In our previous article, we looked at which international beauty trade shows in 2026 are worth your attention and how to choose the ones that actually match your market.
This time, we’ll move one step forward.
Once you’ve circled dates like Bologna, Dubai, Hong Kong or Las Vegas in your calendar, the real question becomes:
“How do I use those few days at the show so they really move my business forward?”
This guide is written with two groups in mind:
manufacturers and brands who are ready to exhibit, and
buyers, distributors and project owners who are visiting to build or improve their supply chain.
We’ll walk through what to do before, during and after a show from both sides, then end with a practical invitation: if you’re planning to visit Dubai in 2026, how we can prepare together in advance.
A beauty trade show doesn’t start when the doors open. It starts when you decide to go. The months before the show are where most of the results are quietly decided.
The first step is not the booth design. It’s the definition of success.
Instead of “we want exposure” or “we want to meet people”, try to write one concrete sentence for each show:
“If this show is successful for us, we will have ______ by the time we fly home.”
For example:
“We will have 5–10 serious talks with potential distributors for our spa beds in Europe.”
“We will know which of our three new treatment beds gets the strongest reaction from real buyers.”
“We will have at least one promising conversation about a hotel or clinic project in the Middle East.”
Once this is clear, it becomes much easier to decide:
Which products you bring.
You don’t need your entire catalogue. Choose a small, coherent line-up that tells a story. For example:
“This is our electric spa and physiotherapy range for medi-spas and wellness clinics,” or
“These are our entry-level facial beds and stools designed for new salons.”
If someone understands your positioning from that selection, you’ve done your job.
Which materials you prepare.
You don’t have to print a book. What visitors really need is a short, honest set of tools:
a one- or two-page brochure per key line, clean spec sheets, a simple price structure, and real photos from actual salons, spas or clinics that use your products.
Who you want to see.
A show is like a city: if you land with no appointments, you will mostly walk.
Use the exhibitor list, LinkedIn and your own customer base to line up meetings in advance: existing distributors, hot leads, people who have been “thinking about” working with you. Send them your booth number and a time window. Even a 15–20 minute chat can be enough when both sides are prepared.
For buyers, good preparation is less about visuals and more about filters.
A few weeks before the show, it’s worth sitting down with your notebook or team and answering a few practical questions:
What do we really need from this show?
Maybe you’re missing a high-end spa bed for hotel projects. Maybe you want to replace an unreliable supplier for your basic manicure tables. Maybe you’re looking for a partner who can handle both equipment and small devices. Write it down in clear, simple words.
What questions will we ask every supplier?
Not just “What’s the price?” but:
– lead time and production capacity,
– warranty and repair process,
– flexibility on colours, logos and wiring standards,
– whether they already have customers in your country (and how they manage territories).
Which stands do we already want to visit?
From the exhibitor list and previous online research, choose a short list of companies that look relevant. If they’re important to you, send a short message in advance:
“We will visit the show and are interested in electric spa beds for medi-spa projects. Can we pass by your stand on Day 2?”
Even if the answer is a simple “yes, here’s our booth number”, you will arrive with a mental map instead of wandering.
The more clearly you see your needs before you enter the hall, the easier it will be to recognise the right partners when you meet them.
Once the show opens, hours move very fast. Whether you are behind the counter or walking the aisles, your time and attention are now the most valuable resources you have.
The simplest rule is often the hardest to follow: be present.
That means standing in front of the booth, not behind banners; looking at people, not at your phone. A warm, professional hello can change everything:
“Hi, welcome. Which market are you working in?”
“Are you looking more for equipment, furniture or brands today?”
In 30 seconds you can usually tell if someone is:
in your target group,
just curious, or
another exhibitor doing research.
And it’s completely fine to be kind but brief with visitors who clearly don’t match your focus. You’re not being rude; you’re protecting time for the people you can genuinely help.
With potential partners, try to resist the temptation to talk non-stop about your products. Start by understanding their world:
What kind of clients they have (salons, clinics, hotels, wholesalers).
Which price segment they work in.
What problems they’re trying to solve (unreliable shipping, lack of design, poor after-sales, limited functions).
Only then show them one or two products that fit those needs and invite them to experience them: sit on the chair, lie on the bed, see how quiet the motor sounds, how the upholstery feels, how the height and angles work for real body positions.
In the beauty and wellness industry, people make decisions with their eyes and hands as much as with spreadsheets. A good, calm demo speaks louder than a “features list”.
One more habit separates strong exhibitors from average ones: they write things down.
Not only “John – distributor”. More like:
“John – Dubai distributor, hotel & clinic projects, mid-high budget, liked model L157A and the gyne chair, asked for quote and lead time for 20–30 units.”
Those small notes, added right after each conversation, will later decide who you remember and how you follow up.
From your side, the risk is the opposite: seeing so many stands that they all blend into one.
You can avoid that by being clear and transparent about what you’re looking for, and by asking questions that cut through the marketing layer.
Instead of “What products do you have?”, you might ask:
“Which models are your best sellers in markets similar to mine?”
