The decline of the beauty shows.......

[bombini]

I have been reading with interest the threads on the PB Excel Show and am extremley glad I didn't go. I went last year for the first time since PB moved from Olympia to Excel and was shocked at the lack of big name exhibitors attending.

When PB was at Olympia it was MASSIVE every brand you could think of would be there, small and large companies and the show offers were fantastic. I know it was quite a while ago in my case (6 years when I was still at college) but it literally was jam packed with exhibitors.

So what happened ? Is it because there are now loads of other little beauty shows dotted around the country or did the brands just end up giving out stacks of leaflets and samples and not actually getting any business from it ? Not to mention the high cost of exhibiting, plus all the other costs that go with it.

I have been to the beauty show at the nec which is always small but when I looked at the exhibitor list for this year it looks pretty dismal, is it really worth the £10 to park plus petrol etc, I think not.

So whats happened why don't big companies exhibit anymore yet loads of little pointless stands selling handbags get in ?!

 

[loubylou]

I'm glad i gave it a miss too,
and to top it all off i received my ticket this tuesday, which is no good when the show has been and gone

 

[Ruth Mills]

I'm glad i gave it a miss too,
and to top it all off i received my ticket this tuesday, which is no good when the show has been and gone

What use is that unless you are friends with Doctor Who???

 

[loubylou]

pmsl, exactly Ruth

 

[Ruth Mills]

pmsl, exactly Ruth

Could be a new Doctor Who adventure... Doctor Who travels back in time to East London, a few days ago, to find that the Cybermen have been killing off the owners of professional beauty stands, and the Daleks have been replacing them with genetically modified mutants selling cheap imported handbags and Rio products.

 

[shellbert]

Well I was talking to my Guinot rep last week and she said that they wouldnt be doin anymore after Excel because they dont seem to take any new accounts from beauty shows. They're puttin all the extra money into advertising. Maybe other companies are thinkin the same?

 

[sknight]

Could be a new Doctor Who adventure... Doctor Who travels back in time to East London, a few days ago, to find that the Cybermen have been killing off the owners of professional beauty stands, and the Daleks have been replacing them with genetically modified mutants selling cheap imported handbags and Rio products.

:lol::lol::lol:

 

[bombini]

I'm glad i gave it a miss too,
and to top it all off i received my ticket this tuesday, which is no good when the show has been and gone

I only received mine on the Saturday and it wasn't even for me ! It was addressed to someone called Cheryl !! Luckily I hadn't paid for mine and I can't even remember applying for it tbh.

Could be a new Doctor Who adventure... Doctor Who travels back in time to East London, a few days ago, to find that the Cybermen have been killing off the owners of professional beauty stands, and the Daleks have been replacing them with genetically modified mutants selling cheap imported handbags and Rio products.

:green: You should send that in as a script :lol:

Well I was talking to my Guinot rep last week and she said that they wouldnt be doin anymore after Excel because they dont seem to take any new accounts from beauty shows. They're puttin all the extra money into advertising. Maybe other companies are thinkin the same?

I did wonder if this might be the reason the big skincare companies don't attend anymore as I expect they get a hell of a lot of request for samples, info packs but not much new business from it. Which is a shame really as there is nothing like having a play with the products rather than being sent a small information pack with a measly selection of samples.

 

[cabinkel]

I agree that they have gone down hill a bit, but i would be gutted if they stopped altogether. I always save for the shows and go with the intention of finding new treatments/products, and to ask millions of questions, that you dont get in info packs that companies send out. I did come home with a couple of new treatment lines, so for me it was successful. However, I did miss a few of the suppliers that i had hoped would be there.
I do think that the decline in good leads for the companies was prob due to the fact that any tom, di** or harry was allowed in previously. Those people that were just going coz its a day out, lol. They browse, but have no intention of opening an accout with xyz. Hopefully, if proff beauty can really sort out the admission rules, this should get "quality" shoppers in for the companies. Then maybe the shows will be reborn, lol:lol:

 

[fozzyo]

On the tickets not arriving issue - that isn't ever a problem as you just print out your ticket when you get there having already had one allocated to you.

So is there a future in Beauty shows? Yes! But the really big question is what do you want to get from them? For me an ideal beauty show should consist of the following:

1) A large selection of suppliers from small independents to the large brands, with as many of the large brands there as possible.

2) Trade only access - if that means we need to provide insurance / training certificate / professional body membership / trade account then lets do it!

3) No on-stand retailing!! If you want to buy stuff you can, but it is then delivered to you in the normal way. This will cut out so many of the non-pro's and also the rubbish what are you doing here stands. A stand just selling all Tigi products at a fiver each?

4) More training opportunities - get more space for training workshops that last half a day rather then 45mins.

5) Focus on some quality masterclasses - there has been some really positive responses to these this time. For me I go to a show to learn, more then I do to buy.

6) Enforce a strictly 16+ policy. If you have a kid then unfortunately you'll have to make arrangements just like you do when you go to work. This is a trade show, I can see no justification for allowing them.

7) Get feedback from exhibitors - what do they want? Get feedback from visitors - what do they want? And tell us what we are telling you and what you are doing about it.

Mat

 

[sian1979]

On the tickets not arriving issue - that isn't ever a problem as you just print out your ticket when you get there having already had one allocated to you.

So is there a future in Beauty shows? Yes! But the really big question is what do you want to get from them? For me an ideal beauty show should consist of the following:

1) A large selection of suppliers from small independents to the large brands, with as many of the large brands there as possible.

2) Trade only access - if that means we need to provide insurance / training certificate / professional body membership / trade account then lets do it!

3) No on-stand retailing!! If you want to buy stuff you can, but it is then delivered to you in the normal way. This will cut out so many of the non-pro's and also the rubbish what are you doing here stands. A stand just selling all Tigi products at a fiver each?

4) More training opportunities - get more space for training workshops that last half a day rather then 45mins.

5) Focus on some quality masterclasses - there has been some really positive responses to these this time. For me I go to a show to learn, more then I do to buy.

6) Enforce a strictly 16+ policy. If you have a kid then unfortunately you'll have to make arrangements just like you do when you go to work. This is a trade show, I can see no justification for allowing them.

7) Get feedback from exhibitors - what do they want? Get feedback from visitors - what do they want? And tell us what we are telling you and what you are doing about it.

Mat

i agree with everything you said here.
I went to excel and had a fab time.....and all i brought was a nail art brush.
I didnt go to buy anything to be honest i went for the masterclasses and to see brand members (if thats what you would want to call it..hmm not sure , lol!) face to face as its a one off oppertunity to do so. I spoke to antony buckley, sam biddle...i met amber gibbons in person for the first time and also rebecca orme...i also spoke to samantha sweet for a short time and also watched gigi's demo.....there is no way i would have have got to speak or see all these people in a day anywhere else other than a show.
I thought the masterclasses were great...especially as they were all free this year!!!