The fifth annual Beauty Changes Lives Experience will take place on Sunday, March 26, 2017 at the Art Institute of Chicago, during America’s Beauty Show (ABS) from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. An annual highlight of ABS, the Beauty Changes Lives Experience shines the spotlight on emerging beauty and wellness talent and celebrates an industry icon with presentation of the Legacy award.

According to Beauty Changes Lives Foundation President Lynelle Lynch, attendees of the Beauty Changes Lives Experience will enjoy a rich and immersive evening including an elegant dining experience, disruptive runway presentation and a tribute to one of the industry’s most iconic personalities who will be announced in early 2017.

“In planning the 2017 event,” said Lynch, “the committee integrated feedback from beauty professionals, brands and attendees to create an evening that celebrates this amazing industry, the NextGen of beauty talent, and the professionals who change lives every day through careers in beauty.”

“We are thrilled,” commented Paul Dykstra, CEO, America’s Beauty Show by Cosmetologists Chicago, “to support the BCL Experience as the signature Sunday evening event at ABS17. Sunday at ABS is always exciting and inspirational, both for the thousands of ABS attendees and the industry as a whole. Adding such an all-inclusive event as the BCL Experience to Sunday at ABS will cap the day with elegance, energy and, especially, fund-raising for a very good cause.”

New to the 2017 Beauty Changes Lives Experience is an opportunity for brands to establish a signature scholarship. The Beauty Changes Lives Foundation offers scholarships funded by Wella, CND, Murad, and MUD Make-up Designory, and Lynch said several other manufacturers have expressed interest in establishing a scholarship to support NextGen talent. “From royalty programs and retail promotions to one-of-a-kind scholarship experiences, the industry continues to create innovative opportunities to support NextGen talent,” said Lynch. She noted that BSG/CosmoProf is the most recent brand to support Beauty Changes Lives through sales of its License to Create bags. Proceeds from the bags will fund a new BSG scholarship.

Other highlights of the evening will include:

• An elegant dinner in the Art Institute of Chicago’s Stock Exchange Room

• A runway presentation featuring inspiring looks created by Leo Passage Scholarship winners and some of the industry’s most revered brands and personalities

• A tribute to the 2017 Legacy recipient; the fifth individual to receive this honor previously bestowed upon Vidal Sassoon, Tippi Hedren, Leo Passage and Howard Murad, MD.

• ScholarTips challenges that provide a fun and easy way for industry professionals to pay their success forward

Additional information on the BCL Experience is available at https://beautychangeslives.org/bcl-experience/.