Data-Driven Salon Summit 2024 Promises to Be Best Yet

Registration is open and speakers are lined up for Data-Driven Salon Summit 2024, which will be held at The Grand Hyatt in Denver, Colorado, May 5-6. The two-day event also is the host for the 2024 SALON TODAY 200 Celebratory Dinner, which will be held on the evening of Sunday, May 5.

Now in its 7^th year, Data-Driven Salon Summit is a peer-led, hands-on educational experience that brings together owners and managers of salons, spas and barbershops to explore how data can help them make better business decisions that fuel their growth and success. For the first time, the DDSS organizers are adding a stylist track on Sunday, May 5, so salon professionals simultaneously can explore how data can help them reach their professional goals.

"With inflation impacting beauty-based businesses like never before, this year's Data-Driven will explore innovative ideas for generating new sales, increasing ticket averages and driving new clients in the door," says Stacey Soble, director of strategic content for SALON TODAY.

While new speakers are being added to the agenda every day, the schedule already is shaping up to be a thought-provoking and idea-generating lineup:

On the Data-Driven Mainstage:

In the opening keynote, Global Award-Winning Artist and Internationally-Renowned Speaker Chrystofer Benson ignites the fire for owners and managers with a presentation building the case for data, goal-setting and cultivating a positive mindset.

In an interactive presentation, Phorest's Barry Quinn and John Doran show you how to find and keep clients by approaching marketing from a business perspective. They'll take a deep dive into how to assess the value of your marketing, what metrics you should be looking at and why Lifetime Value (LTV) and Customer Acquisition Cost (CAS are imperative metrics to evaluate your performance.

Tim Fisk, director of brand development for Summit Salon Business Center, will be exploring AI-driven marketing tools that will empower salon professionals with cutting-edge strategies to boost their business through the power of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, as well as custom chat bots available in the ChatGPT Marketplace. Fish will explore best practices for blog writing, social media content and strategic planning for your salon’s marketing efforts.

A panel of inspiring owners, including Cindy Feldman, Bobbi Springer, Philippe Ifergan and Dani Everson will share their favorite KPIs and the strategies they embrace to boost performance on them.

Boulevard's Jozlyn Miller dives into the vibrant tapestry of dail challenges that salon professionals and owners face, offering insights that promise to be more than advice, but rather a treasure map to transform hurdles into golden opportunities. She'll discuss how to attract and retain clients in a competitive market, how to foster team culture that thrives in adaptability, how to effectively track your ROI, and how to embrace technology to leverage your business.

Kati Whitledge, owner of Be Inspired Salon, will discuss why addressing clients’ desire for perceived value is a critical aspect of salon success. She’ll dive into the intricacies of consumer expectations and showcase innovative strategies that not only meet but exceed those expectations.

Nikki Le will help owners recruit and retain talent by sharing three phases of creating customized compensation plans for every career level.

In Mile-High Yoga, Mary Wilson will take early-risers to the Hyatt Rooftop (weather permitting) for some breathwork and stretching before our second day of session.

In an intriguing panel session led by Leslie Perry, director of membership and education for the Professional Beauty Association, forward-thinking salon owners will share how they’ve tapped alternative streams of revenue to unlock new levels of success. On the panel, Gary Harlan, owner of N.Color Salon; Jennifer Alvarez, owner of Refined Beauty; Amber & Chet Pope, owners of Salon 27; and Maria Fontana, founder of Maria Fontana Consulting will explore innovative strategies and creative ideas that go beyond traditional salon services.

Drawing insights's from Zenoti's 2023 benchmark data aggregated from 25,000 businesses, Salon Consultant Alyssa Venere will outline ways you can drive revenue growth quickly, unlocking the transformative power of data-driven decision-making to propel your growth in 2024.

Lauren Thirstrup from Imaginal Marketing will share the company's proven results for generating cash--so you'll have a game plan when you need an infusion of cash fast. Inspired by a collaborative article written by IM and Neill, you'll hear case studies of marketing that worked for top salons of different sizes and structures.

