Extension Convention

Syren, I just looked at that Expo site, that looks like alot of fun. I never even heard of anything like that before!  I've dabbled in a few cosmetic surgeries myself, mostly out of country (way cheaper, American doctors)

Luz, I meant to tell you, your portfolio is beautiful! I also checked your website. Great idea for a reality show about people helping people! Sounds like you have a very exciting career ahead of you, and great hair to go with it. Must be wicked fun!

Mocha,

That's exactly what my original intent was.  Not that there's anything wrong with the other idea, but I wasn't proposing an event where the more experienced people make money off the less experienced people.  I was proposing an event for ALL DIY'ers to share ideas, experiment with new methods, see other products, learn, network, etc...  We all chip in on the location, and we all bring our own supplies.  More of a community event, not a money making event.   Sure, if some of you want to get together and make money off of newbies, that's your thing, but that's not the nature of what we're trying to do here. 

As I offered in my original post, I plan events as a profession, (mainly tradeshows) and I'd be more than happy to organize a community event like this, but I'm not really interested in doing a "for profit" event for hair extensions.

Edited by BirdOfEden

Syren,

I love your idea.  What a great idea!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.cosmeticenhancementexpo.com/?source=Overture

I would go to this for sure.

ANYONE ELSE????????  

NYC anyone???  Maybe we can have two - one in CA and the other in NYC

OKay raisin but I'm neither a newbie or a pro.  and I don't know that we are looking at enough people to justify brochures.  A central locataion sure.  But I htought the spirit was giving tips to each other not "come learn all these techniques from scratch from pros x,y,z."

More like.  Syren knows fusion and she'll do her own head or someone else's and maybe give us tips as we all install a few strands on our own head.  And Rae knows pinchbraids same same.  and amm knows shrinkies.  etc etc

Not that we wouldn't have a schedule but that it would be more informal and therefore less professional more fun.  Not that amm and kristin and whoever shouldn't bring there stuff. 

Yeah and while dividing out the cost of a banquet room between everyone coming is quite reasonable, I'm personally n ot interested in something where we are all chipping in for supplies rather than bringing our own.  especially on the small scale this would be someone would inevitably feel cheated.  Who gets to have there hair done by a pro or experienced DIYer and who gets stuck with a head full of newbie installs...

I don't know maybe I should keep my nose out of it in light of the fact that it will likely happen at a time or in a location that is inaccessible to me anyhow. (No I'm not saying you have to come to my neck of the woods but some places are far more expensive than others). 

:)al

Hairraisin, now there's a good idea!
Now who wants to put it together?

I went to this last year when it was in town:
http://www.cosmeticenhancementexpo.com/?source=Overture
It's mostly about implants, botox, liposuction, microdermabrasion, fake tans, and cosmeceuticals, but there was one gal there who did extensions. I now know they are microlinks, but I didn't know that at the time. They looked good. She charged $10 a strand, making a head of hair $1500 to $2000. She was THE only extension person there.
This expo has the potential to be really good. Last year was its first year. It would be the kind of place to do our booth with all our favorite vendors, suppliers, stylists and models (meaning all of us) there at once.

 

Going to a general hair convention kind of detracts from the original purpose.  For one, hair conventions are generally more geared towards other hair topics, but when they do have extension exhibitors, it's usually a big name brand who wants to charge you out the ar$e to get their training and use their products exclusively and they generally use only one method.  I'm definitely not looking for that, and there's no reason to go to a convention if you DO want that, you can contact them directly for their training/products.  

Two, the idea of getting our own booth at a tradeshow isn't too ideal because: tradeshow booths cost generally thousands of dollars depending on the size of the show (I handle my company's tradeshows/conventions), AND while it might benefit those of us who have wares to sell, it wouldn't benefit the newbie looking to learn DIY extensions or the people who already have extension experience but maybe just want to learn other methods. 

What I was proposing was more of an "extension only" event for us to come, see, learn, and network.  

Zapevaj, I'm in the Washington D.C. metro area and I could definitely come to Chicago, plus I'm interested in learning pinchbraids.

 

Yeah, HairCon- it happened once two years ago. It was gonna happen again last year, but Sonia had a big hand in making it happen and then passed away. Aside from that, I don't believe there's any extension-specific conventions. There's a few ones that have extension elements, like Bronner Bros. in Atlanta and the Midwest Beauty Show, but afaik nothign specifically extendy.

It'd be hard to get us all in one metro area, since we're so scattered, but maybe we could do smaller regional get-togethers? It seems like there's equal amounts of CA, Midwest, and NY/PA folks. If the Midwest girls feel like coming to Chicago, I'd be happy to teach pinchbraiding. :)

-Rae

That sounds superb.