Hair Festival 2026 Exhibitor List

Bridget is the Head of Stefan Hair Academy, leading education and training across Stefan Hair’s network of salons. With a passion for developing emerging talent and elevating industry standards, Bridget plays a key role in shaping the next generation of hairdressers. Her commitment to excellence and career development has helped countless apprentices and stylists build successful careers within the industry.

With over 17 years of experience in the hair industry, Bonnie has built her career with Stefan, sharing knowledge, mentoring and educating emerging talent across the industry. Stepping into the role of Technical Director five years ago, she leads an education team dedicated to leading colour education, technical training, trend forecasting and creative development. Beyond the salon, she has had the opportunity to work across a variety of events, throughout Australia and internationally, allowing her to collaborate with leading industry professionals.

Chantelle is the Social Media Manager at Stefan Hair, where she combines her extensive industry experience with a passion for digital storytelling and content creation. At Stefan, Chantelle leads the brand’s social media strategy and content creation, bringing the company’s salon culture, education, trends, and transformations to life across digital platforms. Her unique blend of technical hair expertise and creative marketing insight helps connect Stefan Hair with audiences across Queensland and beyond.

With a Journalism and publishing background, Cameron Pine has been in the hairdressing industry for over 20 years. At the helm of INSTYLE magazine and Styleicons.com.au for the best part of two decades, his current role as Editorial and Creative Director has transferred a plethora of business and creative strengths across to the Hair Festival events and artist programs, including the popular Hair Festival Wonderland party and REALtalk Business program. Cameron has worked across Marketing and Creative Direction for some of the world’s most known hairdressing salon brands during his long-standing tenure as an employee of The Intermedia Group, a subsidiary of Hair Festival, since 2001. Cameron brings key creative synergies to the brand across its various touchpoints and the expansion of his remit in 2022 reflects the increased dynamism needed to stand out in the hairdressing industry as a whole. Holding a Diploma in Journalism and Bachelor of Arts, Cameron continues to develop relationships that help to pioneer creativity in a dynamic and forever evolving industry. Cameron’s passion is to continue to innovate creative and branded content, while bringing editorial and authentic content solutions to the full range of partners and advertisers within the hairdressing business.

James Fitzgerald is an international keynote speaker and Executive Director of Programming at SMK, known for helping businesses make sense of how artificial intelligence is reshaping creativity, client relationships and digital discovery. He works with brands and business owners around the world to turn emerging technology into practical ideas that support growth without losing personality or craft. With a clear, down-to-earth speaking style, James translates complex AI trends into real-world opportunities that feel relevant on the salon and barber floor as much as in the boardroom. At Hair Festival 2026, he shares a practical and forward-looking perspective on how stylists, barbers, and salon owners can work smarter with AI while staying visible and competitive in a rapidly changing industry.

owner of the justcuts franchise empire which now has 230 salons globally

global icon Philip Wolff

Glenn Conley, founder of Mindshiftr, shares the story behind his work and takes the room through a live group mind shift experience

Charmaine isn’t just passionate about marketing – she’s lived and breathed it since she was 13. Too young to work legally, she convinced a marketing company to ‘hire’ her in exchange for gifts including a PlayStation, iPod, Nikes, and CDs. Twenty-two years later, her passion for marketing and business is stronger than ever. As the Founder of Elevate Marketing + Communications, Charmaine works closely with beauty-based businesses, helping them increase profits and become fully booked. She’s partnered with over 500 businesses throughout her career, helping them scale and achieve consistent success. Her hands-on, no-nonsense approach, combined with extensive experience, has made her a trusted expert in business growth. Charmaine is also an international speaker, delivering high-energy, practical, and inspiring sessions at major industry events across Australia, New Zealand, and the USA. Highlights include the International Beauty Show (IBS) New York 2025, International Lash Exhibition Arizona 2025, International Nails & Lash Exhibition Florida 2025, Beauty Show Australia 2025, and Aotearoa Lash Conference. Her sessions are known for being both motivating and deeply actionable, leaving audiences ready to implement what they’ve learned immediately. While Charmaine now focuses on mentoring small business owners, her experience includes working alongside some of the most recognised names in the beauty industry. During her time leading marketing and brand strategy for Locks Lash, Australia’s longest-standing lash and brow educator, she played an instrumental role in shaping the brand’s voice, boosting its visibility, and reaching global audiences through creative campaigns. She also mentors Ana James, the world’s #1 SMP artist and founder of INKD SMP, Australia’s leading scalp micropigmentation clinic and training facility. Beyond the beauty industry, Charmaine has worked with global brands including Lindt, Alfa Romeo, Jeep, and Fiat, blending corporate experience with an authentic passion for helping independent businesses thrive. What truly fuels her? Watching small business owners unleash their full potential. Charmaine’s down-to-earth style, combined with her vast experience, leaves those she works with feeling inspired, motivated, and fired up to take their businesses to the next level.

I’m Kate Slater, a CPA and business strategist who’s spent over 14 years sitting across from salon and small business owners who are brilliant at what they do and quietly terrified of their own numbers. I built Girl Math because nobody should have to run a business in the dark. Same fun, same women, completely different ending. Where wanting the money isn’t something to apologise for, it’s the point. I run Camtech & Slater Financial Group with a team across Australia and the Philippines, and I speak to salon owners about the stuff nobody hands you in a manual.