Business leaders topday are using the lens of sustainability to attract and retain talent, shore up existing supply chains, drive innovation and create resilience, all while driving great revenues and profits. Green Circle Salons' Shane Price goes beyond buzzwords and plemics and dives into the data on how sustainability can help your organization to thrive.

Zenoti's Kathleen Phillips will outline five key tactics to drive growth, helping them boost revenue from 10-25%.

Meevo's Nicole Fabre will explore why you need to be regularly measuring your productivity rate, while sharing strategies for the best ways to measure productivity, which growth indicators directly affect productivity, and actionable ways to optimize productivity and increase revenue.

In our Fast-Fire Management Panel, April McDaniel, Lauren Gartland, Shelly Malizola, Bonnie Bonadeo and Michelle Steinman will spark new management ideas and answer your burning questions.

In the Breakouts:

Vish's Will Simpson and Luscious & Co. Owners Jess and Liz Arrindell will examine the three rules of color management in an effort to help salons increase color revenue by 10-15% in just three months. They'll discuss how to implement responsibe pricing for profit, how to focus on margins, how to unlock new revenue and how to double your color profit.

Strategies' Michael Yost will show you how to reach limitless potential by exploring six critical numbers impacting every business each day, week, month and year. Numbers that, if changed, can lead to 20%, 30% or even 40% revenue growth overall.

Interlocks Salon has taken a significant leap forward by implementing the Entrepreneurial Operating System, a comprehensive management system designed to help businesses of all industries clarify, simplify and achieve their vision. Interlocks CEO & Creative Director Jordan Becker along with the salon's leadership team, will present real-time salon insights and data about their EOS journey so peers can learn firsthand how the EOS model can revolutionize their salons.

Inovshop's Martin Spritzer and Nick and Barbi Horn, owners of Sahair Salon, will share how you can tap into digital tools to improve the customer journey, retain and recruit clients, improve consultations, boost retail sales and increase your average ticket amount.

In the Stylist Track:

Opening Speaker Paul DiGrigoli will share the fundamentals behind his “Booked Solid” program, including strategies behind getting and keeping clients, the reasons why clients leave and why they stay, the best time to raise prices four ways to make money and how to create raving fans.

The team from Imaginal Marketing will help stylists explore the metrics behind social media so they can feel confident that what they post is worth the time invested, that they’ll understand how their social results trend. Attendees will learn which metrics matter most, which don’t and the best habit to adapt for long-term social media growth.

With “Finance 101,” Michael Cole from Northwestern Mutual will help stylists develop plans to help them eventually retire from behind the chair. He’ll detail the types of investments and retirement accounts available to beauty professionals, with an emphasis on diversification and tax efficiency. He’ll help attendees understand how to build a healthy balance sheet that will support their retirement goals.

In a moving presentation, Kim Becker, the founder of Hello Gorgeous!, will help stylists understand how to keep their clients with cancer safe in the salon. She’ll offer suggestions on how to support these clients emotionally and physically, as well as how to talk to them about the changes that may take place with the hair, skin, nails and more. This session will give stylists the confidence they need to keep these clients looking and feeling gorgeous through this challenging journey in their lives.

In between sessions, attendees will be able to network with one another as well as a number of vendors that can help them improve their businesses. Data-Driven Salon Summit would not be possible without the support of its generous sponsors, including Boulevard, L’Oreal Professional Products, Phorest, Zenoti, Green Circle Salons, Meevo, Vish, American Express, Amika, Dyson, John Amico Professional Haircare, Kopsa Otte, Mya, Oway, Rosy Salon Software, Salon Centric, Strategies, Tippy, After Pose, Azarvand Tax Law, Nikki Le Consultancy, Inspiring Champions, Northwestern Mutual, Textel, and Thrive Business Services.