Ashley Tisdale and Tabatha Coffey add Star Power To Three Epic Days of Education, Inspiration and Creativity
On opening night of Matrix Destination in Orlando, FL, Matrix artists lit the fuse with a world-class hair fashion production, and for the next three days, the passion, creativity and excitement continued to burn brightly. More than 2,000 beauty professionals from around the world gathered to learn, to grow, to share and to imagine all they can be, led by the world class team of Matrix educators and experts. Guests agreed the experience was unsurpassed in scope and excellence, and left with the tools and ideas to build their salon businesses, delight their clients and reignite their creativity.
OPENING NIGHT
Destination kicked off with a dazzling red carpet reception, giving photographers and guests a chance to snap all of the Destination VIPs. On hand were actress Ashley Tisdale, stylist and television personality Tabatha Coffey, Matrix celebrity stylists George Papanikolas and Nick Stenson and all of the talented Matrix artists, including Nicholas French, Chrystofer Benson, Dan Csicsai, Daniel Roldan, Leah Sterk, Danielle Keasling and Robert Santana. Simultaneously, Behindthechair.com Founder Mary Rector Gable conducted a live, backstage webcast that was broadcast to 2,800 viewers worldwide!
The opening night program featured four segments, imagined by Matrix artists, and was designed to “light up the world with our imagination,” according to Matrix VP and General Manager Paul Schiraldi. Matrix Artistic Director Nicholas French presented a solo avant-garde segment, inspired by the beauty and power of wild horses. Robert Santana and Nick Stenson produced a color segment featuring the fluid hues of the sea. Dan Csicsai and Danielle Keasling dazzled the crowd with their romantic styling segment and Chrystofer Benson and Daniel Roldan looked to the future with warrior “fem-bots” wielding Star Wars-worthy light sabers!
GENERAL SESSIONS
Each morning, the entire Matrix family gathered for exciting programs featuring Coffey, Papanikolas and Rector Gable. First up was “Creating Celebrity Color & Style” with George and Tabatha. In a clever “live interview” format, the two stars discussed (and laughed about) the ins and outs of working with celebrities, as well as the creative process. Papanikolas shared stories of touring with Britney Spears and presented his signature balayage technique, seen on celebrities like Hannah Davis and Khloe Kardashian.
Tabatha delighted the audience with a hair presentation of her own—creating looks that evoke what she characterized as her “inner Hello Kitty!”
On the second day, the audience was treated to the impact of two of the industry’s most powerful women—Coffey and Rector Gable. Coffey shared insights into business essentials, including branding, consultations, education, retail and first and final impressions in her “Get Down to Business Program.” Rector-Gable inspired the crowd with her personal story of humble beginnings and building a business that nearly bankrupted her family, and also shared tips on branding and salon promotion in her presentation entitled “Disruption.”
HANDS-ON CLASSES
Attendees did what hairdressers love to do most—hair—in Day One’s rotating hands-on sessions. They picked up razor and shear secrets in “Progressive Cutting” with Daniel Roldan, Paul Falltrick and Tarra Dean; explored rules of corrective haircolor and pastel color design in “Color Outside the Lines” with Robert Santana, Leah Sterk and Steve Waldman and explored the worlds of avant garde, editorial and session hair with NAHA winners Nicholas French, Michael Albor and Cori Randall in their “From Dreams to Reality” session.
LOOK AND LEARNS
On Day Two, it was time to sit back, relax and take it all in, thanks to three outstanding Look and Learn programs. In “Kaleidoscope,” Nick Stenson, Lenny Strand and Danielle Keasling took guests on a journey of three, foil-free color techniques—marbling, pixilation and color melting. In “Men’s Street Style,” it was all about modern men’s techniques—including fades, man buns and adjustments for thinning hairlines—with Tara Koenig, Marcus Shamin and Todd Kane. And in “Matrix 2016 Trend,” Chrystofer Benson and Dan Csicsai revealed Rock ‘N Strobe, the global artistic team’s spring/summer collection inspired by the strobing makeup trend that uses lighter and darker shades to sculpt the face and adapting those techniques to cut and color design.
BUSINESS BUILDING
Destination also enriched the business lives of stylists and owners, with dedicated business-building sessions. The agenda included sessions on social media, long-range planning and leadership with experts Coffey, Glenn Baker and Blair Singer. And between sessions, guests flocked to the World of Matrix—a cluster of individual studios where they could watch product demos up close; explore Matrix business-building tools, including apps for social media and tour the Matrix Inspiration Salon—a prototype of the salon of the future!
“Matrix Destination exceeded all of our expectations,” comments Schiraldi. “We’re gratified that we produced a program that many guests characterized as truly life-changing. Destination provided the power and innovation that will propel our Matrix brand into the future and ensure the success of thousands of beauty professionals.”
About: MATRIX, the leading professional haircare and haircolor company in the United States, is part of L'Oreal USA's Professional Products Division. Founded in 1980, MATRIX is committed to the development of the salon professional and offers a wide range of products including: Biolage, Biolage Advanced, Biolage Cleansing Conditioner, Biolage ExquisiteOil, Biolage Styling, COLORGRAPHICS, COLORINSIDER, ColorSync, Logics, Oil Wonders, SOBOOST, SOCOLOR, Style Link, and Total Results (MATRIX professional products are available only in salons and can be guaranteed authentic when purchased from authorized retailers.) Visit Matrix.com for hairstyle and haircolor inspiration as well as MATRIX trends and tips! Professionals visit www.mymatrixfamily.com for techniques, formulas, salon resources and much more!