31 May 2016
Hair Expo Australia – the largest hairdressing event in the Southern
Hemisphere – in Melbourne for the first time 11-13 June 2016
Hair Expo Australia – which annually attracts over 10,000 participants from the Australian and
New Zealand hairdressing industries - is being held in Melbourne for the first time this year.
After 30 years of being staged initially in Brisbane and more recently in Sydney, the event will
be hosted at the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre between 11 and 13 June.
“This world class, award-winning venue change will enhance the event as it enables us to
stage everything under one roof and right in the heart of Melbourne’s thriving Southbank area,”
said Julia Erben, Event Director, Reed Exhibitions. “Our focus for 2016 is on delivering a truly
inspirational line-up for the Australian and New Zealand hairdressing industry, whilst providing
a ‘festival-like atmosphere’ with a unique Melbourne flavour.”
The highlight of the weekend’s festivities will be the announcement of the 31 st Australian
Hairdresser of the Year – the ultimate accolade for any aspiring hairdresser. And a review of
recipients of the previous 30 awards makes a strong case for the Expo to be held in
Melbourne.
Given there have been repeat winners, hairdressing’s ultimate crown has been awarded to 14
individual hairdressers over that 30 year period – six from Victoria, six from NSW, five from
Queensland and one from WA. So while the spread across our eastern seaboard states is
fairly even, this could be the year that Victoria pulls ahead. That challenge falls to local
hairdresser, Frank Apostolopoulos from Biba in Fitzroy, who is a finalist once again this year,
having won on two previous occasions.
The trend is definitely in Victoria’s favour - in the first decade of the award (1986-1995),
Queensland hairdressers dominated, taking out the prize five times; in the second decade,
NSW hairdressers took pole position winning eight times; while in the most recent decade
(2006-2015) Victorian hairdressers came out on top, winning five years out of ten.
Hair Expo celebrates one of Australia’s most significant industries. With an annual revenue of
$4.2bn and currently enjoying annual growth of 2.4%, there are 22,409 hair and beauty
businesses in Australia – 24.4% of which are located in Victoria. Expansion over the past five
years is a result of a rise in discretionary income and population, a significant growth in
demand for men’s hairdressing and barbering and greater demand for innovative beauty
services such as laser hair removal and microdermabrasion, This growth is forecast to
continue at around 1.6% over the five years through to 2020-21 due to baby boomers seeking
to slow the ageing process as well as higher grooming standards for men. The net result will
be an industry worth around $4.5bn.*
Reflecting the combination of intense training, glamour and hard work which characterizes the
industry, Hair Expo is a unique mixture of education, gala evening events and a vibrant trade
expo.
Guest stars at the event include
 US hair phenomenon, stylist and television personality Tabatha Coffey
 entertainment guru and MC extraordinaire Richard Reid
 international haircolouring sensation, Guy Tang, who has 1.4m followers on Instagram
 The Sasson International Creative Team from London including Creative Director ,
Mark Hayes
 Gerard Scarpaci, founder of www.hairbrained.pro - the world’s largest online education
community of hairdressers – currently with 188,000 followers on instagram and
100,000+ on Facebook
To boost public understanding of professional hairstyling skills and products, and to celebrate
hairdressing as an exceptional career choice, Hair Expo this year is opening its doors to hair
and beauty-obsessed consumers on Monday 13 June.
On that day, the expo floor will feature a dedicated stage, the StyleLab, to showcase
Australia’s most award winning hairdressers who , between them, have won more than a
dozen Hairdresser of the Year titles. This elite group, including local heroes, Caterina Di Biase
and Joey Scandizzo, alongside Jayne Wild and Sharon Blain, will be interviewed by celebrity
MCs, Tabatha Coffey and Richard Reid to share their personal journeys and best kept secrets
with the audience, supporting the industry’s quest to attract creative talent.
Entry tickets are available at $49 on Monday 13 June for a day full of demonstrations, runway
shows and an expo crammed with the latest and greatest in hairdressing and styling.
A plethora of the industry’s leading brands will present their professional product innovations at
the event, including, Schwarzkopf Professional, Wella Professionals, Goldwell, , Paul Mitchell,
American Crew, BaByliss, Olaplex, and Napoleon Perdis
“The response has been phenomenal with the move to Melbourne obviously reinvigorating
interest. Hundreds of brands confirmed their participation months out from the event, so the
business benefits for those attending through education and networking opportunities will be
immeasurable,” said Erben.
Hair Expo Australia will provide non-stop excitement with no time to sleep as the Welcome
Party – Festival Opening starts the celebration on the Saturday night of June 11. This is
followed by the GenNext Gala event on Sunday June 12, that will once again showcase the
industry’s best up-and-coming talent. The Expo will then culminate in the crowning of the
cream of the hairdressing industry at the Schwarzkopf Professional Hair Expo Awards on
Monday, June 13.
- ENDS * Ibis World Industry Report S9511 – Hairdressing and Beauty Services in Australia
December 2015
Notes to Editors:
Hair Expo Australia: Exhibition, Education, Galas
Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend, 11-13 June 2016
Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre
www.hairexpoaustralia.com / www.hairexpoawards.com.au /
www.facebook.com/hairexpoaustralia / www.twitter.com/hair_expo
www.youtube.com/HairExpoAustralia / www.pinterest.com/hairexpoaus/
#HairExpoAustralia / #HairExpoAwards
For all media enquiries please contact:
Ian Thomas
E: [email protected]
M: 0402 829 555