Paul mitchell the gathering arrives on uk shores

Published 12th Oct 2009 by sophieh

Paul Mitchell gatherings are never small, understated affairs and the 2009 European The Gathering was no exception - it was loud, it was educational and it was most definitely inspirational.

Held in the UK for the first time, at Birmingham's Hilton Metropole, the event marked a homecoming for the company, whose co-founder Paul Mitchell and global artistic director Robert Cromeans both hail from Britain.

"For 24 years I've been dying to do a show in my own country. Today is the day," Robert told the excited audience that included more than 1,000 hairdressers from 18 countries across Europe.

The two-day extravaganza was a multi-faceted event which combined Paul Mitchell's The Gathering, with the Color Challenge and Color Bar competition grand finals as well as the Opal Elite Salon Owners Symposium to offer a satisfying combination of business seminars, creative shows and educational workshops.

For business minds, the 365 Symposium saw industry experts, including Chris Amos from Chapters Hair and Robert Cromeans giving business advice on key topics such as retailing, increasing turnover and customer care; while motivational speaker Clive Gott gave salon owners the perfect pick-me-up presentation for these times of financial uncertainty.

Meanwhile, at the other side of the hotel, look and learn seminars gave delegates a chance to see the artistic directors in an intimate setting - giving them the best possible insight into creating the latest looks, while the hands-on seminars presented an opportunity to get stuck in and try the latest techniques under the watchful eye of Paul Mitchell experts.

At either end of the Gathering were spectacular shows that gave delegates an emotional high. Hair shows by the Paul Mitchell artistic directors Angus Mitchell, Scott Cole, Stephanie Kocielski, Takashi Kitamura, Linda Yodice and Robert, provided creative styling at its best.

The eclectic fusion of hair pieces, avant garde styling and funky colouring gave the audience a whole new idea of just what can be achieved with a little creativity.

"What an exceptional gathering. I live my life by very few words. Good is good, but great is better. Together we can be great," said Angus as he closed the show.

Color Challenge and Color Bar Competitions

Part of the European The Gathering saw the grand final of the Color Challenge competition, which tasked hairdressers with creating an on-trend commercial look on a mannequin head, and the Color Bar competition, which recognises that salons have really embraced colour and used it to grow their business.

With fantastic prizes up for grabs, including a trip to the 2010 Gathering in Las Vegas and the chance to assist on a photo shoot there was a high standard of innovation on display.

After a rigorous judging process the winners were named as:

Color Challenge Winners