This event was absolutely magical. Our conference began with a blessing from the local Cree dancers. After we were dazzled by native dancers in their full traditional outfits, we were all invited to make a large circle around the room and hold hands as a group. We dance around the room together to help establish ourselves as a community. It was very moving and it made us all feel very connected. What a wonderful way to begin our weekend together.
With over 100 attendees, the 2019 event was double the size of our inaugural affair. We had lash professionals join us from all over the world; Australia, Germany, Peru, USA, United Kingdom, Croatia, and more.
The two-day conference hosted world-class educators who shared amazing lessons with us. We had hands-on tutoring, business advice, life advice, and we learned up-to-date information about important industry topics.
For lash industry personal who were unable to attend, we decided to offer something new this year. We hosted the NALA Conference Facebook Party! Our lovely hostess, Jessica Whelan, did a fabulous job of showing the world what was going during the conference. She showed everyone what was in the overstuffed goody bags each day. (Our sponsors are incredibly generous - conference attendees received swag bags on each day valued at over $1,500.) She showed you all the delicious food that was being offered. She introduced our Facebook audience to all of our sponsors. She interviewed each of our speakers so they had an opportunity to give advice to our Facebook viewers. And best of all, she played online games with our Facebook audience and we shipped a ton of prizes to the winners! All-in-all the Facebook conference party was a huge success. We will definitely offer this every year during the conference.
The awards gala was a beautiful event. This Gala is now commonly referred to as the Academy Awards of the lash industry. Our guests arrived on the red carpet looking absolutely glamorous! Shortly after our event began, while we were all taking turns having our photos taken on the red carpet, a local couple entered the venue and the husband said to his wife “oh my goodness there are celebrities everywhere!” The NALA Gala truly is a Hollywood experience.
The evening began with hilarious entertainment. Guests enjoyed a three-course plated dinner service. The awards presentation ceremony was the highlight of the weekend. We closed the evening with a cash bar, a dance floor, and A DJ. A night to remember!
If you missed it, you can watch the awards presentations on our YouTube channel. Each year the awards ceremony is aired live. There were many viewing parties being held around the world as everyone watched to find out who the winners are. It is a very exciting time each year. It is wonderful when someone wins their award. The NALA Industry Awards are based on merit. Each of our winners are chosen because they qualify for the awards. To be a top finalist for any of our awards is a sign of professional credibility and integrity. To be the winner is a huge accolade! You can find the list of award winners on the website www.nalagala.com
The NALA Awards Gala and Conference will be held on the first weekend of May every year. Mark it in your calendar! This event has been the talk of the industry for the past two years and we intend to continue to wow our attendees!
Disclaimer: This blog is intended for informational purposes and is not intended to replace formal business advice, financial advice, government regulations, or any other form of legal advice.