Sunday is traditionally a day of rest for many barbers after a long and industrious week but on Sunday the 12th of May, barbers from all over the United Kingdom were looking forward to a busy day. There hadn’t been a late rush on for haircuts and it wasn’t as though Girls Aloud or The Saturdays had said they were looking for dates with guys with great looking hair, it was down all to Barber Connect.

Barber Connect was the first every UK barber expo and it took place on the 12th of May in St David’s Hotel in Cardiff.
The main aim of the expo was to bring barbers together and ensure that barber work is seen as an industry in its own right. Beauty and grooming is a massive industry and important in people’s lives but it can be easy for some of the female elements to take centre stage. There is a huge interest in looking good and being styled to your best but when certain groups in the industry are being overlooked instead of others, there is nothing wrong with individual sectors of the group looking to make themselves heard and known about.


The Barber industry is crucial in the UK

The barber industry has been around for a very long time in the United Kingdom and for many people, it forms part of their weekly or monthly routine. This is why recognising the importance of the industry and helping to keep everyone involved in the industry up to date with what was going on and what was available was at the heart of the expo provided.
With respect to keeping up to date, barbers may struggle to stay on top of the latest hair products and services. Being a barber can be a busy and time-consuming work but it is an industry where staying close to the latest trends and fashions can make a massive difference in providing a high level of customer service. If customers are coming to your shop and are asking for hair care products, hair cut styles or they wish to look like a certain celebrity and you don’t know what they are talking about, you may find yourself losing business! This is why an expo like this is an important chance to ensure that everyone remains up to date with what is taking place in the industry.

Experts gave their opinion and advice

There were over 20 exhibitors, specially hand-picked by the organisers, who were on hand to show off the latest products and cutting edge hair clippers. While many of the traditional skills involved with being a barber are still very much in place, the products utilised during a haircut or styling session have changed a lot over the years. Better results can be obtained in a much shorter time period for barbers and these exhibitors were keen to show off how barbers could provide their customers with the products and services they require.

Some of the top exhibitors were also involved with seminars, giving greater insight into the current trends and products in the barber industry. Being able to see products in action or to hear the thinking and logic behind products or certain ways of working can always be of benefit. No matter what industry it is, getting the chance to hear from the top experts in the field is going to be of benefit to most people and the seminar events at Barber Connect were very well attended and very well thought of.

One thing about being a barber is that it can be difficult to converse with other barbers. If you have barbers in your local area, you may feel as though you are in competition with them and you don’t want to associate or socialise with them. The Barber Connect event provided a fresh opportunity to mingle and network with barbers who weren’t in direct competition with you. This provided the chance to share practices, ideas, common practices and just have a general talk about the industry. It can be good to know that there are other professionals going through the same trials and tribulations as yourself and the networking element of Barber Connect was a huge success.

After the expo and the seminars, the British Barber Association Award Ceremony took place. This enabled the event organisers to bring the event out of London while still providing the event to a large audience. The Student Awards and the Masters Awards were handed out before the evening made way to the Barber Connect party where guests could mingle, network and let their hair down at the end of a great event!