Ulta's Phil Horvath (left) and Chuck Barth (right) join Equibal Labs' Deb Teolis and Collins Manufacturing's Larry Kane at the golf outing.THE EVENT:

The International SalonSpa Business Network, held May 2-4, at the Terranea Resort in Ranchos Palos Verdes, California.

CONNECT FOR SUCCESS: ISBN is a forum where owners and managers of multiple-unit salon businesses (whether they have two locations or two thousand) gather together to learn from business experts, industry leaders and one another.

HONORABLE MENTION: The conference kicked things off by honoring OPI President George Schaeffer with the ISBN Legend Award for "turning the care of hands, feet and nails through professional products and services into a profit center for the salon."

THE KEYNOTES: Bob Prosen, president and CEO of The Prosen Center for Business Advancement, showed members how to increase performance, productivity and profit through accountability-based leadership. And, social networking guru Jenny DeVaughn pulled examples from ISBN attendees' social networking sites to show how the new media can be used to drive brand awareness, create client interest and increase revenue.

POWER PANEL: The recession, new opportunities for growth, and diversion were the hot topics handled by the State of the Industry Panel, which included Pat Parenty, president of L'Oréal Professionnel Products Division; Luke Jacobellis, president of John Paul Mitchell Systems; Joshua Farmer, director of national accounts
for American Crew; Mark Kartarik, executive vice president of Regis Corporation's Franchise Division; and Marco Pelusi, celebrity stylist and owner of Marco Pelusi Hair Studio in West Hollywood. SALON TODAY Editor Stacey Soble moderated the panel and fielded questions from the audience.

SMALLER SETTINGS: ISBN members customized their own conference experiences by selecting among eight specialized roundtable discussions, with diverse topics from labor law to lease negotiations to marketing, and 15-minute one-on-one speed meetings with manufacturers of their choosing.