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SEARCHEver dream of hanging out with your favorite stylists on the beach or at a pool party? Joico’s Global Destination Education 2018 was that and more.
Phil Ring, Larisa Love and Ricardo Santiago with models from all three segments of the Joi-Color Your World presentation.
The Event: In its first year as an international event (it had been a retreat exclusively for Joico Canada), Joico’sGlobal Destination Education invited guests to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic for a week-long retreat consisting of education, parties on the beach, poolside scavenger hunts, and getting up close and personal to big-name stylists from around the world.
The Details: For any company holding a massive retreat like this one, the perfect formula is one that consists of a perfect balance of networking, fun and learning. If that cocktail is achieved, endless energy and open-mindedness by guests make it next-level. That was absolutely the case for Joico GDE 2018.
Destination Education was the brainchild of Joico Canada, with three retreats taking place in 2012, 2014 and 2016. They pushed to turn it into an international endeavor.
“All you Canadians know you were the ones who pioneered Destination Education, so we decided to rip off your idea and take it global,” said Sara Jones, SVP and General Manager of Joico. “Our team has been working a year on this…I want to thank you for leaving your salons, your businesses, and your families to come here. We’re here to learn, we’re here to laugh, and we’re here to love.”
As the first-ever Global Destination Education, the “joi” mantra of Joico resonated through every aspect of the trip. One thousand attendees representing 28 countries shared passion and excitement in everything from classes, to runway shows, to beach parties and more.
All-Star Stylists: Joico brought together a group of diverse industry experts to inspire, motivate and meet with guests. Joi-Color Your World, emceeded by Joico Guest Artist Ben Mollin, included looks and techniques from various Joico ranges: Vero K-Pak Color, led by David Murray and Ryan Nicoletti-Dowd; Lumishine with Joico Celebrity Colorist Denis de Souza, Joico Guest Artist-Canada Melissa Duguay, and Joico Guest Artist Zöe Carpenter, who showcased shiny and healthy, ready-to-wear color looks in a soft red, a sun-kissed sombré and a beautiful blonde; and Color Intensity, creative-color tips and tricks led by Phil Ring, Larisa Love and Ricardo Santiago.
Industry icon Vivienne Mackinder challenged guests early on to unlock their creativity. She says artists can’t give what they don’t have, and the purpose of the week is for artists to give back to themselves and reignite their spark.
“It’s an incredible week of escape,” Mackinder said. “Well this is an extraordinary thing because you can truly have joy—it’s not cliché. You have quality education every day, and enough time to process. You have time to go off in the afternoon, have fun, take notes, go for a walk on the beach, marinate over these ideas—it’s not like you’re microwaving everything and spitting it out. I think the work-play blend is exquisite. Everyone here loves work. They love Joico. It’s so full of creativity and joy, it really represents what this brand is.”
Other hair-presentation highlights included a lesson in balayage with the queen herself, Amber O’Hara, a beautiful braid presentation from Jenny Strebe, cutting and styling techniques with Richard Mannah, and an electrifying Fashion Rocks presentation and party, complete with a lip sync battle and on-stage pyrotechnics.
Social Butterfly: The Social + Celebrity panel was a chance to hear first-hand from artists about their careers paths and successes. The panel, moderated by Valerie Robinett, was comprised ofLove, Strebe, de Souza, Santiago, Ring, Olivia Smalley and Marissa Marino, who shared insight on how they made it big in their respective lanes.
“If you want comments, if you want likes, if you want followers, be the person you want to meet on Instagram,” Smalley said. “Reach out to people, tell them you love their work—if you’re thinking it in your head, write it on your phone. It’s important to have those online cheerleaders to help with your engagement, and you help theirs as well.”
The panel brought that sentiment to fruition during the event on social media, following each other and practicing what they preached.
The Final Word: “A company is not the product; what makes it special is its people and the people who support it,” Jones said.
Stay tuned for information on the next GDE, set for 2020.
Originally posted on Modern Salon
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