Trades Exhibitions

What Trades Exhibitions does

Trades Exhibitions Ltd, trading as Professional Beauty Group, is a UK-based B2B media and events company serving the professional beauty, spa, and aesthetic medicine industries. Its core product is a multi-platform portfolio centred on print and digital editorial (Professional Beauty magazine with Silver and Gold membership tiers), and a calendar of trade exhibitions including the flagship Professional Beauty London, International Manufacturers & Distributors Forum (IMF) London, the World Spa & Wellness Convention, and the newly launched Aesthetic Medicine London. The company also runs Regional Growth Summits in Glasgow, Birmingham, and Leeds, awards programmes, webinars, and a podcast, creating a year-round engagement layer with salon owners, therapists, training providers, and brand suppliers.

The underlying technology base is conventional for a B2B trade media business: a content management system driving the magazine and digital articles, an events management platform for ticketing and exhibitor registration, and standard CRM/email marketing tooling. There is no disclosed proprietary technology or AI/ML capability; the company's competitive moat is built on brand, editorial authority, and event production rather than software differentiation. Co-organisation with M Squared Media Ltd on exhibitions indicates a partnership-based operating model for event delivery.

The business model is multi-revenue: exhibition booth fees and attendee tickets (likely the largest stream), magazine subscriptions and membership fees (Silver/Gold tiers), advertising and sponsorship across print and digital, awards programme entry fees, and paid content/webinars. Customers are predominantly SMBs — independent salons, spa operators, and product distributors — alongside brand suppliers and training providers operating in the UK and Ireland professional beauty market. The company is privately held and does not disclose revenue, headcount, or capital structure.

Name

Trades Exhibitions

Legal name

Trades Exhibitions Ltd

Website

https://professionalbeauty.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Trades Exhibitions Ltd (t/a Professional Beauty Group) is a UK B2B media and events company operating exhibitions, a magazine, awards, and digital content for the professional beauty, spa, and aesthetic medicine industries across the UK and Ireland.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Trade Events and B2B Publishing

SIC

Services-Mailing, Reproduction, Commercial Art & Photography (7330)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAFAGAD

Trade Shows & Exhibitions (Booths, Show Management)

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Experiential & Event Marketing

SECONDARYHSACADAH

Exhibitions, Trade Shows & Booth Management

Home & Personal Services/Event & Personal Concierge Services/Corporate Event & Meeting Services

SECONDARYMPAGAFAA

General Consumer Expos & Trade Shows

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Live Entertainment & Events (Concerts, Theater, Festivals)/Exhibitions, Fairs & Expos (Consumer/Public)

Keywords

• Trade exhibitions
• B2B media
• Professional beauty publishing
• Industry events
• Trade awards

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Event Tickets and Exhibitions: Trade exhibitions and conferences including Professional Beauty London, Regional Growth Summits, IMF London, Aesthetic Medicine London, and World Spa & Wellness Convention. Events are open to trade and professional visitors with age restrictions.
2. Magazine Subscriptions: Silver Membership (digital-only, worldwide) and Gold Membership (print + digital, UK only) with 10 issues per year published monthly except combined July/August and November/December issues.
3. Advertising and Sponsorship: Marketing and advertising opportunities across print magazine, digital platforms, and events including exhibitor booth sales and sponsor partnerships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Trades Exhibitions Ltd operates the Professional Beauty Group, a B2B media and events business for the UK professional beauty and spa industry. It runs trade exhibitions (Professional Beauty London, Regional Growth Summits, IMF London, Aesthetic Medicine London, World Spa & Wellness Convention), publishes a monthly trade magazine (Silver digital and Gold print+digital subscriptions), and runs awards programmes (Professional Beauty Awards, World Spa and Wellness Awards, PB/HJ Ireland Awards) alongside webinars and a podcast.

Product overview

Professional Beauty Group, operated by Trades Exhibitions Ltd, is a B2B media and events company serving the UK professional beauty and spa industry. The company operates a multi-platform portfolio consisting of: (1) Professional Beauty Magazine - a leading trade publication available via Silver (digital) or Gold (print+digital) subscriptions; (2) Major trade events including Professional Beauty London, Regional Growth Summits (Glasgow/Birmingham/Leeds), IMF London, World Spa & Wellness Convention, and Aesthetic Medicine London; (3) Awards programmes including Professional Beauty Awards, World Spa and Wellness Awards, and PB/HJ Ireland Awards; (4) Digital content platforms including industry news portal, Professional Beauty Webinars, and The Pro Beauty Pod podcast; (5) PBHJ Ireland for the Irish market. The company also organizes Nailympia nail competitions at PB London events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Professional Beauty Awards: UK awards programme for spas, beauty salons, skin clinics and individual practitioners.
• World Spa and Wellness Awards
• PBHJ Ireland Awards
• Professional Beauty London
• IMF London
• Salon Growth Summit
• Aesthetic Medicine London
• World Spa & Wellness Convention

