2017 Keune Loyalty Club Trip – Sydney, Australia Recap

By | June 21st, 2017

On Friday, June 9, 31 Keunies from around the U.S. arrived in Sydney, Australia for a seven-night Keune Loyalty Club trip. The getaway, which awarded top-selling Platinum KLC members, was expertly planned and executed by Keune Haircosmetics USA’s KLC Brand Manager Rita Rubenstein, wholeheartedly supported by Sydney-based Keune Australia as well as several of Keune Haircosmetics USA team members and exclusively covered in real time by industry media giant Modern Salon magazine, with Editor-in-Chief Alison Alhamed in attendance.

KLC trip attendee Johnna Rightmyer, owner of Juel Salon, says, “This experience has been mind-blowing and amazing. For all the business owners out there, you know the struggle. Most of us come from behind the chair and we are used to work with our friends, and we get put in this position to lead. And Keune has helped me find a new connection with other owners and what a great way to bond and experience something so amazing. I have never done anything like this. And I am so grateful to Keune. Just wow. Mind blown.”

Read on for more reviews and a recap on the Aussie escape that was truly a trip of a lifetime for all involved. 

KLC group shot

The Lucky Attendees

Winners of the Keune Loyalty Club trip to Australia included attendees from salons such as Hair & Co. BKLYN from Brooklyn, New York; Solutions Day Spa in Kokomo, Indiana; Juel Salon from Franklin, Tennessee; Nicole Lee Design from Wilmington, Delaware; Bella Vita Salon and Day Spa in Leavenworth, Kansas and Miracles Hair Studio in Fayetteville, New York. Keune also hosted representatives from distributors such as Salon Service Group from Springfield, Missouri; Premier Beauty Supply from Chicago and Salon Accessories from Rochester, New York. Representing the Keune U.S. team were Rubenstein, VP of Marketing and Brand Development Rachael Hoffman, Marketing Administrator Gabriella Arenas, Marketing Promotions Manager Rachel Litsky, VP of Sales and Business Development Mark Webber and Regional Sales Manager in the Northeast Toby Brinkman. And, as mentioned, Alhamed joined and covered aspects of the trip for Modern Salon.

Stacy Wilson, co-owner and stylist at Solutions Day Spa, speaks to what she loves about the Keune Loyalty Club trips: “The amazing cities. We love the people, being able to spend time with [the Keune team] in a different capacity. It feels like family. It feels like a great big hug!”

KLC trip sydney at night

Highlights of the Itinerary

In addition to plenty of free time for all to enjoy the city at their own pace as well as social gatherings that hit some major Sydney hotspots, such as a play at Sydney Opera House, a dinner cruise from King Street Wharf, whale watching, strolling and shopping on Bondi Beach and an exhilarating Bridge Climb, there were a few extra-special highlights…

keune loyalty club trip

“Day with Keune” Hair Show

A highlight of the Keune Loyalty Club trip was the “Day with Keune” hair show, an inspiring Keune-client-only event. Alhamed raves, “In my 10 years covering industry events, the ‘Day with Keune’ show was hands-down the best hair show I’ve ever seen.” We couldn’t agree more—it was inspiration beyond your wildest #HairGoals! The Australia team did an incredible job putting it all together.

Keune’s bi-annual hair and fashion show event took place at The Star Event Centre in Sydney and featured renowned local and international session stylists and colorists. With a focus on spotlighting global talent, the show presented a cross-section of the best hair techniques. Special guests and sessions included Spain-based trio X-presion who decoded their very own #xpresionpixel color technique live on stage, True Beauty by Keune Brazil Brand Ambassador Tiago Aprigio, culturally inspired hair couture by Indonesia-based Christopher Group’s Maria Goretti Sukasti and edgy hairstyles by Japan’s Sam Han and Daniel Yap, co-founders of Inspired Gear. 

“Keune Australia couldn’t have been more gracious in accommodating the KLC trip guests at the show. They arranged transportation for us to get an inside look prior to other guests arriving and provided our group with seating that was front and center to the stage. They truly made us feel like VIP guests,” says Rubenstein. 

See the Modern Salon recap of this event HERE.

Keune Loyalty Club Trip

The Keune Foundation Ball 2017

Keune embraces creativity in everything we do, and the Keune Foundation Ball was no exception! The highly creative Keune Foundation Ball raises money for The Keune Foundation, which provides emotional and financial assistance to families who have a child diagnosed with a life-threatening illness. Every year, the Ball features a fun theme. For the 13th annual event, Tokyo Neon Disco – Harajuku Style – was selected as the colorful, playful theme. Located at The Argyle in the evening following the Day with Keune show, Keunies embraced over-the-top anime-style costumes. We are proud to say that our U.S. team more than held their own, thanks much in part to the costume prowess of our very own in-house U.S. style diva, Arenas. (Just check out the photos of the event!)

The fabulous activities and entertainment at the Ball included a Purikura photo booth where you could capture yourself in a virtual-like Japanese photo-both game; a silent action that benefitted The Keune Foundation; live, action-packed performances within a Harajuku-inspired city; and beverages, Yatai stations, Japanese-infused street aperitifs and treats. 

Exclusive Education with Tiago Aprigio

Every Keune Loyalty Club trip includes a skill advancement component, incorporating international destination education into the program. This year, our group was honored to experience a one-on-one session with Keune Brazil’s Brand Ambassador and balayage master Tiago Aprigio. Aprigio’s accolades are plentiful and include styling at Sao Paulo Fashion Week and hosting on local Brazil TV shows, in addition to an international A-list following and having nearly 100K Instagram followers.

What was so exciting for our KLC members about this look-and-learn time with him at Keune Australia headquarters was that his techniques were ones that they could really bring home to their own salons. Aprigio’s two models for the day included Alhamed who received a beautiful buttery blonde balayage service using Keune’s latest new decoloring powder, Ultimate Blonde (Launching July 1). Throughout the several hours, stylists were able to interact with him and ask questions. Aprigio engaged guests with his talent and charisma, with a local translator enhancing the education experience, and all were impressed.

Social Media High Tea 

We are thankful for Alhamed not only for being a good “hair” sport with Aprigio, but also for sharing her social media expertise with our KLC group. In true Australian fashion, we met over high tea at Gunners Barracks, a luxurious tea room that boasted the most beautiful views of Sydney’s skyline and the ocean. Alhamed spoke about social media best practices with a specific focus on building your salon brand on Instagram. The stylists who attended received tips on photos and a helpful handout to bring back home for reference.

Building Stronger Relationships

After seven incredible nights, the KLC trip attendees reluctantly headed home. Each and every person was struck by how special an experience Keune had created for this group, and how wonderful it was to build stronger relationships with one another. “I was just so pleased with how everything went,” Rubenstein says. “Our salons know if they need anything, they can pick up the phone and call me. My goal is always to make them feel like, ‘wow, I’m really glad I partnered with this brand.'”

“The food has been amazing. The service has been amazing. It goes back to family. Rita made sure all of our needs were met even before we left. I feel like I have been on a family vacation. This business can be great to you if you are great to it. I’ve received more than I could ever imagine on this trip,” says Theresa Gary from Juel Salon.

“I hope we do this every year and I will strive to make it happen, by maintaining my Platinum status in the KLC program. I am going to make it happen, and maybe next year we will be Titanium! It has been the experience of a lifetime and I wouldn’t miss it for the world” says Kendalia Edelman of Miracles Hair Studio.

To sign up for the KLC program and for more information about a future Keune Loyalty Club trip, contact your local distributor consultant. Also, read about some of KLC’s exciting new changes and offers this year on this blog.


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