Imagine immersing yourself in three days of advanced education with thousands of like-minded individuals—ones who share the same passion for hair, the same hunger for career advancement and the same desire to succeed. Redken's bi-annual Symposium offers that opportunity and then some, and next year's event is predicted to be bigger and better than ever before.
For three days in January, Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay will open its doors to more than 10,000 beauty professionals for a long list of classes covering topics from haircolor and design to social media and business building. Taught by renowned Redken artists, Redken partners and Ambassadors, the education event offers a unique opportunity to collaborate and learn among industry peers.
"We've been incredibly customer-centric in our approach to the next Symposium," says Sheri Doss (@sheridoss), VP of education worldwide for Redken. "We connected with salons and stylists to ask them what they wanted, and the general consensus was that they wanted more," Doss says. "As a result, we doubled the amount of classes we're offering by reducing their length, and we're putting the content and facilitators on stage that they're asking for."
Behind the scenes, Doss and the entire Redken team work tirelessly to ensure each class holds an equal amount of fresh, timely content and fun. "We do a Symposium Development Session about eight months in advance with all facilitators and vendor partners to evaluate what each team plans to communicate at Symposium," Doss says. "Our main intent is to ensure there is no overlap in technique within the classes." With 32 different classes and panels, and four hands-on classes—a Symposium first—attendees have a wide selection of options to choose from.
Two of next year's facilitators, Rebecca Taylor (@rebeccataylorhair), Redken creative colorist, and Cassandra McGlaughlin (@cassandraplatinum), Redken ambassador, think Symposium is an obvious choice due to its surplus of both education and inspiration. "If you're in a rut, this is the place to go to be inspired and feel renewed," Taylor says. "I've been to a lot of different hair shows, and the one thing that sets Redken apart is they take the time to do it right," McGlaughlin adds. "They really value the hairdresser and put so much time and energy into creating something valuable for attendees. At any experience level, there's so much to gain—inspiration, education and technique."
If you need further convincing as to why Symposium is a one-of-a-kind event, Justin Issac (@worldofjustinisaac), another one of next year's facilitators, says it's something you have to experience to understand. "It’s one of those things that you have to experience, and once you experience it, you’re going to come back again and again," Isaac says. "It's an event that makes you remember why you got into hairdressing."
For more information, visit redkensalon.com