Products and services

• Professional Beauty Magazine UK's leading B2B trade publication for the professional beauty and spa industry, available via Silver (digital-only, worldwide) and Gold (print + digital, UK residents only) annual memberships.
• Professional Beauty London Major UK trade exhibition for the beauty and spa industry held at ExCeL London, featuring exhibitors, education sessions, and networking for beauty professionals.
• Regional Growth Summits Regional business education and networking events held in Glasgow, Birmingham, and Leeds, featuring keynote speakers, main stage panels, and business strategy roundtables for salon and spa owners.
• IMF London Conference for brand owners, wholesalers, distributors, and manufacturers in the beauty and hair industry, featuring the International Brands Pavilion.
• World Spa & Wellness Convention Annual convention focusing on spa and wellness industry trends, held in conjunction with PB London events.
• Aesthetic Medicine London Leading UK event for the aesthetics sector at Olympia London showcasing advanced devices, cutting-edge skincare brands, and expert-led education across eight education streams.
• Professional Beauty Awards UK's top awards programme for beauty and spa businesses, with categories for spas, beauty salons, skin clinics, and individual practitioners. Entries open annually.
• World Spa and Wellness Awards Prestigious awards programme recognizing excellence in the spa and wellness industry.
• PB/HJ Ireland Awards Awards programme for the Irish beauty and hair industry, run in partnership with Hairdressers Journal.
• The Pro Beauty Pod Industry podcast featuring interviews with beauty industry leaders, brand founders, and business experts discussing trends, business strategies, and career insights.
• Professional Beauty Webinars Online educational webinars covering industry topics, expert insights, and professional development for beauty and spa professionals.
• PBHJ Ireland Irish edition of the Professional Beauty brand, including trade show and awards programme for the Irish beauty industry.

Quantifiable outcome

• UK beauty industry generates £28.3bn economic contribution
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NHBF (National Hair & Beauty Federation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 June 2026Professional Beauty Group provides coverage of NHBF surveys and policy initiatives. NHBF represents hair, barbering, beauty and aesthetics businesses across the UK, with baseline data showing 50,400 businesses and 178,178 people in employment generating £6.1 billion annual turnover.
• DermalogicacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 April 2026Dermalogica partnered with Babtac (British Association of Beauty Therapy and Cosmetology) to launch the Sharp Standards Guide to Microneedling, a comprehensive resource for UK beauty professionals. The guide addresses gaps in microneedling regulation and compliance, providing practical guidance on legal obligations, premises standards, client care, training requirements, and quality assurance.
• RevieveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Revieve's Beauty & Wellness Index 2025 provides industry data on beauty consumer trends, skin diagnostics, and personalization. The report analyses millions of anonymized AI-powered skincare and makeup interactions across more than 100 global beauty brands and retailers.
• HabiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHabia is the industry body for hair and beauty. Professional Beauty Group collaborated with Habia on research regarding beauty student career intentions and professional body awareness.
• BooksyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBooksy partnered with Professional Beauty Group on sponsored content about smart marketing tools for salons. Booksy provides booking and marketing software for beauty businesses.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Questex: US-based B2B events and media company with a dedicated Beauty, Spa and Wellness portfolio including International Beauty Show and IBS Las Vegas; directly comparable in business model combining beauty trade shows, awards and editorial content.
• Messe Frankfurt (Beautyworld): Messe Frankfurt's Beautyworld events (Middle East, Africa, Japan) are direct comparables — large-scale B2B beauty trade exhibitions serving salon, spa, and retail buyers across global markets.
• Cosmoprof Worldwide Bologna: Operated by BolognaFiere/SoGeCos, Cosmoprof is the world's leading B2B beauty trade exhibition network (Bologna, Las Vegas, Mumbai, Bangkok, Hong Kong). Directly comparable to Professional Beauty Group as a multi-show B2B beauty exhibition organizer with global reach.
• Hairdressers Journal (HJ): UK B2B publication and events title for the professional hairdressing industry, co-partner of PB/HJ Ireland Awards; directly comparable as a competing UK trade publication and events brand serving adjacent beauty professionals.

Others

• Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW): Industry association running B2B beauty awards (CEW Beauty Awards) and networking events; comparable awards-program model but as a non-profit association rather than commercial events operator.

Broad incumbents

• Informa (Beauty & Aesthetics portfolio): Global events and B2B media conglomerate whose Beauty, Aesthetics and Spa portfolio (e.g. in-cosmetics, CCR) overlaps with Trades Exhibitions' exhibitions and trade publishing activities, but as part of a much broader portfolio.
• Reed Exhibitions (RX): One of the world's largest exhibition organizers, operating numerous beauty, wellness and lifestyle events globally; broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities but not a beauty-only specialist.

Regional players

• American Spa Magazine: US-based B2B spa and wellness publication and events brand, directly comparable to Professional Beauty's spa content and World Spa & Wellness Convention but serving the North American market.
• America's Beauty Show (ABS) by Coastline Beauty Distributors: Major North American B2B beauty trade show (Chicago) targeting salon professionals; comparable in format and audience to PB London but serves a different geographic territory.

Emerging players

• BeautyMatter: Emerging digital-first B2B beauty industry publication with events and awards; comparable in combining beauty B2B editorial with awards programming, but with a more digital, US-centric focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/pro_beauty
• Instagraminstagram.com/professionalbeauty.uk

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Trades Exhibitions