Feature
I
n an industry which has been defined
by publishers discovering the joys of
live events, it’s somewhat refreshing to
learn that Professional Beauty’s story is
actually the reverse.
“We did it the other way around,”
managing director Mark Moloney tells
EN. “Our competitors wouldn’t let us
advertise, so we launched a magazine.
“For us it’s all about content – face-to-
face content at the show, print content,
online content, social media content.
We conduct focus groups and allow the
industry to come together, not just at our
shows but also outside so that they can
discuss issues. We believe we are central
to bringing the industry together.
That industry is the beauty
professional industry. And with events in
Manchester, Ireland and London (30,000
audited visitors), plus international
editions in India, South Africa and Dubai,
it’s an industry that clearly values an
exhibition.
“There’s a growing trend of people
working freelance and working from
home,” says Moloney. “As an individual
you can go to a salon or spa or you can get
the treatment in your home, and that’s a
growing phenomenon. Those people tend
to value the show even more, because
they can be isolated, and it brings people
together.”
If the show has a ‘typical’ visitor, it
would be a beauty salon owner or hair
salon owner, says Moloney.
“They’re typically women, and the
salons vary from maybe three people to
20, so they’re small business owners,” he
explains.
The show has a small but growing
area dedicated to spa owners, who are
attracted by the wide range of content on
offer, varying from business workshops
covering retail and social media to an
advanced treatments programme and
sessions on nails and skincare.
After a decades-long stint at
Manchester Central Professional Beauty
is moving venue to EventCity to cater
to its higher-end visitors who enjoy the
convenience of driving straight off the
motorway.
The move has also enabled the show
to successfully. avoid clashing with the
October half-term.
“Childcare is an issue at half-term,”
explains Moloney. “Also, a lot of our
audience is wealthy business owners and
a fair proportion might consider a mini-
break in October.”
The conversation turns to event
technology, and specifically the value, or
otherwise, of having an event app.
“I’m in a debate with my marketing
team about the app,” Moloney muses.
“We launched the app a few years ago
and I think we had about 4,000 people
registered on it. I need to have an update
as to what the usage was on our last show.
“But, having just expressed scepticism
there, we want to develop it so that it has
some genuine use that people can’t just
get on the website.”
Moloney is less conflicted when it
comes to the newly launched bespoke
matchmaking service, which was
specially developed for Professional
Beauty.
“We’ve invested in quite a lot of tweaks
and improvements to that, to take the
randomness out of exhibiting,” he tells
EN. “We get thousands of people to the
event but what we want to do is deliver a
certain amount of appointments to our
key exhibitors to guarantee an element of
their success.
“We still have some exhibitors who
think, ‘It’s not my job to get people to the
show’, and I respond by saying, ‘you’re
right, but it is your job to get them to your
stand’. Those exhibitors who do engage
properly have a much better show.”
The long-term future for the show
brand looks bright, with the only blip
being the recruitment deficit affecting
the professional beauty industry. Less
and less students and young people are
entering the professional, which Moloney
attributes in part to schools being
incentivised to keep as many pupils as
possible until sixth form.
The show does what it can to bring in
as many students as possible, subsidising
coach travel to make sure they make
the trip. Not only is it a great way to
encourage the next generation of beauty
industry professionals but, handily,
students are buyers too. EN
The beauty people
Later this year, Professional Beauty North will be
coming to EventCity for the first time. EN meets up with
MD Mark Moloney to learn more about the brand and
the show’s evolution
June — 41