Following two years of virtual events during the pandemic, face to face aesthetic conferences and events returned with a vengeance in 2022. And 2023 promises to be another exciting year, with a busy calendar of innovative aesthetics events to look forward to.
Already this year the Hamilton Fraser team has attended a number of aesthetics events, from student conferences such as UCL’s International Plastic Surgery Conference and iPRAS’s Microsurgery Conference, to the Menopause in Aesthetics Conference – a first of its kind event dedicated to integrating menopause support into aesthetic clinics.
Shelly Hemmings, Cosmetic Account Executive at Hamilton Fraser and a seasoned presenter and exhibitor, summarises some of the highlights she’s looking forward to:
"And there we have it - event season 2023 starts off with a bang, with ACE and the Aesthetics Awards. The ACE event never fails to deliver fresh insights into new trends and developments in the sector and is a fantastic opportunity to catch up with our customers and partners. I’m also very excited about the Aesthetics Awards this year, as we’ll be presenting the ‘Hamilton Fraser Award for Best Clinic South England’!
On 25 March I’ll beheading to the Scottish Aesthetic Conference in Glasgow, to deliver a talk on ‘seven top tips to keep and stay out of trouble in aesthetics’. It’s the ‘must go' event for all practitioners, but especially those who are looking to begin their journey into the aesthetics field.
The BACN will also continue to put on their renowned regional events throughout the year, kicking off with the BACN Spring Symposium event – which is geared towards advanced nurse practitioners - on 21 April. The Hamilton Fraser cosmetic team will be exhibiting, and we’re all thrilled to be taking part in the BACN’s quality educational events, alongside some of the most notable shining stars in the industry.”
Shelly Hemmings, Account Executive at Hamilton Fraser
But with so many conferences, award ceremonies and seminars to choose from, you may be unsure which ones to take part in. To help you, we’ve put together a guide to the must-attend aesthetic events of the year.
Attending aesthetic conferences can enhance your professional and personal development, as well as providing tools and skills which cannot always be taught in-house or online, providing a fantastic opportunity to absorb new advances in the sector.
There’s also a sharing of energy and ideas that only really happens when people meet face to face. The interactive nature of learning at a conference encourages attendees to dig deeper and develop a greater understanding of their speciality.
For aesthetic practitioners looking to gain new skills, share knowledge and exchange ideas with other like-minded people, conferences provide the perfect opportunity for personal development.
"Here at Hamilton Fraser we not only focus on insurance but also the education of practitioners to encourage and promote a better, safer industry to work in, not only for the benefit of their customers but to minimise risk for our customers. The halt on events after the pandemic really heightened the want and need for face-to-face events within the industry and the space in the market that they fill. You can only learn so much online, but the opportunities for networking, being around like-minded people, and collaborations that physical events offer are invaluable. On top of attending upcoming events, we will also be focusing on how to better our own annual ABC conference to enable more practitioners to feasibly attend and gain the unrivalled advice and education on the industry from top experts – a very fun, exciting year ahead!”
Viki Hooker, Events Executive at Hamilton Fraser
There are a number of ways to get the most out of attending a conference such as:
One of the most significant reasons for going to conferences is to meet with likeminded people and industry peers; conferences bring together people from different geographical locations and a wide range of backgrounds, who all share a common interest in aesthetics.
Successful networking can help advance your career by building new relationships, providing invaluable resources, advice and ‘insider’ knowledge that can lead to taking that next step up.
Conferences provide a great opportunity to learn new things about the aesthetics industry, whether that be new treatments, techniques and products or business development.
At conferences you get to meet the best in the business and have the chance to ask presenters and demonstrators questions about their work which can help enhance your own skills.
You can use conferences as a platform to get your aesthetics questions answered and attend talks that can help to boost your knowledge and understanding of the sector. Don’t forget to also take plenty of notes that you can refer back to at a later date!
Presenting at a conference offers many benefits, it’s an opportunity for you to showcase your knowledge and skills, which can help raise awareness of your brand and services, boosting your professionalism and credibility.
It can also help improve your confidence at speaking in front of large crowds. Presenting can be extremely rewarding, but it is important to find your own natural style that works for you and resonates with audience members.
Select an area of expertise and carefully tailor your talk to the conference audience. You may also be able to pre-empt audience questions based on your topic of choice in advance.
This can help you to support and provide added value for audience members.
Presenting is also a great opportunity to showcase your skills and business acumen.
Many businesses may be put off exhibiting at conferences due to costs, however with the right strategy and as part of a wider marketing plan, exhibiting can be a very profitable option.
It provides the opportunity to showcase your clinic and/or expertise to an engaged audience and offers face to face access to prospects, which is a great way to develop strong and lasting relationships.
For additional ideas as well as events, to support your marketing planning, read our article on digital marketing for aesthetic practitioners.
Aesthetics Conference and Exhibition (ACE)
British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) 103rd Annual Meeting
Facial Aesthetic Conference and Exhibition (FACE)
British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons (BAAPS) Annual Scientific Meeting
Clinical + Cosmetic + Regenerative (CCR) Conference
International Academy of Advanced Facial Aesthetics (IIAFA) Conference
International Academy of Advanced Facial Aesthetics (IIAFA) Charity Ball and Awards
Aesthetics United Charity Conference
Whether you are focused on networking, presenting, exhibiting or just attending, conferences can help aesthetics practitioners build and hone their skill base and network. Conferences range from showcasing the latest aesthetics treatments right the way through to offering business development skills.
With an aesthetics event available to meet a range of needs, it’s worth attending a conference tailor made for you as a practitioner in 2023!
“At Hamilton Fraser we are more than just an insurance provider and I am passionate about playing a key role in educating practitioners whilst promoting safety and high standards in the industry. Conferences and events are a great way for us to emphasise and communicate this to our customers and partners and meet them in person. It’s fantastic that zoom meetings and video calls have become integrated as an additional tool in our new way of life. But there is nothing better than face to face contact and I’m eager to meet with key partners, influential bodies and associations, as well as our customers at this year’s aesthetics events. Exciting times are definitely ahead, with lots of events to come, which will all nicely build up to own our annual ABC conference – details to follow!”
Shelly Hemmings, Account Executive at Hamilton Fraser
