Event News

HAIR SHOTS 2 THE WORLD ANNOUNCES WINNERS

Hair Shots 2 The World Announces its 15th Anniversary Competition Winners Celebrating 15 years of publishing hair images around the world, HairShots 2 the World have given away 3 global collection releases in a prize pool for the winners, worth almost $2,000. The winners are: Established Senior: Kelly Manu, UNA/AKL, Auckland @kellymanu_ Early Career Senior: Jackson Fifield, Paper Rokk Hair, Gold Coast @jackson.fifield.hair Apprentice: Jessica Wilson, Zibido Hair, Hamilton, New Zealand @hairbyjesswilsonn Kelly Manu Jackson Fifield Jessica Wilson “Congratulations to the winners and thank you to all the entrants. Stunning, publication-worthy collections were entered but there could only be three winners,” Hair Shots 2 The World Director, Leanne Cutler said. “I am very proud to be promoting Australian and New Zealand hairdressing because the highest standard is something that hairdressers and clients around the world deserve to see.” Leanne said that as well as the onslaught of ANZ collections that

July 8, 2025

AESTHETIC BUSINESS MASTERS HEADS TO PERTH

Aesthetic Business Masters, Australia’s leading business event for the medical aesthetics industry, is heading west for its 2025 finale—and tickets are officially on sale. The highly anticipated full-day summit will take place on Monday, 22nd September 2025 at the picturesque Perth Zoo. After sold-out events in Sydney and Melbourne, the Perth edition promises to deliver another powerhouse day of strategy, mindset, marketing, and connection for clinic owners, cosmetic nurses, aesthetic practitioners, and aesthetic industry professionals. The 2025 Perth event features an all-star lineup of national industry leaders, including Sheri-Lee Knoop (President, Cosmetic Nurses Association), Dr. Anh Nguyen, Gay Wardle, Neil Osborne, Saf Chowdhury, Paul Fister, Tara Shaw, Iola Ciavarra, Rhi Mitropoulos, and surprise special guests. Hosted within a unique and vibrant venue, the event is designed to energise, educate, and empower delegates with real-world strategies that drive growth and sustainability in aesthetic businesses. VIP tickets include access to an exclusive

July 7, 2025

2025 AHIA CREATIVE WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

THE BEST IN AUSTRALIAN & NZ HAIR HAVE BEEN ANNOUNCED AT THE ANNUAL AHIA CREATIVE AWARDS GALA EVENING. The Australian and New Zealand hair industry’s biggest celebration of creativity and excellence, the 2025 AHIA Creative Awards, reached new heights on Monday 30th June, with a dazzling Gala held at The Star Sydney Event Centre. The event marked not only the fifth year of this prestigious awards platform, but also a phenomenal 20 years of Mocha Group as a leading force in media, awards and events across the hair, beauty and barber industries. From the most established icons to the brightest new stars, the evening truly celebrated the full spectrum of hairdressing artistry. Amongst fierce competition and a record-breaking 40% increase in entries, key winners included AHIA Creative Australian Hairdresser of the Year 2025, Bernadette Beswick of Beswick Education Services, AHIA Creative New Zealand Hairdresser of the Year 2025, Sara Allsop of Dharma Salon and AHIA Creative International Hairdresser of the Year

July 1, 2025

2025 ABIA FINALISTS ANNOUNCED

The nation’s most outstanding beauty professionals have been recognised with the reveal of Finalists for the ANZ Beauty Industry Awards 2025 Established in 2011 by industry leader Mocha Group, the ABIAs serve as the premier industry awards platform, setting the gold standard for excellence across specialist and individual beauty and make-up categories. For the first time in the awards’ history, New Zealand has been included alongside Australia, expanding the platform’s reach across the Tasman. Spanning over 33 comprehensive categories, the ABIAs continued appeal is evident through the 15% increase in submissions, reflecting the dynamic expansion of the industry and the awards’ continued responsiveness. This is exemplified by the introduction of the new Best Business Coach of the Year category, alongside the addition of New Zealand entries and the inaugural NZ Salon/Spa/Clinic of the Year award. This years entries were judged by a panel of industry luminaries, each selected for their

June 24, 2025

DEPOT IKONS STYLE COMPETITION 2025

DEPOT Male Tools & Co AU launched its first-ever national barbering competition earlier this year, unveiling the DEPOT IKONS Style Competition as a way to celebrate the talent and technical skill within the Australian barbering industry. Written by Louise May -Editor In Chief for Mocha Group and Images by Jarred Stedman For Mocha Group Entrants from across the country were invited to submit three images showcasing their best work, combining modern styling with traditional barbering techniques. From these entries, five finalists were selected to compete live on stage at the 2025 EXPO4BARBERS. Hosted by DEPOT Ambassadors Suzi O’Brien and Ben Kane, and judged on stage by Josh O.P, Fraser Forsey and Gareth Philpott, the live competition gave each finalist the chance to cut and style in real time, with a supportive crowd and high expectations. At stake was more than just the title — the winner would receive an exclusive

