Questex’s International Esthetics, Cosmetics, & Spa Conference (IECSC New York) and International Beauty Show (IBS New York) made a triumphant return to the Javits Center with exciting new onsite experiences, expanded educational opportunities, and three jam-packed days of the best in spa and beauty. Over 30,000 professionals attended to walk through miles of exhibits, learn the latest industry trends and techniques from skilled estheticians and prominent artists, and acquire business-building skills to take their crafts and careers to the next level. “We could not be more pleased by the success of this year’s New York Shows,” said Elizabeth Fantetti Trevorrow, partnership & event director, Questex’s Beauty & Spa Group. “Our goal first and foremost, was to celebrate and support the members of the beauty and wellness communities and we surpassed that by leaps and bounds on all fronts, from our education, incredible brands, empowerment opportunities, and our self-care initiatives. And we’re just getting started. With the shift in the industry toward solopreneurs, which was reflected in a large percentage of the attendee turnout at both shows, connecting them to our exhibitors was paramount.”
Expanded Educational Offerings
IECSC NY had its curated Conference Education — a diverse range of paid classes featuring speakers with unique expertise, all aimed at providing the essential knowledge and insights to elevate and grow businesses, as well as the free Product-Focused Education offerings — informative sessions and workshops led by top exhibitors and offering a deep dive into a specific product or service. All attendees from both events could participate in product focused sessions for no additional fee. Meanwhile, for the first time ever, the IBS NY Show featured a full roster of Master Classes in addition to Hands On Workshops. The Master Classes are designed to provide an in-depth look of the latest skills, techniques, and styles led by elite industry artists.
Additionally, all attendees from both events were welcome to take part in over 120 demonstration classes that were included free with the Exhibit Hall pass.
New + Revitalized Onsite Experiences
What’s New for You Zone – Located on both the IECSC and IBS NY Show floors, the What’s New for You Zone was a place to check out an exciting collection of first-time exhibitors. Attendees had the opportunity try a new line, engage with a company new to the show floor, or be the first to test a product new to the market.
THE POWERHOUSE PAVILION: Celebrating Black Beauty Entrepreneurs was revitalized for 2024. The Pavilion featured stage presentations by iconic Black beauty entrepreneurs such as Faatemah Ampey, Keya Neal, and Monae Everett, plus new panel discussions, hosted by elite industry educators. Highlights of those panels included:
- Mental Health & the Beauty Industry
- New York State and Beyond - What Bill S6528A Means for You & Texture
- Deep Conditioning: Exploring Solutions to Bring Equitable Change in Beauty
- Breaking the Backstage Barrier: Pioneering Diversity in Hair and Makeup
- Beauty Industry GPS: Avoid Pitfalls and Potholes & Make Successful Business Moves
Say Yes to You Hub – Located on the IBS NY Show floor and available for all attendees, the Say Yes to You Hub was an area for attendees to relax and recharge, with a schedule of offerings that focused on enriching their personal well-being.
Quest Zero
As part of Questex’s Quest Zero initiative, the company’s ongoing commitment to be Net Zero by 2050, IECSC and IBS collaborated with GLO™ (Green Life Organization) Salon Recycling, who provides zero-landfill recycling solutions for the salon industry, as a Recycling Partner to reduce salon and spa waste on site at the show. Attendees noticed strategically placed GLO Recycling bins throughout the show to collect various forms of waste including hair, plastic bottles, electronics, soaps, brushes, hair color, foil, gloves, nail polish, perfumes, aerosols, and other flammable materials.
As always, attendees had the opportunity to shop for products for their spas and salons at professionals‐only pricing and to network with industry leaders. Over 500 brands showcased their newest products and innovations in the nearly 100,000 square feet co-located space.
IECSC New York 2024 exhibiting brands included: Celluma, Circadia, Dermalogica, Eminence Organic Skin Care, HydraFacial, Face Reality Skincare, FarmHouse Fresh, Glymed Plus, LightStim, Silhouet-Tone USA, Procell Therapies, Repechage and more. The full list can be found here.
The IBS New York 2024 exhibit floor also featured hundreds of high-profile brands. IBS New York welcomed back Sam Villa, co-founder and chief creative officer of Sam Villa and global artistic ambassador for Redken.
Other top-tier speakers and educators at this year’s IECSC New York included:
- Savanna Boda — A licensed medical Aesthetician and acne specialist based in Dallas, Texas, Boda has a cult following of 298K on Instagram. She is the founder and owner of Savanna Boda Aesthetics, a medical spa that focuses on ethical and results driven aesthetics.
- Nydia Cabrera — With over 15 years of experience, Cabrera is a celebrity and published makeup artist whose work has been featured on television, The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, NYFW, The Miss Universe Organization and more.
- Douglas Preston — Founder of Preston Acne Pros, Preston’s career spans 40+ years in professional esthetics, spa management and skincare career mentoring. His recently published book, An Esthetician’s Guide to Growing a Successful Skincare Career, is a top-seller among ambitious working skincare professionals.
- E’Toshia McFarland — McFarland’s passion is to help other estheticians propel in and out of their treatment room, master the art of facial treatments and implement passive streams of income with digital products.
- Amy Carter — Carter’s consulting company is dedicated to empowering spa and salon professionals to grow their businesses, their teams, and their value. Her leadership and operational strategies help busy professionals free up time to work on their businesses
For the full list of IECSC New York educators, click here.
For the full list of IBS New York educators, click here.
Upcoming Events
Additional networking and educational opportunities for wellness and beauty professionals are available at ECSC Las Vegas and IBS Las Vegas, taking place June 22-24, 2024 in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Visit iecsclasvegas.com for more information. Also, IECSC Florida will take place October 13-14, 2024 at the Palm Beach Convention Center. Visit iecscflorida.com for more information.
And set your calendars for next year’s IECSC New York and IBS New York, taking place March 23-25, 2025, at the Javits Center.