Hj's british hairdressing business awards 2013: judges have their say

The initial judging for HJ’s 2013 British Hairdressing Business Awards has taken place – here’s what some of the judges thought about your entries... Don't forget to check the full list of finalists here! “This is the first time I’ve judged HJ’s British Hairdressing Business Awards and I’m privileged to be asked. The entries have been a good insight into the industry, and it’s great to see passion and energy in many of the categories, especially Manager of the Year. It’s the future of the industry and it’s in good hands.” Terry McGovern, L’Oréal Professionnel sales manager for London “As a first-time judge at the Awards, I found that the standard in the entries was mixed. There was a clear winner in the category I judged. The entries were well presented and a lot of thought had gone into it. It highlights the dedication and passion in our industry.” Richard Hull, Salon Services managing director “There were some great entries and the standard was of a high quality with careful consideration gone into the content. I judged the Salon Design Award and was impressed with the designs of the salons; there was a lot of detail around the green concepts and initiatives being brought into salons. There were plenty of inspirational designs and salon owners are thinking about the client experience as well.” Karen Thomas, Schwarzkopf Professional Southern education manager “I was blown away by the hard work and preparation in the portfolios. The energy of the industry is paramount and is as strong as ever, despite the difficult economic times.” Simon Tickler, 3?6?5 and Salon Success managing director “The high quality and calibre of some of the entries made it hard to judge. For example, there were some really creative entries in the Website/Innovation of the Year category. There were some emotional entries in the Salon Team category as businesses and relationships are laid bare. Many of them deserve to win for different reasons.” Alison Hargreaves, Wella Professionals education manager “I was stunned by how far websites have developed in the past 12 months and hairdressers are now really aware of the digital space.” Kate Woods, HJi web editor “There was a cross-section of entries and nice to see smaller independents entering alongside bigger names and chains; all entries were customer-focused, which was great to see, and doing what they can do to raise standards. I thoroughly enjoyed it.” Chris King, Great Lengths head of education “There were some inspirational and enthusiastic entries, with clear evidence of how new initiatives have boosted business and motivated team members. However, I would urge everyone to read and re-read their entries before submitting.” Ruth Hunsley, HJ editor “The standard this year was as high as ever. What stood out for me was the level of inventiveness and business creativity, as the economy continues to be tough. The best entries are not afraid to try new things, while keeping a clear focus on the result achieved.” Richard Strom, managing director of Ignite Strategies “The entries were at a really high standard, so at times it was challenging to select a winner, but the one thing that set the winners apart this year is that they absolutely followed the criteria and delivered exactly what was asked. It’s really nice to see some creative ideas and their dedication to their clients and team. It’s always nice to see entries with an equal amount of effort in terms of presentation and content. Well done to all the finalists. The standard of entries just keeps getting better.” Sarah Cross, managing director of Über “There were some fantastic entries where you could feel the enthusiasm when reading their descriptions. They included lots of attention to detail and were put together by the relevant people and not a third party, which came across loud and clear. There were some lovely step-by-step logical entries that took the judges on a journey.” Julie Eldrett, Julie Eldrett Consulting To book your tickets for the awards, call Dan Eversfield on 020 8652 8845 or email [email protected]