Glamour and Growth: Inside Questex’s 2025 International Beauty Show in NYC

Questex’s International Beauty Show (IBS New York), which takes place annually alongside the International Esthetics, Cosmetics, & Spa Conference (IECSC), made what the event provider called a “triumphant return” to New York’s Javits Center March 23-25. 

This is no wonder, as the 2025 IBS New York saw an impressive boost among attendees and sponsors alike: 

• More than 32,000 salon owners and managers, estheticians, hairstylists, barbers, nail technicians, massage therapists, and cosmetologists attended IBS New York 2025, marking a 6% year-over-year increase. 
• There were 430 total participating brands and exhibitors at the 2025 event, 166 of which were first timers—35% growth from IBS New York 2024. 
• Registrants for the 200+ classes offered onsite, spanning hair cutting and styling techniques, barbering, makeup mastery, and nail artistry, increased a staggering 91% from 2024 to 2025. 

Since the inaugural IBS New York in the Big Apple back in 2014, the event—the longest-running professionals-only trade show of its kind—has found a home at the Javits. In the spirit of growth, it’s “one of the only venues in the tri-state area that is large enough to host our growing event,” said Elizabeth Trevorrow, Questex’s event and partnership director, Beauty & Spa Industry.  

This year, a lot of that expansion came in the form of partnership-powered live programming. For instance, a brand-new collaboration with Live Fashion Hair saw “an avant-garde international team delivering a dynamic artistic presentation on our main stage,” Trevorrow explained, noting that the partnership will extend to the upcoming IBS Las Vegas (taking place June 21-23 at the Las Vegas Convention Center) with “classroom education and an onsite Awards Program, reinforcing our commitment to continuity across multiple events.” 

In addition, the 2025 IBS New York worked with professional grooming company L3VEL3 to bring back its barber competition, “The Fades & Blades Barber Battle,” for the first time since COVID. After all, “barbering and men’s grooming continue to gain momentum,” Trevorrow noted. Competing barbers were given 40 minutes to perfect a look, and the winner went home with a $1,000 cash prize, a themed championship belt, and a swag bag courtesy of L3VEL3, which donated $250 worth of pro tools. 

When not engaged in live programming, The Business District was an all-new destination on the show floor “designed to provide salon and spa professionals with the tools and solutions to elevate their business operations,” said Trevorrow, who described the expo floor as “a sensory playground.” The most notable moments, per Trevorrow: “AI-powered skin analysis, virtual try-ons, personalized beauty solutions, LED light therapy, [and] smart cleansing and massaging tools. 

“The beauty and wellness industries are evolving from a luxury to a necessity, becoming an essential part of people’s lives,” Trevorrow said of industry shifts, noting that the increased demand for attendees’ services guided stage presentations and classroom sessions. Speakers worked at major brands like ULTA, Wellington Hair Spa, and Barbicide, serving as subject-matter experts on skills like painting balayage, achieving social media success, working with neurodivergent clients, and managing finances, just to scratch the surface. 

And to further justify ticket costs for attendees, IBS also “successfully launched the IECSC Plus program [at the 2025 event], providing supplier companies with the opportunity to purchase up to 12 curated, one-on-one appointments with top-tier spa industry buyers,” Trevorrow said. “This initiative not only enhanced ROI for suppliers attending the show but also fostered meaningful networking and connections for our premier buyers.” 

Already, IBS New York has its sights set on a March 8-10 return to the Javits Center next year—with plans to grow even more. For IBS New York 2026, “we plan to extend into a fourth hall for 2026, which will expand our footprint to over 116,000 net square feet,” Trevorrow shared. 

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