7 Tips for Maximizing Your ROI from Salon & Spa Business Events

The beauty industry has  plenty of events and conferences  for business owners to attend. If you run a spa or salon, you can turn to these events to teach you how to build your client base and your revenue. Explore the possibilities of conferences and how you can maximize your return on investment (ROI). 

Why Beauty Industry Events Are Important

There are many reasons why you should attend a beauty industry conference, including: 

• Connection: A beauty industry conference is the easiest way to connect with others in the business, from other salon & spa owners to suppliers, vendors, and leaders in the space. 

• Learning: Learn from some of the best in the industry about best practices for client retention, growing revenue, and applying technology to your workflow. 

• Promotion: Get a chance to share your business with others and establish your place in the industry. 

• Growth: Find the approaches that drive growth for your salon & spa, and see the results of your conference attendance. 

You typically have to pay to access industry events and conferences, and that can be an initial deterrent for a lot of people. With the right strategy, you can maximize your return on investment for conference attendance and walk away with valuable information, contacts, and techniques in your back pocket. Get the most from your investment with these beauty industry conference tips:

1. Keep a Specific Goal in Mind

Everyone in the industry has something to learn, and conferences are the perfect place for knowledge sharing. To make the most of your attendance, assess what problem you’re hoping to solve, so you can seek out the right guidance and information when you’re there. 

Maybe you’ve just opened a second location and need to learn  how to manage multiple locations  effectively. Or, you might have trouble with client retention and need better methods for  creating more personalized experiences  and building loyalty. If you don’t have a glaring problem to solve at your salon or spa, your business travel justification may simply be networking.  

Connecting with others in the industry can teach you a lot about the business, and while you might not have a problem to solve, you can find ways to improve the way you run things that may not have been obvious to you before. 

2. Come Prepared to Represent Your Business

Whether you’re setting up a booth at a conference or simply an attendee, you’ll be representing your business—make sure you’re ready to do so. Appropriately representing your spa or salon often involves talking about your services and experiences knowledgeably. You’ll also want to look professional, opting for business casual at a minimum.  

If it’s your first time attending one of these events, you might be curious about what to bring to a beauty industry conference. It’s always best practice to have business cards to share during your time at the conference, but you can also bring brochures, fliers, and other materials that highlight your business.  

For those running a booth at the event, you might also consider fun giveaways like stickers, pens, or other merchandise to attract more people to your station.  

3. Attend Keynote Talks

Keynote speakers are one of the biggest selling points for a beauty industry conference. You can learn from industry leaders about a range of beauty topics, from salon management software options to best practices for building client loyalty.  

Industry events are the perfect opportunity to dive deeper into topics from the experts who know best. 

When it comes to making the most of the money spent on attending a conference, keynote talks can offer ROI in terms of education. While you don’t have to attend every talk, you can find the ones that speak to your goals or have different team members attend specific presentations to maximize your conference attendance. 

4. Take Notes on Trends, Styles & Products

One of the biggest benefits of conference attendance in the beauty and wellness industry is the exposure to trends.  

During your time at a conference, you’ll learn about upcoming products, the latest beauty techniques, and emerging styles in the beauty world. Record your findings! Is there a product you’re really excited to try that aligns well with your client base? Note release date, brand, where to find it, and so on. Is there a technique you’re curious to learn more about? Attend related keynotes and ask plenty of questions. 

When you return from the conference, you can focus on implementing your findings, whether it’s  stocking your inventory  with a new product or developing a new service based on an emerging technique in the industry. 

5. Start Conversations

Conferences connect you to people in the industry from all over, making them a gold mine for networking and learning. Take time to strike up conversations with people who have achieved your larger goals or done something unique with their business.  

For instance, you might have the goal to expand to multiple locations. Find someone who runs a multi-location salon and learn how they did it. Get insider tips on when it’s a good time to expand and how to confront challenges as you do so. These conversations can lead to valuable contacts and friends in the business, so don’t hesitate to get chatting.  

6. Follow Up with New Contacts 

When the conference ends, make a point to follow up with all the people you’ve met on social media. Go the extra mile and send them a message to let them know you enjoyed your conversation and look forward to following their salon’s progress. Taking time to follow up makes you more memorable and solidifies your networking efforts from the conference. 

These new contacts can also be valuable resources in the industry, like product suppliers or software representatives. Starting a professional relationship with people in these roles can help you negotiate more desirable terms with new vendors. 

7. Create Content Based on What You Learned

Industry events give you the chance to share what you learn with your social media following. Finding out about a new product that you plan to add to your inventory? Highlight it on your Instagram stories to get your clients excited. Uncover a new trend or technique? Create a post about a new service that you plan to introduce once you’ve ironed out the details. 

Get Ready for Your Next Beauty Industry Conference

With all the great information you can take from a beauty conference, it’s time to get ready for what’s next.  Meevo LIVE!  is a great opportunity to take your business to the next level. You’ll learn more about our platform and explore best practices for streamlining operations, retaining clients, and increasing revenue through top-tier marketing and other means. It’s always an amazing time full of knowledge & fun with our clients! Not a Meevo client yet? See what you’re missing at the banner below.