By Staff
Groom & Kennel Expo returns to Pasadena, California for another exciting weekend of seminars, competition, and trade show. Barkleigh will host the event at the Pasadena Conference Center from February 20 to 23, 2014. Among the weekend’s events is the Groom & Kennel Expo debut of several new seminars as well as the Rescue Round-Up competition.
One of the new seminars is “The Passionate Groomer” by Lisa Leady, winner of the Barkleigh Honors Award for Speaker of the Year. In this four-hour session, Lisa will conduct a series of four one-hour breed demos. This seminar, however, is not just about technique but also about Lisa’s love for what she does. “My goal,” Lisa says, “is for everyone to leave the seminar with a renewed passion for grooming, the dogs, their customers, co-workers, and this great industry.”
Lisa will then join her sister, Sue Watson, for a seminar called “What My Sister Taught Me.” Sue will also present “Grooming the Difficult Dog,” which was the highest attended class at this year’s Groom Expo in Hershey, PA. In this seminar, Sue will demonstrate handling and finishing techniques to help you successfully groom the dogs that no other salon wants.
New at Groom & Kennel Expo is Kathy Rose’s “The In Crowd: Grooming the Most Popular Breeds.” This seminar debuted to fantastic reviews at the 2013 New England Fall Fest. In this four-hour session, Kathy will go over the most popular breeds that you see at the salon, including the Shih Tzu, Yorkie, and Poodle. The techniques that Kathy shares in this seminar will help groomers improve in both skill and speed.
Another speaker at Groom & Kennel Expo is Danelle German, a Barkleigh Honors nominee for Speaker of the Year. Among her weekend topics is a seminar that she will co-present with fellow Barkleigh Honors nominee Jodi Murphy.
Dr. Cliff Faver will be presenting “From Check-In to Check-Out: First Line of Defense.” This series of seminars addresses the important role that groomers play in the life and health of their clients. Topics include what to look for before the groom, how to handle the most common emergency situations, and long-term services and solutions.
Other seminars available at Groom & Kennel Expo are Teri DiMarino’s “Brusher/Bather Certificate Program,” Joey Villani’s “Dogfather Knows Best,” and Linda Easton’s “Stress-less Grooming for People and Pets.” Cheryl Purcell will present “I Want That,” a seminar that reveals some of the latest grooming tools worth trying and how to use them correctly, and Angela Clark will lead a session to review competitive recruitment strategies.
Many seminars at Groom & Kennel Expo also include live demonstrations. Award-winning champion groomers like Jay Scruggs, Sue Zecco, Olga Zabelinskaya, Michell Evans, Chris Pawlosky, and Naohisa Tsujihara will showcase their world class skills as they demonstrate the techniques that attendees can take back to their own salons. Breeds include the Poodle, Yorkie, Schnauzer, Pomeranian, Airedale, and the Bedlington. Creative groomers Angela Kumpe and Lori Craig will demonstrate creative styling techniques like airbrushing to give attendees the skills and tools they need to introduce some color into their everyday salon grooming.
An exciting addition to the Groom & Kennel Expo schedule is the Rescue Round-Up grooming competition on Sunday morning. During this event, groomers compete for prize money and trophies as they give makeovers to dogs from local shelters. This grooming improves the contest dogs’ appearance and comfort as well as their chances of adoption. The dogs sometimes end up going home with one of the groomers or someone in the viewing audience. Because of the event’s incredible popularity, those interested in entering the competition are encouraged to register as soon as possible. Space is limited, and the competition fills up quickly.
The World Cup Grooming Games at Groom & Kennel Expo are GroomTeam sanctioned. Competitors vie for GroomTeam points in addition to trophies and prize money provided by this year’s sponsors. Groomers are divided into three skill levels and can compete in multiple classes, which include Poodle, All Other Purebreds, Salon Freestyle, and Sporting and Terriers. On Sunday afternoon, the judges will reveal the Best in Show winner, who will appear on the cover of Groomer to Groomer in addition to winning a special trophy and cash prize.
Also on Sunday is the exciting creative styling competition, during which groomers will color and style their dogs on stage to transform these animals into living works of art. In previous years, the creative competition at Groom & Kennel Expo has seen dogs transformed into dragons, buffalo, and even the mysterious chupacabra. Following the completion of their groom, the competitors present their creations to the judges and the crowd, often accompanied by original songs, poems, and skits. These groomers are competing for trophies and prize money, but they also hope to win the People’s Choice Award. The winner of this award, chosen by the audience, wins additional prize money and gets to appear on the cover of Groomer to Groomer. This is perhaps the most coveted award of the weekend.
Groom & Kennel Expo would not be complete without a bustling trade show. With nearly 100 booths, the trade show affords plenty of opportunities to stock up on salon necessities like shampoo and bows at special show prices. Attendees also enjoy the chance to get a feel for new shears, try on smocks, and see tables and tubs in action. In addition to the shopping, groomers can watch grooming demos at various booths on the trade show floor and speak directly with vendors and company representatives.
Mark February 20-23, 2014, on your calendar and get ready for Groom & Kennel Expo! For more information, visit groomandkennelexpo.com or call (717) 691-3388.