Barbercon is the premier global festival of the barbering community.
Launched in 2016 by Lee Resnick.
Can you tell us about your background, why you started Barbercon?
In running Barbershopconnect.com I would travel to different Barber & Beauty Trade Shows, Barber Battles and Expos and found there was a disconnect between the brands and the attendees. I wanted to create an event that Bridged the Gap between Cosmetology and Men’s grooming.
for our fellow business owners, what challenge have you faced and how did you overcome it?
I created and ran Barbercon by myself for 3 years. Every year Barbercon doubled in size, which created more moving pieces to execute the show seamlessly. The challenge of Barbercon has been to have my Sponsors and Vendors quantify their dollars spent and to give the people attending the show an experience they can take with them and grow as a professional. The key is listening to the people. Brands measure success of a show differently. Some consider a successful event by revenue earned, potential leads, visibility, amount of attendees etc. I try and work with the brands that are a part of Barbercon to make sure they achieve their goal. For example, at Barbercon 2018 Paul Mitchell introduced their new line MVRCK. We discussed different ways to drive people to their booth so we put a charging station there. A nice place to sit, charge your phone while learning about their new products in an organic way. For the Barbercon attendees we try and give them as much diversity when it comes to education and their experience. How can we wow you to make you want to go on social media 3 weeks after Barbercon and say I miss Barbercon and still can’t believe how awesome it was!
What do you do when you’re not at work?
Work for me has no time zone or set hours. Even when I am physically on vacation, I am always doing work. I spend a lot of time with my family who understands that this is the lifestyle I have chosen to live.
What is a key trait to being a successful business owner?
Work ethic. Make your vision a reality no matter what the people around you think.
what Trends are you seeing?
I see a lot more bright color dyes being added to men’s haircuts. I see a growth in people seeking out education.
What will we see at Barbercon 2019
The launch of our smaller regional events called
“The Road to Barbercon” which will lead up to our BIG Barbercon in New York in June.
what advice do you have for the CTJ readers?
No matter how many clients or social media followers you have, your voice is to be heard and you can always make a difference. A good haircut can change a person’s life and you have the ability to be a leader in your community.