REGIONAL GROWTH SUMMITS

GROWTH Gains

From business strategy and team culture to profitability and innovation, the Regional Growth Summits have been delivering practical insight and meaningful industry connection for salon and clinic professionals across the UK

Taking place in April and May, at The Briggait in Glasgow and Eastside Rooms in Birmingham respectively, the Hairdressers Journal International and Professional Beauty Regional Growth Summits brought together salon and clinic founders, owners and managers for insight, education and connection focused on driving business growth. Through expert-led roundtables, panel discussions and networking opportunities, the events explored the latest trends, challenges and commercial opportunities shaping the professional hair and beauty industry in 2026.

Industry Response

Across Glasgow and Birmingham, the Regional Growth Summits sparked honest conversations, practical learning and meaningful industry connection. Attendees, speakers and exhibitors alike praised the intimate format of the events, highlighting the value of sharing experiences, building relationships and exchanging actionable ideas to support long-term business growth.

JADE HAYTER, OWNER OF THE 145 COLLECTIVE AND FOUNDER OF JADE HAYTER, SAID:

“THE REGIONAL GROWTH SUMMIT IN GLASGOW WAS GREAT. THE PANELS WERE REALLY INFORMATIVE, FEATURING A GOOD MIX OF SPEAKERS COVERING DIFFERENT ASPECTS AND OPINIONS. HAVING INFORMATION LIKE THIS IN A LAID-BACK SETTING IS IMPERATIVE FOR BUSINESS GROWTH.”

AMI COUTTS, COMPANY DIRECTOR AT HALO HAIR DESIGN, SAID:

“IT WAS SO REFRESHING TO BE SURROUNDED BY POSITIVE, LIKE-MINDED SALON OWNERS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS WHO ARE COMMITTED TO EVOLVING THEIR BUSINESSES FOR THE BENEFIT OF THEMSELVES AND THEIR TEAMS, WHILE STILL KEEPING THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE AT THE HEART OF WHAT THEY DO. I FEEL EVENTS LIKE THIS ARE SO IMPORTANT IN A CONSTANTLY EVOLVING AND OFTEN CHALLENGING BUSINESS LANDSCAPE, WHERE THINGS CAN FEEL UNCERTAIN OR DIFFICULT AT TIMES. HAVING OPPORTUNITIES TO COME TOGETHER, SHARE EXPERIENCES AND SUPPORT ONE ANOTHER IN PUSHING THROUGH THOSE CHALLENGES TOWARDS LONG-TERM SUCCESS IS INCREDIBLY VALUABLE. I REALLY ENJOYED BEING PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY OWN EXPERIENCES AND INSIGHTS DURING THE PANEL.”

SAMMY MACDONALD, MULTI-BUSINESS OWNER, COACH AND SESSION NAIL TECH, REFLECTED, SAID:

“THERE’S NOT A LOT IN SCOTLAND FOR BUSINESS OWNERS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS TO COME TOGETHER, SO THIS HAS BEEN A GREAT OPPORTUNITY. IT’S ALSO A MUCH MORE INTIMATE SETTING THAN SOME EVENTS, WHICH MAKES IT GREAT FOR NETWORKING AND HAVING MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS YOU CAN REALLY TAKE VALUE FROM.”

Recipe for Success

From empowering teams and creating supportive workplace cultures to understanding profitability through KPIs and utilisation, the panel discussions delivered a wealth of practical insight for salon owners. Speakers shared candid advice on leadership, growth and sustainability, offering visitors real-world strategies they could take back and implement in their own businesses.

Check out some of the key takeaways and top tips from the panels…

ON WHAT EMPOWERMENT LOOKS LIKE FOR HIS TEAM, WIL FLEESON, DIRECTOR OF RAINBOW ROOM BUCHANAN STREET, FOUNDER OF TRICHOLOGY SCOTLAND AND CO-FOUNDER OF ROOT CAUSE CLINICAL, SAID:

“INCLUSIVENESS AND AUTONOMY ARE KEY, AND THAT ETHOS HAS WORKED WELL FOR US. OUR TEAM FEEL INVOLVED IN DECISION-MAKING, BOTH AS A SALON AND AS A GROUP, AND WE ALSO GIVE THEM MORE CONTROL OVER THEIR WORKING HOURS, GOALS AND DEVELOPMENT PLANS.”

ON THE KPI HE TRACKS MOST CLOSELY, BRIAN MCCALLUM, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF ROAR HAIR & BEAUTY, ADDED:

“FOR ME, IT’S THE REBOOKING RATE. IF THAT DROPS, IT CAN SIGNAL ISSUES WITH THE CLIENT EXPERIENCE OR FOLLOW-UP. AS REBOOKING HELPS FUTURE-PROOF YOUR BUSINESS, IT’S REALLY IMPORTANT.”

ON LESSONS LEARNED, SHEONA WILL, OWNER OF BLOOM GROUP SALONS, SHARED:

“ONE OF THE BIGGEST MISTAKES I MADE WAS COMPARING MY PRICING TO NEARBY SALONS. THAT’S THE WRONG WAY TO JUDGE IT BECAUSE EVERYONE’S COSTS ARE DIFFERENT. YOU NEED TO BASE YOUR PRICING ON YOUR OWN NUMBERS. I WORK WITH A SERVICE PRICE PER MINUTE TO ENSURE COSTS ARE COVERED. THERE HAS TO BE A BALANCE WITH THE MARKETPLACE, WHICH WE MANAGE THROUGH PRICING LEVELS. THE LOWER LEVELS MIGHT NOT ALWAYS MEET THAT TARGET, BUT THE HIGHER LEVELS DO – AND THAT BALANCE IS SOMETHING I’VE LEARNED OVER THE YEARS.”