“What happens if something breaks after one year?”
“If I place my first order today, when can you realistically ship?”
Listen not only to the content of the answer but also to the tone. Does this company sound like they know their own production and logistics, or do they only speak in vague promises? Do they acknowledge limitations honestly, or do they say yes to everything?
When a stand feels promising, stay a little longer. Ask to sit or lie down on the equipment. Ask to see how the bed moves at maximum height and lowest height. Ask how easy it is to clean, how heavy it is to move, whether they can adapt plug types or add small custom details.
On the other hand, don’t feel obliged to be polite for 20 minutes if you already know after two minutes that it’s not a fit. A simple “Thank you, this is not exactly what we need right now” is enough. You’re not there to collect brochures; you’re there to build a supply chain that actually works for your market.
And just like exhibitors, you’ll thank yourself later if you note down short comments as you go:
“Factory A – very strong on electric spa beds, can do custom colours, lead time 45 days, price mid–high.”
“Factory B – price attractive but finish rough, communication unclear, not sure about after-sales.”
Those notes will matter a lot once you’re back in the office and trying to remember who was who.
A trade show is noisy. The week after is quiet. This is when the real difference appears between people who close their notebooks and people who open them again.
Try to touch your show notes while the conversations are still alive in your memory.
Look through all the names and separate them into something simple like:
people with a clear project or strong potential,
people with interest but no clear timing,
and people where the match is weak or very far in the future.
You don’t need a sophisticated CRM system; a clean spreadsheet is already a big step. What matters most is that you contact the right people quickly.
A short, personal follow-up within a week can be something like:
“It was good meeting you at the show in Dubai. You mentioned you’re planning a new clinic in Jeddah and need three electric treatment chairs plus matching stools. I’m attaching a short summary of the models we discussed with sizes, weight capacity and lead time. If it works for you, we can schedule a brief call next week to go through options and see what fits your project best.”
No pressure, no “last chance” discounts, just a clear reminder that you listened and you’re ready to continue the discussion.
Over the next one to three months, you’ll see who is serious. Some contacts will move quickly towards samples, first orders or project pricing. Others will go quiet. That’s normal. The important thing is that you have done your part: you were prepared, you showed up, you followed through.
When that period is over, it’s worth asking yourself a few honest questions, internally:
Which type of visitor turned out to be the best fit for us?
Which products received the most interest and real follow-up?
Was this show worth the total cost and time – and if yes, how can we do it even better next year?
Those answers are the real “report” of the show. They will help you decide which events become part of your long-term strategy.
From your side, the post-show work is about choosing rather than chasing.
Within a few days of returning, take an hour to go through your notes quietly, away from the noise of the show floor.
You might notice that some suppliers looked great in the hall but didn’t follow up, or their first email feels generic and disconnected from your conversation. Others write exactly about what you discussed, with clear answers and realistic proposals.
That alone tells you something important.
It can help to narrow your list to a small number of “candidates” and go deeper with them: ask for a more detailed quote, request additional photos or videos from the factory, order a sample unit or arrange a video call with your team.
In this phase, it’s useful to look not only at price, but also at the feeling of cooperation: Are they fast, but not chaotic? Do they admit what they can’t do? Do they explain clearly how they handle shipping, documentation, installation and warranty?
A good supplier relationship in the beauty industry is usually measured in years, not months. A trade show is simply the first chapter. How both sides behave after the show is the best preview of how they’ll behave once real orders and projects are on the table.
Many of the people reading this will have at least one Middle East or Dubai show on their 2026 agenda. For our own part, we will also be in Dubai in 2026, bringing key models from our therapy beds, examination chairs and dialysis / infusion seating lines.
If you’re planning to visit and you fall into one of these groups:
you’re a manufacturer or brand preparing to exhibit and thinking about how to present a complete treatment room,
you’re a distributor or project buyer looking for reliable suppliers of spa beds, medical-style treatment chairs or multi-function trolleys,
or you’re responsible for fitting out a clinic, wellness centre or hotel spa and want furniture and equipment that match the concept rather than just fill the room,
then we’d be happy to talk before you even step on the plane.
If you contact us ahead of time and share what you’re interested in – for example, a certain type of electric spa bed, a gynecology chair, or a treatment couch with specific adjustment ranges – we can:
help you think through which models best fit your market and project,
prepare relevant projects and case photos so you can see how these products work in real spaces, and
where show rules and logistics allow, bring those key pieces to Dubai so you can test them on site instead of making decisions from a brochure.
That way, when you walk into the hall, you aren’t just “going to a show”. You’re going to meet specific partners, test specific products and move specific projects forward.
Trade shows in 2026 will reward exactly that kind of focus.
Whether you stand behind a counter or walk the aisles with a badge around your neck, the formula is the same:
be clear before,
be present during,
be disciplined after.
If Dubai is on your route, we’ll be there too – ready to talk about beds, chairs, trolleys, and, more importantly, about the long-term supply chain and partnership you want to build behind them.
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