Beauty is becoming very fluid, in all sectors of the industry, products, services, treatments, etc., as holistic care becomes more and more primary. Licensed professionals in hair, nails, and skin have the unique opportunity to explore these changes in a very physical way.
The way you talk to or show up for clients, the products you use, even down to the retail level, this “wellness wave” is infused into day-to-day service and operations. Be+Well, an event crafted by Questex in response to this shift, is inviting all pros to come together, learn from each other, and harness the power of holistic beauty.
About the Show
Be+Well, as an event, is a little something new and a little something known. Taking the place of two well-known industry events, IBS and IECSC, Be+Well merges the intention behind both shows into a more focused but comprehensive, wellness-infused conference experience. Starting 2026 in New York, the show will provide attendees with knowledge and materials that allow them to elevate the role wellness plays in their business.
I had the wonderful opportunity of speaking with Elizabeth Trevorrow, Partnership and Event Director for Be+Well, this October, about the aspirations and plans for Be+Well. In our conversation, we discussed everything from conceptual changes to material differences in education and on the showfloor.
Courtesy of Questex
What’s the Difference?
We tackled the elephant in the Zoom pretty quickly, and Trevorrow assured that the International Beauty Show (IBS) and International Esthetics, Cosmetics & Spa Conference (IECSC) are not being dissolved.
“While I hope we see a lot of new faces, and all of our steady Eddies at Be + Well.” Trevorrow explains, “I don't want people to think that we're abandoning those iconic brands. IBS has been around for 20-plus years. IECSC is definitely no spring chicken either. We're just weaving them into our broader media family.”
With the two events converging into Be+Well, another question remained: how is the focus of this event different, and how does it hope to fill those shoes while equipping pros for a major push towards wellness?
“Exposing [licensed professionals] to that bigger picture,” Trevorrow answers, listing topics that impact all professionals across the beauty spectrum like gut health, supplements, hormones and more as opportunities worth exploring to refine craft. There are a thousand ways beauty professionals are already incorporating wellness solutions into their day-to-day services, with countless skin, nail and hair concerns finding their origins in whole-body challenges. In some cases, pros are the first to identify serious medical issues. “It's all about educating that licensed professional beyond what they're traditionally trained for.”
Bringing all the experience and excitement from the previous shows, Be + Well is an evolution of what both offered while blending the two audiences into one. While this change could feel monumental to some, this reframe couldn’t come at a better time.
“It's a wellness community, and we want to break down those barriers.” Trevorrow explains, “Networking has been one of the key definers of what our audience wants. They want to learn more. And we had them siloed for so many years.”
While yes, developments in wellness mean developments to tech, mental health education, and product formulation, a lot of opportunities and solutions can be found just looking across the salonoverse. The event’s education will benefit from a range of experiences, creating more opportunities for comprehensive knowledge.
“We're stronger together.” Trevorrow states, “Pre-pandemic wellness was a luxury and now post-pandemic it's more of an essential.”
Moving away from the feeling of a traditional show experience, Trevorrow imagines Be+Well showing up differently: “A home for all aspects of their career, unifying the community and making it a one-stop shop for them to move into,” she adds,” having it be more of a festival experience versus just going to learn this one thing.” This signals a move away from a strictly education model and focuses equally, if not more, on being experiential and deeply rooted in community.
Speaking of experiences, Trevorrow teases some changes on the show floor. Immersive experiences to aid in fostering a connected community and a new approach to overall layout.
On The Floor
While conceptual changes are integral to such a massive rebrand, it is the material changes that will make the most difference for attendees adapting to the new event. Trevorrow generously walked me through the highlights that make this a more developed show floor.
A Convenient Layout— “We've tried to lay out the trade show floor a little bit differently, so it's easy to navigate.” Trevorry explains. “We've got the spa and wellness area. Beauty and salon essentials area, nails, cosmetics, and lashes. Retail. The business zone and the technology zone. Technology and business are growing, but retail is a new zone for us.”
Social Immersion— “Instagrammable moments, you know, are so fun, so festive. People love sharing what they're doing on social media. So, we're crafting some of those moments.
Partnerships— “Working on some key partnerships that will be really game changers for us. We're talking competitions, we're talking different AI experiences. We're not the professionals in that space, but we're partnering with companies that are. There's a lot of conversations going on, a lot of planning at this point, and we're looking forward to bringing it to life.”
Education
Taking a huge swing at elevating a tradeshow floor is no subtle thing, but even that is only one angle of change for the new event.
“Our mission is to give our attendees that broader brush stroke. Last year, we introduced a new VIP and a premium program with bundled education opportunities, and that took off like wildfire.” Trevorrow explained, sharing a bit of the experience, working on the program and hoping attendees responded well, “And they did! Our content producers are just amazing at their craft and creating valuable education experiences for our attendees. So that's kind of another component to the experience that they'll see on site.”
Trevorrow presents this component as education packages that cross over verticals, noting that previous barriers between beauty and spa education have been dissolved, creating more panoramic, comprehensive educational opportunities.
Business
At the end of the day, for entrepreneurs at any stage, events like IBS, IECSC and now Be+Well are about advancing your business. The team behind the show is very aware of that, and are challenging themselves to make it easier for pros to get that ROI from attendance.
“We're trying to elevate the standard,” Trevorrow shares, “provide high-quality education and best practices. If we can at least introduce them to coaches and companies that can help them on that journey. We really want to build out that sector.”
The business of beauty is complex, especially for a licensed professional trying to create a profitable business. As a craft, providing beauty services is already very competitive and technical, and staying up to date on best business practices, finances, and all the other things is literally an entirely different job.
“We've got a business lounge that we're trying to make appealing to go and hang out and have conversations in a not-so-formal setting.” Trevorrow explains, recognizing the importance of comfort, “More comfortable because a lot of people get overwhelmed. I know when I've got an appointment with my attorney or my accountant, I'm always on edge. How do we make it a softer landing for them? And just a comfortable conversation and and so they walk out empowered and not feeling smaller.”
Conlusion
While sometimes “new” is meant to do the heavy lifting, Be+Well has taken a remarkably responsible approach in handling beauty professionals.
At the end of our conversation, Trevorrow leaves me with this: “Being able to bring everyone together on this wellness journey, not only for the betterment of those who are in their chairs, but the betterment of the licensed professional as well. I really want to empower them and make them feel really great about themselves, their business and the choice to go into this industry.”
The first edition of Be+Well will take place at the Javits Center in New York City, March 8-10, 2026. With expanded offerings, the addition of fitness and wellness exhibitors, and increased education on topics that elevate your craft, Be+Well New York is the must-attend event of 2026 for beauty and wellness professionals. Register to attend the show here!
