Mark your calendar – organizers are preparing for the first-ever Indie Beauty Expo (iBE) on August 27, 2015 at the Altman Building in New York City. 

The show, promoted on social media with the hashtag #weareindiebeauty, will feature more than 60 exhibitors including: Arya Essentials, BeautyRX, Fit Glow Beauty, Goodness of Skin, KaplanMD, Million Dollar Tan, InnerSense Organic Haircare, and Violets are Blue, among others. The exhibition space is sold out – and a wait list is in place for additional brands who wish to sign up.

Giving Indie Brands the Spotlight

Independent beauty brands are a rapidly-growing segment of the beauty and lifestyle industry – and the show’s founders knew how much indie brands could benefit from having a platform to reach the press, buyers and consumers.

IBE was founded by Jillian Wright, of Jillian Wright Clinical Skin Spa, who has her won indie brand, Jillian Wright Skincare; and Nader Naeymi-Rad, CEO of Vesture, a luxury fashion company.

Wright commented, “When I started my skincare business, I was frustrated by the lack of true beauty incubators. The category has consolidated into an environment where niche brands are not given the chance to flourish and take center stage.”

Naeymi-Rad added, “A professionally curated and scalable indie-focused expo has been long overdue and this has been validated by the overwhelmingly positive response we have received.” 

A Trade & Consumer Event, Combined

IBE features a new concept – opening up an industry event to the public. The day is reserved for the press and buyers, but at 5 pm the show opens to the public. Tickets are $59, and the consumer event includes the opportunity to shop discounted rates, attend panel discussions, enjoy cocktails and leave with a goodie bag.

Supporting Sustainability

IBE supports 5 Gyres, an organization that is working to pursue policies that will reduce the plastic pollution in our oceans.  As the beauty industry embraces environmentally sustainable practices — with indies leading the way — the expo is proud to supports 5 Gyres and its goal of getting ocean polluting microbeads out of beauty products.