What a weekend! Highlights from Professional Beauty London 2025 ✨

What a weekend! Highlights from Professional Beauty London 2025 ✨

Last weekend the halls of ExCeL London were alive with energy, innovation, and inspiration — and it was a reminder of just how fast the worlds of hair, nails, beauty and aesthetics are evolving. Over 18,600 beauty professionals gathered for Professional Beauty London 2025 (across salons, spas, clinics, education and more) to see what’s next. (Professional Beauty)

Here are some standout moments and trends that caught our attention — and some thoughts on how they tie in to protecting your business.

1. Brand launches, returns & innovation

• Skin Rocks Pro made their debut at the show — a perfect example of how emerging names are using live events to make their mark.
• MAC Cosmetics showed up for the very first time, which signals their renewed commitment to the UK professional market.
• HD Brows made a high‑profile return, reminding us that legacy brands still have strong pull when done right.
• In the nails sector, exhibitors like The Gel Bottle and Glitterbels ran live demos and released fresh formulations (for example, updated pastel acrylics, builder gels, and even vegan / HEMA‑free gel polishes).

These product reveals are exciting — but also worth noting from a risk perspective: when you're introducing new treatments or formulations, safety, training, and quality control are more critical than ever.

2. Education, demos & live stages

A big part of the draw was the packed programme of talks, demonstrations, and workshops:

• PB Live Lounge made its debut as a more conversational, interview‑style stage where industry leaders, influencers, and founders spoke candidly about trends and challenges.
• Other stages included Trends & Techniques, Skin & Advanced Treatments, and more. Speakers ranged from Caroline Hirons and The Skin Priest to business experts like Hellen Ward.
• Workshops were run by hands‑on brands: Gelish, Glitterbels, Skin Philosophy Training, and more.

For salon & clinic owners, these moments are gold: they help you stay ahead, avoid mistakes, and bring new treatments to clients with confidence. But every new technique also carries risk — underscoring the value of liability cover, staff training, and robust client consent.

3. Competitions, recognition & glitz

One of the show’s thrilling elements is always the competitive side of things:

• Nail, makeup — and for the first time ever — facial competitions were showcased, giving professionals and students a stage to prove their skills.
• On Sunday evening, winners of the Professional Beauty Awards and World Spa & Wellness Awards were announced in a black‑tie ceremony at The Brewery in London.

4. Networking, trends & community energy

One of the often‑underestimated advantages of attending a show like this is the human connection:

• Many attendees said they came to network, reconnect with suppliers and peers, and gain insight into what other salons and technicians are doing.
• Exhibitors commented on the buzz: Kristen Fox of Nouveau HD Beauty said they felt “blown away” by the response and that in‑person connection still beats digital for building trust.
• Josh Yardley of The Smart Group said it was “a fantastic couple of days” and that they met both existing and new customers.

Beyond the glamour and the launches, that sense of community is what helps the industry move forward — sharing insights, pitfalls, and opportunities.

5. What’s changing: dates, strategy, and what to watch

A few shifts emerging from this year’s show:

• For 2026, Professional Beauty London is moving from spring to autumn, and it will be co‑located with Salon International at ExCeL London.
• The organizers hinted at more business support, more training, and a push to stay relevant to practitioners.
• The show also spotlighted gaps: although salon owners increased, the number of students and colleges declined — a trend the industry might want to address to ensure the pipeline of future talent.

These shifts matter: as the event changes, how you plan your product launches, training schedule, and risk management may need to evolve too.

Why this matters for insurance, risk & liability

You might be thinking, “This is all exciting — but what does it have to do with liability and insurance?” Quite a lot, actually:

• New treatments often bring unknowns. When you adopt a new device or formula, testing, staff certification, client assessment, and proper documentation are vital.
• Live demos & competitions mean working under pressure. Mistakes or unanticipated reactions are possible — strong liability policies help protect you, your staff, and your reputation.
• Higher footfall & new clients increase exposure. More business, more clients, more treatments mean greater financial stakes and more risk.
• Contractual relationships with exhibitors, brands, and suppliers can bring additional liability responsibilities (e.g. if you demo their product).
• Client expectations rise when everyone sees what’s cutting edge. If clients expect “the same as the fair,” but something goes wrong, that risk of claims can increase.

In short: being proactive about insurance, client consent forms, staff training, and safety protocols isn’t just prudent — it’s essential for staying resilient in a fast‑changing field.

A few takeaways for salons, beauty techs & nail professionals

• Think carefully before bringing new tech into your service list: always pilot safely, train thoroughly, document fully.
• Use events like Professional Beauty to stay ahead — but don’t rush into things just because they look exciting.
• Keep your liability cover up to date, and make sure it matches your risks.
• Capture client feedback and incident logs — being able to show you followed best practices helps with claims or disputes.
• Stay plugged into the trends — shows like this help you see where the industry’s headed.

15/10/2025