The Leeds Regional Growth Summit on June 8, 2026, at the Royal Armouries will offer salon and spa professionals a focused day of business education. The event, running from 10:00 to 16:00, brings together owners, brands, and educators to discuss profitability and industry connections.
Attendees can engage with main stage presentations, interactive business strategy roundtables, and a mini-expo featuring professional brands. This structure aims to provide actionable strategies for immediate business implementation.
A key feature includes roundtables on AI in salons, with sessions like "AI in the salon: practical strategies to support you and your team" led by Kerri-Ann Bruce from 11:45-12:30. Marnie Wills will host a "Live AI clinic: build your AI co-workers" from 14:30-15:30, demonstrating AI applications for streamlining tasks and marketing. These free, capacity-limited sessions require pre-registration.
The mini-expo will showcase brands and suppliers, offering opportunities to discover new products and build supplier relationships. This section is curated to help businesses find tools and partners to advance operations and treatment offerings.
Main stage sessions will cover topics essential for salon success. Matthew Sutcliffe and Bailey Snowden will discuss "Stop chasing busy: the KPIs that make salons truly profitable." Lesley Caster, Robert Eaton, and Louise Howard-Long will address team empowerment and loyalty in "Empower your team to deliver: building structure, progression & loyalty." Chris Taylor will present "Social selling for salons in 2026," and Marnie Wills will deliver a keynote on "Personal AI intelligence for salon leaders." Additional sessions include "Charge smarter, sell better: service pricing & retail strategies" with Kerri-Ann Bruce, Sara Shoemark, and Melenie Tudor, and "From posts to profit: social media & marketing that works for salons" with Jessica White and Ami Coutts.
While the summit offers a comprehensive agenda, its effectiveness hinges on attendance and active participation in the sessions. The emphasis on AI and data-driven profit strategies reflects current industry shifts, but the long-term impact depends on how effectively these practical takeaways are integrated post-event.
