Leadership, client philosophy, marketing and general management were among the key criteria that a prestigious panel of judges deliberated on last March when they evaluated entries for the 2006 Global Salon Business Awards. The event, which took place at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), was hosted by the UCLA Anderson School of Management's Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.
 The UCLA campus served as a picturesque backdrop for the Global Salon Business Awards judging. |
The judging panel, which was composed of prominent business and academic leaders, industry experts and key members of the trade press, included Alfred E. Osborne, Jr., senior associate dean of the UCLA Anderson School of Management; Klaus Peter Ochs of Germany; Charlie Miller of Scotland; Roberto Pissimiglia of Italy; and American Salon's Kelley Donahue. They poured through hundreds of entries from around the world, scoring each one on critical business topics such as salon culture and differentiation, team training, reward and recognition programs, client service and retention programs, community service initiatives, branding, marketing and promotions, and financial management. "Each member brought forth a unique perspective to the confidential, independent and impartial judging process," said Paula Kent Meehan, president of the B.E.S.T. Foundation, which produces the program. "The background, perspective and experience of each panel member was instrumental in unearthing the best of the best with respect to identifying the most entrepreneurial and successful hairdressing salons in the world," added Kristin Firrell, the foundation's executive director.
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Once the judges had poured through hundreds of qualified entries, their scores were tabulated and potential winners were selected. Following a due-diligence process, where each entry's accuracy, references and truth-in-disclosure statement were confirmed, more than 75 finalists from around the globe were notified of their winning status. However, they will not know which award they are receiving until the Global Salon Business Gala Awards Ceremony takes place on June 6 in Barcelona, Spain. The finalists for the USA East are: Adam Broderick, Adam Broderick Salon; Randy Currie, Currie Hair, Skin and Nails; Susan Haise, Neroli Salon & Spa; Frank and Salvatore Rizzieri, Rizzieri Salon at Marlton; and Robert A. Zupko, Robert Andrew The Salon & Spa. Finalists for the USA West are: Bonnie Waters, Changes Salon and Day Spa; Eric Fisher, Eric Fisher Salon; Susan and Julie Santsche, The Spa at Personal Choice; John and Maryanne McCormack, Visible Changes; and Walter Claudio Zungri and Angela Tasca-Zungri, Walter Claudio.
"We're looking forward to celebrating the winners in Barcelona," said Firrell at an evening soiree hosted by Meehan at her Beverly Hills home. "There's nothing more incredible than being with 500 of the world's leading salon entrepreneurs and sharing best-business practices, while also being recognized as a business leader and entrepreneur.