America's Beauty Show Scores Big in Chicago

Further, show organizers confirmed 62,857 salon professional admissions over three days, plus 15,073 in exhibitor personnel. These preliminary numbers prove a 9% increase in attendance over final 2010 data. Square footage utilized at McCormick Place West also increased, with net exhibit space sold at 145,750 sq. ft. Additionally, with 70 educational workshops offering continuing education and 102 product knowledge classes, the total net square footage utilized by America's Beauty Show 2011 totaled 196,678. America's Beauty Show ranks among the Top 10 events at McCormick Place.

A post-show survey of attendees shows fully 85% prefer McCormick Place as the location for America's Beauty Show to any suburban location, even though 46% of respondents work in the suburbs. "We are proud that so many professional beauty companies, along with the salon professionals they service, support America's Beauty Show and believe in its industry legacy," said Paul Dykstra, CEO of Cosmetologists Chicago, the 7,000-member independent association that owns America's Beauty Show and has served salon owners, professionals and beauty students for almost 90 years.

Among the companies choosing to exhibit exclusively at America's Beauty Show this month are the three largest companies in the salon industry-L'Oreal Professional (Redken, Matrix, Pureology, L'Oreal Professionnel and Mizani brands), P&G Salon Professional (Clairol Professional, Nioxin, Sebastian and Wella) and John Paul Mitchell Systems. Other major exhibitors exclusively at America's Beauty Show included Aquage, ARROJO, TIGI, Farouk, TONI&GUY, Brazilian Keratin Treatment and Vidal Sassoon Academies.

"America's Beauty Show," said Cosmetologists Chicago President Frank Gironda of Frank Gironda Salon & Spa, Naperville, IL, "is the annual event that continually helps build our careers and businesses. For 86 years, America's Beauty Show has been the Midwest Beauty Show and will be in the future. We owe it to our salons owners and beauty service professionals."

"More than 300 of our professional employees attended America's Beauty Show to take advantage of the superior education offered," said Larry Silvestri, COO of Mario Tricoci Salons & Spas, the largest independent salon chain in the Chicago area. "The quality of education is always consistent and America's Beauty Show is the best place for salon professionals to get it," added Silvestri.

Further proof of America's Beauty Show leadership was a rare appearance by hair icon Vidal Sassoon, in conjunction with the release of a documentary of his life; and selection as Favorite Beauty Event by thousands of professionals in BehindTheChair.com's Stylists Choice Awards. The awards were announced at America's Beauty Show before an audience of 3,000 professionals.

Highlights of America's Beauty Show 2011 can be found at www.AmericasBeautyShow.com, on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.