Founded in 1955, SHR (The Swedish Association of Beauty Therapy) is the Swedish trade association for well-educated beauty therapists. This week, it organises the only fair of its kind for professionals within the beauty industry: the annual Hud & Kosmetik.
— It’s an important event for everyone within the industry, ranging from beauty therapists, nail therapists, and makeup artists to buyers, who wants a complete update of what’s hot and what’s not. The fair is one of a kind — the place to be, says Helene Westberg, Managing Director at SHR.
What can you say about this year’s edition?
— You’ll find all kinds of exhibitors; large, small, experienced, and new. An exciting combination for the visitors. We’ve never had a dedicated space for smaller, up-and-coming companies. So, we created The Market Place this year, so that everyone should feel included, both exhibitors and visitors.
— Industry profiles and podcasters Frida Selkirk and Celina Rydén are in charge of interviewing industry professionals on the large stage, which will also be broadcast, both on the screens in the exhibition hall and on social media. The winners of Skincare Professionals Awards (SPA) are crowned on Thursday, hosted by podcasters Elin Fagerberg and AnnaKarin Wahlberg. And the Swedish championship in makeup, hosted by Anette Hambalek, is taking place on Friday. This year’s theme is Rainbow Bliss.
From your perspective, what’s your current view on the industry?
— Earlier this year, we did our own beauty industry report for the years 2020-2022, says Westberg. According to that, the salons are doing well. However, it’s tough for the entire industry with increasing prices due to the weak local currency and increasing interest rates. One challenge is that there are still many beauty therapists out there who have not been trained properly. Knowledge is vital as the treatment menus now offer more and more advanced treatments in comparison to ten years ago. A proper education is an important foundation for any profession.
Looking ahead, what’s next for you?
— Our vision is to become an employer’s organisation within the next coming years which will make us able to be part of the contract negotiation of the beauty industry. We will also continue our work to reach out to the consumers about the importance of visiting a beauty therapist who’s a member of SHR.
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