Connecting the Collective: Representing Foil Me at the AHC Industry Day & Leadership Summit 2026

July 2026 | Cat Parkinson, Foil Me Artist Experience Leader

I'll be honest. Walking into a room filled with hundreds of the country's top hairdressers, salon owners and industry leaders on behalf of a brand as loved as Foil Me brings a unique kind of pressure.

When our founders, Emily and Iliano, asked me to head to Sydney to represent the Foil Me family at the Australian Hairdressing Council (AHC) Industry Day and Leadership Summit, I knew I had big shoes to fill. But if there is one thing I quickly realised, it's that the Australian hair industry doesn't care if you're a founder or a representative: they welcome you with open arms and so much energy.

Over two packed days at the Ivy Ballroom, with 200 passionate professionals at Industry Day and 300 attending the Leadership Summit and Schmoozefest, I experienced raw conversations, forward-thinking business insights and an incredible amount of community love.

Here is what went down from my perspective on the floor.

The heavy lifting and high energy

The weekend kicked off at 8:00 AM on Friday, and I was immediately reminded of why hairdressers are simply the best people on the planet.

As I was trying to juggle boxes of Foil Me goodies from the hotel to the Ivy Ballroom, Theresa, a gorgeous retired CIT Educator, stepped right in to help me carry them. Then, she and Kylie Dwyer from Elite Hair Education helped me pack our brochures into the goodie bags. Talk about community spirit straight out of the gate!

By 9:00 AM, the doors officially burst open. The energy in the room was electric, amplified by our hilarious EmCee, Jools Liddle (@haus_of_jools). After a warm welcome from AHC CEO Fiona Beamish, we dove straight into the core focus of the day.

The apprentice puzzle: retaining the future

The overarching theme of the morning was simple yet vital: how do we attract, retain and elevate the next generation of hair artists?

Industry updates and mentorship

The AHC Committee update: Jane Barrett delivered crucial updates on the Apprentice Completion and Initiative Pilot, shifting the focus onto how the industry can collectively support apprentices through to completion.

The mentorship panel: Lyndal Salmon (BIBA Academy) led a stellar panel featuring Carla Tedesco (Alarah Hair Studio), Loz Main (The Rumours Are True), Daniel Di Iorio (Di Iorio) and Ali Homes (Wildlife Sogo). Their takeaway? Being a great mentor is the ultimate secret weapon for building apprentices who want to stay, learn and contribute long-term.

The curriculum landscape: SaCSA (Service and Creative Skills Australia) shared illuminating survey results regarding training packages. Kate Henderson (SaCSA) then led a panel with Jane Barrett (Pivot Point), Sheridan Rose Shaw (Mamawest) and Cathy King (Toni & Guy), mapping out exactly what the new curriculum options mean for salons.

The hilarious interlude: Just when our brains were full of policy and data, Jools Liddle got the entire room on their feet to learn dance moves to Michael Jackson's Beat It. There is nothing quite like watching 300 hair professionals sync-dancing in a ballroom to reset the room's energy!

Taking the stage for Foil Me

Then came the sponsor slots. Every brand was given up to three minutes to show their video and speak about their business. When it was my turn to stand up for Foil Me and talk about why our premium, embossed foils are the best in the world... well, I took five minutes. Oops, LOL! When you are representing a product crafted with so much care, and demonstrating its strength by pulling one side with a volunteer and showing its incredible grip too, it's hard to keep it brief!

We wrapped up the afternoon with a fascinating look at the barbering landscape, hosted by Gareth Philpott (The Barber Academy) alongside Aaron Chan (Kings Domain), Jimmy O'Brien (Jimmy Rods) and Rocco D'Amore (TAFE NSW), followed by precision cutting insights from the UK's own Ben Brown (BB Education), who had literally flown in that morning.

The AI shift and the human touch

Saturday shifted focus to the Leadership Summit and Schmoozefest, welcoming a massive crowd of 300 attendees, and gave me a nice lazy morning with the event not starting until 12:00 PM.

We kicked off with Skye Cappuccio, CEO of COSBOA, who reminded us that small businesses make up 97% of all Australian businesses: salons and barbershops are truly the backbone of the economy.

The conversation quickly turned to the future of business and technology:

• Brett King from The Futurists Podcast broke down where AI is heading and its place in the Australian business landscape.
• Tracy Sheen (CSP) cut through the noise, giving us a practical framework to navigate the AI shift without getting lost in the tech hype.
• Mitch Wallis, a psychology thought leader and connection expert, stole the show with a deeply moving talk on mental health. He shared his personal journey and reminded us of a vital skill in the salon space: how to help someone by truly listening, rather than advising.

Who we schmoozed with

Of course, it wouldn't be the annual AHC event without an epic Schmoozefest, which I was told is well known as the best catch-up of the entire year for like-minded hairdressing industry socialites. And they were not wrong! The Ivy Bar was packed head to toe, and it was such a wonderful atmosphere where it was clear everyone was having a great time.

Over the two days, I had the pleasure of catching up with long-time members of our Foil Me community and putting our foils into the hands of brilliant artists who hadn't yet experienced the brand. Learning about the industry and its future was something new for me, and being armed with this knowledge will help me understand the hairdressing community even more. It was an absolute joy to chat, laugh and connect on behalf of the team with:

What's next?

Stepping out to represent Emily and Iliano at events like this reminds me exactly why Foil Me is so special. It isn't just about supplying premium boxes of foil and the other hair tools we create; it's about supporting a massive, passionate ecosystem of hard-working creatives.

I left Sydney with a full heart, new industry insights and a profound appreciation for our incredible community. We're keeping this momentum rolling. Wherever the industry gathers next, Foil Me will be there!

What are your thoughts? We'd love to hear from you in the comments below.