Forging a new frontier in customer relationships for salons, the ninth annual Phorest Salon owners Summit in Dublin took a deep dive into the agility, attitude and innovation that makes Phorest Salon Software a master in growth, writes Cameron Pine.

Phorest empathetically understands the rising challenges of running a business, so rather than dictate and drive their own corporate agenda, the company’s mission is to work closely with their partners to listen and understand there is no real average KPI – believing every business should be different and set their own benchmarks. Phorest gathered a bewildering broad of salon spirit in Dublin city on January 25 to 27, from all corners of the globe and as far and wide as the United States, Australia and across the UK.

“The theme of this year’s summit is elevate where we are going rise to the challenges and really kick ass to the year ahead,” said Ronan Perceval, Phorest founder. “Running a business has never been easy and every single one of us in this room know that. Every year that goes by we fix a problem, we solve something new and, just when you think you are in the clear, something pops up to punches us in the face, but this is why I love working at Phorest to help us all solve these challenges, together.”

Built on a strong marketing launch into the tech space – Phorest was born as the first salon to send SMS marketing – a core part of why Phorest salon partners consistently perform among the best in the industry is due to a host of features that are built from a DNA that only a real business marketer understands.

“It’s clear that looking at the year ahead and growing a business like ours, given the challenges that we face, is going to be a bit different to the last, just rising to the challenge isn’t going to be an option – it’s going to be a necessity,” Ronan said. “The expectations of our staff are going up and we have to level up our customer service and management game – and as we rise to the challenge over the year ahead, we will be better business people, and that is why the theme of the summit for 2025 is elevate.”

The conference mixed panels with workshops and a fair dose of fun, creating a comprehensive program led by speaker who are pioneers in their field, many whom have been spa and salon owners themselves. The program filled two 12 hour-plus days just of conference scheduling alone.

Competent across all areas of business gameplay, whether it’s customer experience, consumer understanding, motivating teams or building resilience, the information shared is what builds the strong human connection that Phorest embodies. With an ongoing podcast channel, Phorest FM, to continuing to invest in the physical touch that keeps us inspired, Phorest is one of the few with a 360 degree view.

“We’ve had nine salon summits for a total of 28 days and this has been one of the most special and largest of all,” Ronan said.

Helping make it all possible, Phorest welcomed partners such as Mya, Dermalogica and Vish – sponsoring and setting up pop-ups in mingling areas to further enhance the networking opportunities with a wider global community. With more than 650 attendees, it was the largest Phorest Salon Owners Summit to date.

“We’ve also listened to your feedback and we have some extra time for you to spend with the Phorest team – so please take advantage of all the things we’ve created for you over the next few days,” Ronan confirmed.

Growth is also not possible without a strong brand vision, so Phorest set out to find the world’s best branding expert and brought him to Ireland – Ken Hughes. Ken is a keynote speaker who led into the detailed program of insight, wellness, mindfulness, AI, data and the power of the human spirit. With workshops on top and too many take-aways to mention, it’s the first time I’ve seen an audience still engaged hours into a program. All nine plus speakers showcased why they are kings of the customer experience in their realm.

Ken proved how he helps thousands globally to build better loyalty with the customer through experiences that people feel they can’t get anywhere else, whether it be in the context of understanding consumer loyalty, psychological drivers, what triggers negative culture or habits. Using the Taylor Swift cult following as an example of how to build loyalty, Ken pulled at the heartstrings of all of us – also a metaphor for how Phorest is building a tribal following that’s based purely on human connection.

“Connection is at the core of who we are as humans,” Ken said. “The stronger your relationships are defines your happiness – connection is what makes us happy as humans.”

Many speakers and Ken argued that in a world where technology and automation are increasingly present, consumers are craving more human interaction and personal understanding than ever before, but understanding how to do it with boundaries left many delegates pondering what their formula for success really looks like. Brands that invest in personalised customer service or experiences can build stronger, more loyal relationships with their customers.

From a journey that started with learning massage to designing high-end spas and now to world-class product range, Peigin Crowley’s story is authentic and highly relatable to anyone who has built a business where people are the centrepiece.

