Salon Service Group presents Grand Hair Event

Hundreds of hair stylists and salon owners descended on Branson March 17 and 18 for The Grand Hair Event at the Radisson.

The two-day event was coordinated by Salon Service Group, a Springfield-based pro-ducts distribution and sales firm for Paul Mitchell, Goldwell Professional Haircare and KMS hair products.

There were 368 attendees March 17 and 181 March 18, said Jason Vincent, marketing director for SSG.

Beyond the hair professionals present, there were 90 models who received hair cuts and styles from the various stylists associated with the three companies represented.

"We always try our best to use amateur local models first," Vincent said. Most of the models were recruited from Spring-field colleges and beauty shops, he added.

They appreciate the "chance to get a great hairstyle done by a top artist that normally would charge them hundreds, if not thousands, to have the same thing done," Vincent said.

Vincent said SSG handles distribution for the three companies in Missouri, Kansas, Okla-homa, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee, and it considered the event a success.

"This is our big show where we try to bring everybody in from our region to one place."

He estimated SSG's total cost would be between $45,000 and $50,000, including "artists' fees and facility and catering, mostly."

The influx of local and out-of-state hair professionals was apparent to the staff at the Radisson. All the hotel's meeting space was taken up for the event.

"They had a crowd. I think even more than they thought they were going to have," said Karen Sutton, group sales manager for the hotel.

Pierre Goneau, technical education manager for Goldwell, said the event "is really marketing, if you will, to the stylist and salon owner, to bring them up to date as to the new products, new techniques, new ideas and so forth."

It's a chance for shop owners and stylists to "kick the tires" of a wide variety of products without any sales pressure, Goneau said. If they want to get additional information, they can "invite that manufacturer into the salon for a more detailed description and/or seminar to see what it is they're interested in," he added.

Linda Yodice, an artistic director for Paul Mitchell and one of the platform artists for the show, said, "We share at these events that through product use that your work can become stronger, you can generate more revenue (and) be a better professional by partnering with hair care products."

Yodice sees the event as similar to "a symposium or a convention for any profession." Through these shows, company representatives exchange ideas with the local distributor, she said.

That knowledge "then can get delivered in a much more specific way" through localized, hands-on classes, where stylists participate in a more active role, she added.

Kristi Marshall, field activities planner for KMS, said shows like the Grand Hair Event are not as effective for her company because of the nature of its product line. "We're a prescription line," she said.