exhibitors, partners and visitors that participated. We truly believe that face to face events like Beauty Expo Australia are the ultimate platform for connection and celebration of this amazing industry and we are humbled by the on-going support and positivity in joining us as we celebrated, elevated and reconnected the Beauty industry once again,” added Vidale.

Hundreds of exhibitors have expressed their gratification over the resounding results mere days after the event, and have praised the bigger picture outcomes every Beauty Expo strives for.

“It was such a pleasure to collaborate and connect with the industry’s finest at this year’s Beauty Expo,” said Michelle Reeve, the Founder and Formulator of Waterlily Australasia. “The desire for personalisation, authenticity and transparency was clear from the trade show opening on day one!”

She added, “We quickly learnt that clinics, salons and spas were keen to seek out brands that reflected their own story telling, journey and philosophy. Visitors were clear on their vision and had a renewed passion to align with a brand that integrated wellness and a holistic view of health as a cohesive part of their ethos.”

The Beauty Expo also provided ample opportunity for novices and veterans alike to experience world class education. Thirty sessions led by industry leaders like Donna Marcal, Maria Thattil, and Fiona Tuck among dozens of others were available to all attendees hoping to further their businesses or pick up some advice from professionals.

“The isolation and impact on our collective health from COVID-19 has seen a renaissance in tactile rituals. There is a deep desire to work with a product range that elevates sensory touch points and underpins a wellness model that embraces the ritual of self-care. Business partnerships are becoming more personal, with an authentic alignment of values and vision. They want to work with someone who shares their story and has compelling language that reflects their principles,” said Reeve.

“It was wonderful to personally meet again and journey our guests through the collections; an interactive experience which has been really missed over the last three years,” she concluded.

Many others shared similar sentiments of glee at being able to recapture the glory of such a people-focused event.

“It was truly wonderful being back in Sydney for the Beauty Expo after three years!” exclaimed Otto Mitter, Owner and Director of Elleebana Global. “We had record sales and so much positive feedback from our Elleebana supporters — and we also won the 2022 Best Business Performance at Australian Beauty Industry Awards. An EPIC weekend to say the least and we look forward to next year!”

From new makeup launches, live collagen treatments and eyebrow lamination, the Beauty Expo brilliantly brought together all things beauty.

This year’s spotlight was set on‘Natural Beauty’ — with a special curated space dedicated to showcasing new and original Beauty Expo brands that hero all natural ingredients in their makeup and skincare products.

“As our business has really taken off through the pandemic it was a little nervewracking to be going to this year’s Australia Beauty Expo,” said Paris Goodwin, the Sales and Marketing Manager of Juliette Home + Body, a first-time exhibitor and Natural Beauty spotlight brand at the Beauty Expo.

“We had no idea how it would turn out or what to expect. But the reception we received was incredible. We had so much interest in our business, our products and our team, it made us feel like we really were in the right place to meet other amazing beauty businesses.”

Goodwin raved about the excellent networking the event allowed budding brands to partake in.

“Because we focus on helping other businesses create their own in-house products, as well as stock the Juliette Home + Body range, we had many fantastic conversations with other beauty professionals. The feedback about our range and our services made us feel like we really are on the right track with where we are going, and it was great to hear so much positive feedback,” she said.

“It was a really great first look of what our industry is like without a pandemic, and we really feel like it gave us a great space to meet so many people and businesses all under the same roof. We’re already looking forward to coming again next year!”

Other brands part of the Natural Beauty exhibit include Waterlily Australasia, Indira Organics, Fedua, Niksee, and Natural Beauty Training.

Attendees were particularly raving about the Expo’s business couch attribute which offered complimentary one-on-one consultations with industry experts and specialists in salon management, sales and marketing, training and development.

Another exciting feature was the Emperia Mobile App that replaced the seemingly archaic notion of carrying around business cards. Every attendee was given a lanyard with a QR code that when scanned with Emperia, provided information about the person’s job title, their contact number, and their email. The COVID-safe alternative to handing out business cards also went one step further and emailed every person a list of contact details for everyone who scanned their QR code and vice versa the day after the Beauty Expo ended.

All in all, attendees and exhibitors alike regarded the expo an overwhelming success, with established and new brands alike still beaming from the events of the weekend.

“The 2022 Sydney Beauty Expo was a great experience,” said Sean Abel, Cosmetic Chemist and owner of Dermaenergy. “To come together and see our beauty community again after so much time felt wonderful. Because Dermaenergy was relaunching, it was definitely worth our effort to show our industry what we’ve created and to officially make our new splash.”

He added, “My highlight of the show was seeing clients I hadn’t seen in a very long time - and finally putting a face to the name of some new clients or some recent leads like – Isabella and Tunde. As I write this, we’re still on a high from the feedback we received from our new look and overall we are thrilled that we partook.”