June 18, 2025

RE:GEN ROADSHOW

TICKETS ARE MOVING FAST FOR THE HAIR EVENT OF 2025 The Future of Hair & Skin Arrives August! August is just around the corner and with it a fantastic opportunity to level up your skills, knowledge and value in a fast growing and evolving space – hair loss. The RE:GEN Roadshow brings together some of the biggest names in global hair and skin to share cutting-edge insights, groundbreaking solutions, and emotional perspectives on the journey of hair loss. You’ll get a chance to learn from the best how to support your clients as they navigate an issue that can impact their happiness, confidence and even their identity. There’s also plenty to enjoy socially as you mingle with industry peers and immerse yourself in our vibrant community—all while gaining invaluable knowledge from global experts. Meet the World-renowned International Experts Corri Marshall – As Founder of DermapenWorld™ and the Director of Cosmeceuticals,

June 10, 2025

2025 MATRIX ALL STARS WINNERS

Congratulations to the six outstanding winners of the 2025 Matrix All Stars competition! This dynamic event celebrates the everyday salon artist, those creating trend-forward, personality driven looks behind the chair. After an exciting live competition on May 19, where 60 finalists from across Australia and New Zealand showcased their skills in real time, the winners were officially crowned on Monday, May 26. Judged on their ability to create a scroll-stopping transformation using Matrix colour and styling products, these six hairdressers have truly proven they’re leading the way in commercial and social hair trends. THESE SIX WINNERS WILL EACH RECEIVE 5 NIGHTS ACCOMODATION IN SYDNEY RETURN FLIGHTS FROM THEIR CLOSEST CAPITAL CITY TO SYDNEY. 3-DAY PRO ARTIST MENTORSHIP AND CONTENT CREATION EXPERIENCE WITH OUR GLOBAL MATRIX ARTISTS 1-DAY PASS TO HAIR FESTIVAL 2025 TICKET TO THE BIGGEST AWARDS NIGHT ON THE HAIRDRESSING CALENDAR – THE AHIA CREATIVE AWARDS GALA ON THE

May 27, 2025

SLOANS GIVES BACK TO LANE COVE

Industry-renowned salon Sloans has marked its 25th anniversary by giving back to the community that has supported it from day one. As a proud cornerstone of Lane Cove and national leader in hair fashion, Director and Owner Scott Sloan and the award-winning Sloans team launched a special initiative to honour this milestone with 25 complete hair transformations gifted to deserving local Mums via the North Shore Mums online community. Scott was excited to welcome these beautiful women into the salon for some pampering: “Our success over the past quarter century has only been possible because of the incredible support of our local community. This is my way of saying thank you. Lane Cove is more than just where we work, it’s home. With close to 1,000 entries received, giving these mums something special is the least we could do to celebrate such an amazing journey.” As the current AHIA NSW/ACT

May 27, 2025

WINNERS OF 5TH ANNUAL ANZ MODERN BARBER AWARDS 2025 ANNOUNCED

Australia and New Zealand’s best in barbering talent, creativity, and business excellence have been named at the ANZ Modern Barber Awards 2025 (AMBAs). The biggest winners of the evening included Empire Barbershop, named ANZ Modern Barber Business of the Year 2025, Matt Clarke, Esq. Male Grooming, named ANZ Modern Barber of the Year, Jimmy O’Brien, AKA Jimmy Rod awarded Special Recognition and Clare Castles inducted into the Hall of Fame.. Held on Monday 5th May at The Island in Surfers Paradise, the gala celebrated the most talented barbers, business leaders, and educators from across Australia and New Zealand and shone a spotlight on this fast-evolving industry. Guests enjoyed a stylish start to the night with canapés and drinks before moving into the elegant Glasshouse room for the awards ceremony. The evening included an experiential fusion of elevated and interactive street art, beat boxing, live musicians, deep DJ beats, plus alley echo rhythms and raps that hit like they were born in the backstreets. An

May 26, 2025

SOPHIA HILTON 2025 AUSTRALIAN ROADSHOW

Sophia Hilton’s ‘Money Mindset & Company Culture’ Australian Roadshow is coming to Brisbane, Sydney & Melbourne in May 2025! BRISBANE 7th of May with SOPHIA Hilton MELBOURNE 12th of May with SOPHIA Hilton SYDNEY 13th of May with SOPHIA Hilton This is for any Professional Hairdresser – NOT just L’Oreal Salons Join internationally renowned hairdressing educator and keynote speaker Sophia Hilton for an exclusive one-day event that will transform the way you approach money and company culture in your salon. WATCH THIS INTERVIEW TO HEAR WHAT SOPHIA’S TOUR IS ALL ABOUT USE THIS EXCLUSIVE DISCOUNT CODE MADE AVAILABLE FOR THE MOCHAGROUP COMMUNITY NOTANOTHERCLUB BOOK TICKETS HERE This roadshow is focused on “how to help our teams manager their personal money. We recognise that we have a bucket. that we keep pouring money into, and while we need to keep paying staff, the bigger issue is the mis- management of their money” AS A

April 17, 2025