L'oreal professionnel portfolio congress 2012 in mykanos

Mix a group of great British hairdressers with the sunshine of Mykonos and a programme that combines excellent business speakers with plenty of time to network and socialise, and you have the L'Oréal Professionnel Portfolio Congress 2012.

Having left a wet and windy Gatwick on a private charter, delegates were met on the beautiful island with cocktails on the verandah of the Mykonos Grand White Bar before dining on the terrace to the sounds of the sea.

Sunday morning saw L'Oréal Professional's managing director Vincent Mercier welcome guests and outline the aim of Portfolio in leading and raising the profile of the UK hairdressing industry via salons whose commitment, passion and innovative thinking are key to their success. 

New Portfolio members - The Colour Room, Ken Picton, Kennadys, Neville and Room 97 were also welcomed as general manager for L'Oréal Professionnel Anya Haarhoff took to the stage. 

She stressed the need to innovate as the industry faced challenging times and questions not just about price, but the perception of value. 

Anya said: "You need to showcase your professional difference and superior colour skills; your tailored approach and the positive experiences you can offer - and look at bundling services, remembering that time is of the essence for the cash rich, time poor." 

Anya also outlined the brand's plans to drive traffic into salons by raising the industry's profile in the eyes of the consumer with activity targeting 40 million women via all media channels. 

The first guest speaker of the day was online guru Josh Spear, a self confessed mobile addict and journalist who started a blog when, in the eyes of traditional journalists, it was a dirty word. Attracting a following, Josh began to carry unsolicited but lucrative advertising and soon realised the value of the net and the power of global English. 

"Everyone speaks English online and we are constantly overloaded with disruptions that have seen our brains change the way they see information and even the language we use to communicate," explained Josh.

"Imagine a generation of people who take Google for granted, where industries are being swept away and a world that is spending millions of dollars on items that only exist in a virtual world." 

The importance of embracing online, generating quality content that is rewarded by organic search, and even going as far as Googling your clients in order to know something about them before they arrive in the salon will all increase client loyalty according to Josh.

"Why not take a picture of the client at the end of each visit so that you can both recap on favourite styles and colours? This will surely ensure loyalty." said Josh. "Engage in the brave new world, offer your clients some kind of digital experience and surround yourself by people who were born digital."

A huge amount of useful information was then imparted by brand expert Hamish Taylor. Having spent his working life building brands like British Airways, Eurostar and Sainsbury's Bank he shared his insight into offering a superior customer promise and ensuring you deliver on it. 

He explained: "Soft insights will give you a clear understanding of your customers' world, how they see you and your competitors, and give you a view on what other activities you are competing with when it comes to spend. From leisure pursuits to eating out, in this economic climate all of these activities are competing for the same disposable income." 

"It is imperative that you do not decide the outcome of these insights before you have gone through the process; but keep in mind that your brand promise has to tell the customer what benefit is in it for them, and why they should believe in you. Keep your promotions simple to create maximum salon impact and remember the tone of voice has to reflect the character of the business; a simple statement will work internally and externally and needs to be short and memorable in order to mean something to everyone."

"Campaigns are built on benefits and what you can do to help the client, as opposed to asking them to 'like' your products and/or services. You need to think about the feeling you want to invoke in a client when they think of your brand - and reinforce that feeling with visual triggers that are distinctive, provocative but above all, simple."

Trends for the coming season were then presented by the Nelly Rodi Agency which saw an eclectix mix of colours, styles and textures coming through for Autumn/Winter 2012 and into Spring/Summer 2013, before a breathtaking catwalk show from Frédéric Pavard of Alexandre de Paris. 

From beautifully finished long hair, to a stunning wave edged in silver glitter, the work was the perfect end to an informative and inspirational conference.

This left plenty of time for the group to network and share ideas of their own before heading off to celebrity beach club Nammos for dinner and dancing until the early hours. 

The final day saw the Portfolio group join optional excursions including a jeep tour, boat trip or walking tour of the island before sunset cocktails in the Amphitheatre followed by a farewell dinner in Mykonos town.