Kao Salon Division Host THE WEEKENDER 2024

Kao Salon Division hosted THE WEEKENDER on Sunday and Monday March 17 and 18, inviting 300 hair salon owners and hairdressers to network and experience inspiring education at the QT Gold Coast. The event showcased artistry from local and international hairdressers, presented keynote speakers and debuted launches from Goldwell, Kerasilk, KMS and Oribe.

The opening presentation unveiled a collection by Goldwell ambassador Alannah Jade of Ella&Jade to celebrate the 50^th anniversary of historic colour range Goldwell Topchic, which is used by more than 100,000 salons globally. Other speakers opening the event included award winning hairdresser and educator, Dario Cotroneo, who was the MC of the event and welcomed Rita Marcon, GM Kao Salon Division ANZ, on stage to kick off the proceedings.

“Ignite your passion for creativity, elevate your talents with knowledge and skills and transform how you show up tomorrow and onwards,” she said.

The first keynote speaker was Sarah Grynberg, a mindset coach to professional athletes, senior executives and businesses, as well as a professional writer and podcast host. Sarah has interviewed such figures as Matthew McConaughey, Geena Davis, Esther Perel, John Howard, Jada Pinkett Smith, Deepak Chopra and more, and shared her instructions and insight into cultivating a powerful mindset.

A myriad of on-stage styles were then presented by Kerasilk ambassadors, Amanda Magistro from Salon Alm, Chris Hunter from Willomina and Kirby Lago of Pélo by Lago, as well as Adam Dyer for Oribe. That evening, THE WEEKENDER Celebration at Surfers Pavilion allowed delegates to dance and connect.

The following day spotlighted keynote speaker and author Erika Cramer, also known as ‘the Queen of Confidence’, who explained the five Cs of confidence. Utilising her hairdressing experience, Erika connected to salon life and discussed concepts of moving from being self-focused to service-focused, listening and communicating effectively and more. KMS also welcomed Pip Edwards, Co-Founder of P.E Nation, as interviewed by Ali Holmes of Wildlife SOGO. She discussed the editorial partnership between the brands and talked about her creative inspiration, social media tips and beyond.

Ali and Piet Pantano then showed off cutting tips and techniques on live models in a retro 90s style. Delegates were also given a sneak peak of the new KMS products launching later in the year using upcycled ingredients and presenting greater sustainability than ever in an interactive brand activation.

The final keynote speaker of #THEWEEKENDER2024 was professional surfer and founder of The Good Human Factory, Cooper Chapman, was the final keynote speaker, discussing mental health and teaching tools and daily habits for wellness. Ethan King, also known as ‘The Curl King’, from Texas and colourist Kylie Bussing from Boston presented the IT Girl collection to round out the proceedings.