SALON INTERNATIONAL
BUSINESS LIVE
THE CONVERSATIONS ON THE BUSINESS LIVE STAGE WERE FILLED WITH HOT TOPICS SUCH AS RECRUITMENT, SELF-EMPLOYMENT AND AI, AS WELL AS IN-DEPTH DEBATES ON THE STATE OF THE INDUSTRY
THANK YOU TO OUR HOST CHRIS MOODY
The Business Live Stage delivered an agenda designed to push salons and entrepreneurs to think bigger. From recruitment to loyalty programmes and legislation, speakers tackled the challenges of running a modern salon.
Kicking off on Saturday, the stage set the tone early. After the opening NHBF session that reasserted the respect and value of the hair business (and confronted myths about routine, pricing and professionalism), we moved into Next-Gen Recruitment, where Adam Edwards, Holly Fairley, Tilly Capel and Matt Hide debated what the new generation cares about and how salons can position themselves as workplaces of choice. Then came Want to Open Your Own Salon? Here’s What You Need to Know FIRST with Amanda Flory and Samantha Cusick - a no-nonsense look at differentiation through benefits, branding, community and smart pricing. The emphasis: being thoughtful with your foundation before scaling.
Saturday wrapped with How to Build a Killer Loyalty Programme, sponsored by Fresha with Phoebe Rowley, Haylee Benton, Ricky Walters, Darren Carr and Josh Lamonaca. Attendees came away with fresh ideas on referral systems, tiered rewards, and how to turn casual clients into lifelong advocates.
On Sunday, Your Profitable Price List: How to Charge What You’re Worth with Alan Austin-Smith, Benjamin Shipman, Michael van Clarke and Billy Ryan led participants through real cost breakdowns, profit targets and the psychology of pricing. The panel behind Digital Salon Success tackled the fine balance between aspirational content and showing the working, messy, creative reality. We heard wise words of advice from Paul Phillips, Stephen Gunnip, Rochelle Raye Anthony and Rob Wood.
Later, Using AI to Transform Your Marketing and Grow Your Business gave the crowd a glimpse at cutting-edge tech in salons, led by Kate Woods. Then Employment Law – What You Need to Know BEFORE 2026 with Carolyn Sweeney and Lorenzo Colangelo offered a wakeup call for salon owners to shore up their contracts, working hours and compliance ahead of regulatory changes.
The stage then turned to people in our session From High Staff Turnover to High Loyalty: Retaining your Dream Team with Carolyn Sweeney, Jamie Brooks, Andrew Jose and Christel Barron-Hough focusing on culture-building, incentive programmes and career pathways.
Monday began with Tech That Pays You Back where Jason Downes, Gavin Hoare and Noel Halligan presented a live comparison of systems promising better retention, fewer no-shows and leaner operations.
The spotlight turned to textured hair with From Consultation to Conversion: Creating Textured Hair Services That Sell Themselves and Create Client Loyalty. Jessica Parrish, Scott Cooper, Matt Surplice and Chris Grimley explored how to package treatments and services around texture in ways that feel premium but accessible.
In The 2025 Hair Client: What They Value Now (and How to Deliver It) Sheona Wills, Siobhan Jones, Peter Cross and Andrew Hansford outlined shifts in client expectations.
Finally, the HJ Business Academy session led by mentor Sean Hanna closed the event. Some of our firstever Business Academy mentees James Foster, Alex Burt and Emily Huggett, walked through their journeys and business plans, sharing how the academy has shaped their ambitions.