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The professional beauty and wellness sector in the Middle East reached a major digital milestone this week. On May 19, 2026, the Professional Beauty GCC Business Summit successfully hosted its inaugural fully online edition, drawing an impressive 1,827 virtual attendees from across the region.
Developed by Professional Beauty GCC in strategic partnership with TishTash Communications, the virtual initiative united beauty, spa, hair, and aesthetics professionals spanning the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Oman for a comprehensive day of live education, strategic collaboration, and industry insight.
Navigating a Shifting Market Landscape
Designed to foster business resilience during a period of ongoing regional market evolution, the summit provided a timely platform for industry leaders. Sessions specifically targeted how businesses can adapt to shifting consumer behaviors, rising competition, and evolving service expectations.
Attendees seamlessly pivoted between a structured program of Main Stage presentations, specialized workshops, masterclasses, and interactive live Q&As with industry pioneers, alongside a dedicated "Showcase" platform where brands presented their latest products and services.
Official Main Stage Schedule & Speaker Lineup
The Main Stage featured a comprehensive, high-impact program running throughout the day, bringing together the world's leading business minds, consultants, and regional trailblazers:
Stronger Together – Welcome to the Professional Beauty GCC Business Summit
Overview: Opening remarks setting the scene for industry-wide connection, collaboration, and practical strategies to navigate changing market conditions.
Speakers: * Andrew Green (General Manager – Professional Beauty Dubai) Natasha Hatherall-Shawe (Founder & CEO – TishTash Group)
AI Visibility Essentials for Beauty Brands: From Search to Bookings
Overview: Breaking down how modern consumers utilize platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI, and social media for brand discovery, and how to convert that digital visibility into salon, clinic, or e-commerce growth.
Speaker: Dawn Kubicek (CEO & Founder – Leaders in Digital)
Crisis Leadership Masterclass – Navigate Turbulence with Confidence
Overview: A masterclass for senior leaders covering resilience, smart cost management, proactive cash flow strategies, and driving revenue stability by deepening client loyalty.
Speaker: Dr. Angela Thomas (CEO & Founder – Angel Success Consulting)
Adapting in Real Time: What Changed, What Worked: Inside the Region’s Leading Salon Businesses
Overview: A candid panel discussion pulling back the curtain on how top regional salons kept clients engaged, managed teams, and adjusted business models on the ground.
Speakers: * Andrew Green (Moderator)
- Asma Mohammad Bin Salmeen (CEO – 86 Beauty Lounge)
- Liza Harper (Owner – Lunatic Fringe by The Boys Salon)
- Tara Rose (Founder & Director – Tara Rose Salon)
- Ruksher Malik (Owner – Pastels Salon)
Scaling a Beauty Business Across the GCC
Overview: An operational, cultural, and financial roadmap for expanding brands into the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar through secondary branches and franchising.
Speaker: Tara Rose (Founder & Director – Tara Rose Salon)
Unbreakable: Building in the Toughest Markets
Overview: Grounded perspectives on resilience, featuring the powerful stories of leaders who built, rebuilt, and scaled wellness brands amidst extreme geopolitical and economic disruptions in Ukraine and Lebanon.
Speakers: Moderator: Jean-Guy de Gabriac (Founder – World Wellness Weekend; Spa & Wellness Consultant)
- Anna Seleznyova (Founder & CEO – Maharaja YOGA&SPA Wellness Centre, Ukraine)
- Wael Jaber (Managing Director – Sport Performance Institute-SPI International, Lebanon)
Clinical Response: Fight, Flight or Freeze, and the Way Out
Overview: Exploring executive decision-making under intense pressure, discussing mental stamina, profitability during economic shifts, and why some choose to scale while others hesitate.
Speakers: Moderator: Tajana Trtanj (WSW Dubai Conference Producer & Founder – EPI Consulting)
- Dr. Ljudmila Vukosavljevic (Doctor of Medicine – Al Das Longevity Clinic)
- Mona Mirza (Founder & CEO – Biolite Clinic)
- Paulina Mercader Aguilar (CEO – Longevity Suite GCC)
Booked, Banked & Busy: How to Stay Fully Booked in Uncertain Times
Overview: Practical, no-nonsense tactics to reactivate existing clients, boost retail sales, and shift salon teams toward commercial thinking.
Speaker: Katie Godfrey (Business Strategist, Author & Podcaster – Katie Godfrey Coaching FZCO)
Talent in Transition: Turning Market Disruption into Hiring Advantage
Overview: An insight-led look into the GCC talent market, covering salary pressures, shifting loyalties, skill shortages, and how to acquire elite talent before competitors do.
