With its theme of “RISE” and a beautiful locale at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, CO, the International Salon Spa Business Network (ISBN) elevated the professional salon industry with its 2026 conference.

After a day full of activities, including golf and pickleball tournaments, ISBN President Edward Logan of Sport Clips welcomed the audience and kicked off the conference with a celebration that was decades in the making. He called the Government Affairs Committee, including Frank Zona, co-owner of Zona Professional, Gordon Logan, founder of Sport Clips, Rhoda Olsen, former CEO of Great Clips and The Professional Beauty Association's Kati Rapoza on stage, thanking them for their hard work and dedication in getting the FICA Tip Tax Credit and No Tax on Tips passed in 2025.

“We are grateful to the members and partners who carried this torch over the years. The benefits to employers and to those working in the industry are unprecedented,” he said.

He then welcomed the Keynote Speaker Riaz Meghji to the stage. Author of Every Conversation Counts, Meghji is known for helping leaders strengthen communication, connection and culture.

He told the leaders in the room real connection is the ability to admit imperfection. He also advised them to ask questions first, talk second. “HOW and WHAT questions tend to give you more connection, and lean into self-discovery,” he advised. “Lean into your own vulnerability as an opportunity to draw people close.”

Taking an example most are familiar with, Meghji talked about the awkwardness of expressing condolences to someone who recently lost a close friend or family member. “After saying you’re sorry, the best thing you can do it ask them about the person, saying ‘What do you want me to know about them?,’” he advised. “It’s an invitation to tell a story that shares a piece of that person’s legacy.”

“Empathetic curiosity is a trust accelerator,” he stated. “You can be liked but not trusted, but it’s hard to be trusted and not liked.”

The following day, a panel of ISBN members, moderated by SALON TODAY’s Stacey Soble, shared the practical ways they are using AI to better their businesses:

Martin White of Christina White Salons outside of St. Louis demonstrated an AI extensions calculator he developed for his team to aid in customizing a client’s extensions service by calculating their cost upfront.

Natalie Fong, vice president of digital product for Ulta Beauty, shared how the company analyzes data from its 46 million loyalty members to make custom recommendations and deliver personalized skincare and haircare routines, as well as how its GlamLab lets guests virtually try on makeup to find their best match.

GS Beauty Group’s Paolo D’Elia shared how his team at Fermion AI Group is using vibe-coding to create customized tools for salons to streamline process, including recruiting new talent.

And, Michaella Blissett-Williams shared how her [salon] 718 locations in Brooklyn were the inspiration behind the Brook AI virtual booking agent and how she’s reinvesting the money she’s saving from implementing AI to send interested front desk team members to cosmetology school and developing a fund to help her team’s new mothers pay for daycare.

“Ulta’s strategy with AI is about people more than anything else. It helps us analyze all the different habits of our loyalty members and leverage our insights,” Fong said. “We have a 360-degree view of who are consumers are, so we can personalize their offers--not just blanket them with marketing.”

The second keynote speaker, Economist Taylor St. Germain of ITR Economics, invited back to ISBN’s stage by popular demand. He helped the multi-location salon leaders prepare for the economic shifts in the coming years. He predicted the economy will continue to grow the next few years—just at a slower pace than the previous years due to economic uncertainty—and another recession will hit around 2030.

“The global economy always does better during times of war, but we haven’t fully realized the inflationary impact from the tariffs,” he said. “In the next three years, you will see the cost of doing business rise between 3-4% per year.”

In the afternoon, ISBN members customized their education by selecting two of four breakout sessions:

A panel of industry leaders, including Professional Beauty Association CEO Leslie Perry, Boulevard CEO Matt Dana and V’s Barbershop COO Emily Hutcheson-Brown led an interactive discussion, themed, “If We’re All One Industry, Why Don’t We Act on It.”

Ulta Beauty’s Natalie Fong and Megan Murray, vice president of Events and In-Store Experience, provided more details on how the retailer is using AI to enhance personalization by amplifying human, professional expertise to enable relevant, tailored guest interactions.

Jayson Rappaport, co-founder of Bird’s Barbershop; Jim Lain, COO of Regis Corp, and Sean Maney, CEO and president of Booked By hosted an AI Member Think Tank where members shared their own AI experiences, best practices and strategic advantages.

Frank Zona joined Chris Wittich, CPA, who heads Boyum & Baranscheer’s tax division, to share advice and answer questions about the new tax legislation.

The conference's education was enhanced with plenty of time for networking and meeting with a variety of show sponsors. ISBN hosted a Welcome to the Rockies opening reception, and L'Oréal hosted an Après-Ski Soiree. Before heading for their afternoon flights, members took part in Mastermind roundtables which included a variety of topics, including The Profit Playbook, Building the Right Talent Pipeline and Anticipating What's Next.