Reaching new heights

The first Professional Beauty and Hair Glasgow drew a crowd from across Scotland and beyond to share knowledge, see new trends and invest in their businesses

The beauty and hair industries came together on June 9-10, for the inaugural Professional Beauty and Hair Glasgow show at the SEC. 2,738 visitors attended the show to make connections, meet the biggest brands and suppliers, and learn from industry experts.

The event hosted brands that covered all areas of the sector, including spa, skincare, aesthetics, nails, lashes and brows. Exhibitors included Glitterbels, which hosted some live workshops, 3D Aesthetics, Gelish, Dermapen, Zemits, Phat Lash and many more.

Sharing success

Exhibitors were thrilled to see the turnout of the very first Scottish show. Antony Buckley, European director of education for Gelish, said, “I haven’t been to a show in Scotland for so long and I was really surprised with the number of people who came. It gives us a great opportunity connect with our Scottish customers to understand what they really want and need.

“It’s also important to see the education because there are always new things coming into the industry and the excitement around the show gives education a different vibe.”

Emma Willock, training manager for SQT Bio Microneedling, added: “It’s been amazing for us. We’ve had a lot more leads than we thought we would have, so it’ll be good to see what comes off the back of it.

Rick Stone, managing director of Aqua Massage, commented, “It’s been a really good show for us. The footfall has been better than we thought it was going to be. We’re really pleased with the sales and also the contacts we’ve made.”

Jennie Nippard, deputy head of education at Glitterbels, said, “For us as a brand it’s been absolutely brilliant. We love to meet and greet all our customers and show off the products.”

The show also featured three free education stages for visitors, covering Advanced Beauty, Trends and Business, and Hair and Barbering. All stages saw experts come together to host panels, demonstrate the latest techniques and share their knowledge.

Class acts

Speakers included the likes of massage therapist Hayley Snishko, celebrity makeup artist James Mac, aesthetic therapist William Foley, facialist Smita Ahluwalia and skin clinic owner Andrea Simpson.

The stages also hosted some incredible Scottish beauty professionals such as nail tech and salon owner Elise Smith, makeup artist Ann Marie Harper (AKA Glamour Gran Ann) and multi-site salon owners Kerri-Ann Angus of Peaches Wax Bars and Lilac Miller of Sleeping Beauty.

“I came to see Elise from Sky High Studio talk about how to set up a stand-out salon. The talk was really inspiring,” said Emily Waddington, a nail tech based in Scotland.

Meanwhile visitor Leanne Phillips, owner of Leanne Phillips Hair & Beauty in Hamilton, said, “It’s important to have events like this because it brings the industry together to share experience and see what the latest trends are. You can speak to people on a personal level and share more, rather than feeling like you’re talking to a machine or via email all the time – you feel heard.”

Susan Routledge and the Beauty Roundup team also travelled up to appear at PBH Glasgow. The discussions explained a range of beauty business models and gave the opportunity to network.

Professional Beauty Group’s managing director, Mark Moloney, commented on the success of the group’s first Scottish show, saying, “Being in Glasgow over the weekend reminded me of why I so like this business, meeting therapists and salon owners excited about their profession and happy to network and learn.

“It was a very smart first show with some excellent brands and great content on the stages. We now have a strong foundation to build on for the coming years and give Scottish professionals the platform for growth they deserve.”

Professional Beauty Glasgow will be back on June 1-2, 2025, at the SEC, Glasgow.

If you can’t wait a year to connect with the industry in person, come along to Professional Beauty North in Manchester on September 29-30, and Salon Beauty on October 13-14.