Speakers: Moderator: Andrew Green (General Manager – Professional Beauty Dubai)
Nicki Wilson (MD – Genie Recruitment)
The Comeback Starts With Connection: How Beauty Businesses Rebuild Revenue, Loyalty & Confidence After Shutdown
Overview: Moving past simple discounts to rebuild human connection, guest experiences, and team confidence to maximize client retention and referrals.
Speaker: Carol Phillips (Founder & CEO – BeauteeSmarts Global)
The Closing Session: This Isn’t Goodbye… It’s Just the Beginning
Overview: A retrospective of the day's key takeaways and a look forward at upcoming stages, on-demand features, and community-building opportunities.
Speakers:
- Andrew Green (General Manager – Professional Beauty GCC)
- Laica Hamilton (Marketing Guru – Professional Beauty GCC)
- Maricel Macalino (Sales & Operations – Professional Beauty GCC)
Comprehensive Workshop & Masterclass Educational Tracks
Alongside the Main Stage, the summit delivered a series of specialized workshops and masterclasses focused on technical precision, corporate management, and workplace wellness.
Business & Wellness Workshops
The Reset Experience: Nervous System Regulation is the New Edge
Overview: An immersive session introducing neuro-acoustic nervous system regulation to help fast-paced professionals transition from an overstimulated, "always on" state to a grounded, present baseline. It explored transforming beauty operations into wellness sanctuaries of calm and safety.
Speaker: Cendra Tisun-Lépinoy (Founder of Sound Wellness Solutions, Workplace Wellbeing Partner, Certified Sound Therapist, and Mindfulness Mentor & Trainer)
Become a World-Class Massage Therapist and Wellness Therapist
Overview: Focused on the mindset, upskilling resources, and strategic development needed to scale a therapy business and step into the industry spotlight using the "5 Pillars of Wellness."
Speaker: Jean-Guy de Gabriac (Founder at World Wellness Weekend, Spa & Wellness Consultant and Educator)
Marketing Gets Attention. Sales Builds Revenue, and Client Retention
Overview: Mapping real-world sales and conversion systems within the client journey. This session shared strategies used by elite clinics, spas, and salons to boost rebookings and optimize internal transaction values.
Speaker: Servane Collette (Founder – Invicta Med)
Management by Expectations: The Most Recent & Effective Salon Spa Management Methodology
Overview: A modern look at operational culture, outlining clear staff performance accountability, service benchmarks, baseline productivity metrics, and contemporary leadership frameworks.
Speaker: Santosh Sapke (Co-Founder – Isas Beauty School)
Technical Masterclasses
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Polygel Perfection with Nano Professional
Overview: Advanced practical methods for shaping, building structural strength, and perfecting product control for flawless nail extension longevity.
Speaker: Nano Professional (Trainer)
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Humidity-Proof Glass Hair with Effortless Waves
Overview: Step-by-step techniques executed on a live model to create sleek, glass-like finishes and resilient, soft movement tailored to withstand harsh Middle Eastern humidity.
Speaker: Veronika Valentova (Brand & Educator Manager Hair & Grooming – Beauty Solutions)
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Express Cluster Eyelash Extension
Overview: Elite lash mapping, length selection, and placement techniques engineered to deliver a lifted, elongated, and modern "doll-eye" style set with confidence.
Speaker: Saida Sadykova (Trainer – Beauty Secret International)
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Sculpt & Structure: Builder Gel Mastery with Nail Sculpting Forms
Overview: Refinement training targeting advanced nail form placement to sculpt perfectly balanced, structured nail shapes from scratch without standard tips.
Speaker: Nano Professional (Trainer)
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Acrylic Ombré Blending Techniques
Overview: A technical masterclass focused on seamless product transitions, precision filing, and advanced control to execute the elegant ballerina (coffin) shape.
Speaker: Faiza Amjad (Trainer – Beauty Secret International)
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Instant Glow
Overview: A breakdown of a high-performance three-step professional skincare routine designed to exfoliate, brighten, lift, and minimize visible signs of skin fatigue in 10 minutes.
Speaker: Amy Maria Fernandez (Regional Skincare Trainer – Beauty Solutions across the GCC)
On-Demand Access
Positioning itself as a long-term development engine rather than a one-off webinar, the organizers have made the entire event catalog accessible for ongoing industry upskilling.
Professionals who missed the live broadcasts can watch the recorded sessions via the Professional Beauty GCC ONLINE Business Summit REPLAY. For further details on future events, visit the official Professional Beauty GCC Website.
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