Through lessons on leadership, including the importance of clarity and capacity for repair, Peigin spoke of how more than 70 per cent of people over 40 are burnt out and how our personal relationships too offer suffer when we pour our life into our businesses.

Beauty Leaders Winnie Awa, Keya Neal, Tendai Moyo and Dija Ayodele, were hosted by Phorest’s Alex Belisle-Springe in a panel that brought a beauty element to the program with salon owners sharing ideas. Patrick Monaghan, Nuala Maguire and Niamh Greaney shared Data and Learnings from over 10,000 salons with actionable insights and trends to help your salon.

Ronan Harrington is a resilience and high-performance expert who, like all the speakers curated for the Summit, shared his own personal stories of loss and sacrifice to reach a place of better balance. From Endurance to Resilience, Ronan highlighted 65 per cent of stylists reporting anxiety, burnout, and depression. Ronan introduced the concept of sustainable high performance, balancing peak exertion with renewal, also sharing his personal journey with PTSD and fibromyalgia. He stressed the importance of self-care and creating a supportive work environment to enhance client experiences and business success.

Dr. Anne Marie Maffadon followed, discussing the transformative impact of AI on the salon industry and the need for curiosity and innovation to adapt and thrive. Kati Whitledge spoke about Mastering the Client Lifestyle: The Key to Winning & Keeping Clients engaged, speaking through her own salon journey not only as an author but as the owner of three beauty businesses.Not only did Kati unlock innovative marketing strategies to enhance client retention, she discovered strategies for building resilience and achieving sustainable high performance without losing the personal touch.

The fun of the conference came in many forms, from music driven Bingo Loco, our very own Australia General Manger Sandy Carty getting on-stage singing ‘Ice Ice Baby’  to ‘Phorest Juice’, coming out on day two for some added sustenance, there was plenty of networking between likeminded entrepreneurs. A final party with live entertainment in an elegantly French-inspired venue was the celebration to summarise just how much we all learnt over the course of conference.

Looking ahead, the Salon Owner Summit is already preparing for its next instalment in 2026 – the dates have been confirmed for January 25 to 26, with the event returning to the modern and welcoming, Royal Convention Center in Dublin.

In an industry where we are sometimes spoilt for choice, Phorest has earned recognition as one of the fastest-growing technology companies in the hair and beauty industry and is honoured among the Deloitte Fast 50. The brand serves nearly 11,000 businesses globally and over 160,000 beauty professionals across 11 regions, employing over 300 people in offices in Ireland, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, Canada, and the US. In the United States, Phorest is proud to be the most popular software among Salon Today’s Top 200 Winners. 

For many, personally skipping small talk and asking meaningful questions to create emotional intimacy and genuine connections with clients was the overarching theme of the conference.

What keeps Kristian Tognini, from Tognini’s salon, coming back is not only the learnings from two days of world class speakers and thinkers, it is the Phorest community from around the world.

“As soon as you arrive, the Phorest family feels like a warm hug and I have made many friends from around the globe – it’s always invaluable to understand what is happening in the industry globally and how we can adapt and implement change in Australia. Also, the Guinness tastes better in Ireland,” Kristian said.

From starting a business in lockdown or utilising family life savings for a house and risking it on the line for business, each speaker told a true story of resilience and personal sacrifice, resonating strongly with salon and spa owners.

If we are in an age where we can have AI calling a salon to make an appointment, then we can better check on ourselves to try and avoid burning the candle at both ends. We need to foster an element of accountability in both our staff and client relationships to ensure expectations are met.

What features are you using when you’re shut to drive your business? How has your wellbeing taken a backseat and how are you going to inspire others if you haven’t taken care of yourself? These are all very valid points that left us all wondering and pushing for actionable change in 2025.

One thing about growing is the ability to take a good look around at where you’ve been, where you want to be and where the industry is as a whole. After sitting in a conference room with speakers from America, UK and beyond and being bombarded with unprecedented levels of knowledge, it became clear that we are all one when it comes to our business, doing our best to make it meaningful.

For more information visit www.phorest.com

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