News Alert

Despite a tough economic climate, the HBA Global Expo & Conference (www.hbaexpo.com) held last September at the Jacob Javits Center in New York City hosted more than 16,000 participants. The three-day event attracted independent and emerging brand innovators, as well as top buying teams from major companies, such as L'Oreal, Procter & Gamble and Colgate-Palmolive. "This year's HBA was brimming with activity," says Jill Birkett, event director. "With new product announcements, fresh content, expert speakers and advice, innovative trends and samplings of new beauty foods, it was truly a one-stop destination for anyone's product development needs."

The next HBA conferences will be held in New York March 2-3 at the New York Hilton and September 15-17 at the Jacob Javits Center.

Cosmoprof Spa Bologna, previously known as the Monaco Spa Event, will be held April 3-6 at the Bologna Fair District in Italy. The new location offers companies in the spa and wellness sectors the chance to exhibit in an exclusive area and make contacts with professionals from all over the world. A two-day symposium planned for the event will provide a forum for professionals, such as spa consultants, managers, designers and more, to interact, develop skills and improve market knowledge.

Last October, 650 beauty school students convened for La'James International Colleges (www.lajames.net) annual Student Conference near Des Moines, IA. The Trend Vision competition for hair styling, makeup and nail artistry, and school spirit competitions were among the highlights of the day, along with the keynote address given by CND (www.cnd.com) founder Jan Arnold. "We are proud to have helped so many young people prepare for a career that brings them personal and professional happiness," says Cynthia Becher, founder and president of La'James International Colleges.

Small-business owners need more health insurance options. This is the message Patricia Owen, owner of FACES Day Spa (www.facesdayspa.com) on Hilton Head Island, SC, sent to Congress recently when she testified before The House Committee on Energy and Commerce's health subcommittee. She, along with eight others, called upon Congress to allow tax credits for small businesses; amendments to the tax code to make it easier to offer cafeteria plans and flexible spending accounts; small businesses to band together across state lines to purchase insurance through trade and professional associations; and more. "Congress can and should consider legislation that can help small-business owners," Owen says.

The National Cosmetology Association (NCA), International Spa Association (ISPA), Day Spa Association (DSA), and International Medical Spa Association (IMSA) recently announced their 2009 board members. The new chairs include:

• NCA: Mark Goodman, The Hair- Designers, Inc.
• ISPA: Jean Kolb, Kohler Company
• DSA: Rosemary T. Weiner, The Brass Rose Spa & Salon
• IMSA: Eric J. Light, The Strawberry Hill Group

For a complete list of board members from each organization, visit their websites at www.ncacares.org, www.experienceispa.com, www.dayspaassociation.com and www.medicalspaassociation.com.

Television stars Jay Leno, Hayden Panettiere, John Stamos, Brooke Shields and more, received Alterna (www.alternahaircare.com) gift bags containing Caviar Anti-Aging Moisture Shampoo and Conditioner. The gift bags were donated for celebrities participating in NBC's award-winning public service campaign, "The More You Know".

"The actors volunteer their time to shoot these announcements, and we're happy to provide them with Alterna products as a token of appreciation for taking initiative to send a positive message to the community," says Lauren Hilton of Alterna.

Presenters, nominees and more than 100 Hollywood A-listers checked out the Dermalogica Cabana (www.dermalogica.com) at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) in Los Angeles. From the rooftop of the Thompson Hotel, an on-site team performed Face Mapping skin analyses, 20-minute MicroZone and AGE Smart hand treatments, and prescribed product for at-home care. VIPs that swung by the two-day event included 90210's Adam Gregory, Entourage's Rex Lee, and Tori Spelling and Dean McDermott. Orly (www.orlybeauty.com) also visited the VMAs via Jordin Sparks' nails. Jenna Hipp, Orly's celebrity manicurist, picked Liquid Vinyl, a black cream, to accent Sparks' dark locks for the awards show.

A clothes dryer recently caught fire at Sanctuary Day Spa (www.sanctuaryds.com) in Sandy, UT, according to ABC news. An employee put out the fire with an extinguisher and some help from the overhead sprinkler system. No one was seriously injured. For more information about preventing laundry room fires, see DAYSPA's June 2008 issue, page 122.

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