Intercoiffure America Canada’s (ICA) regional events are known for their intimate look into a member’s salon, providing networking opportunities, and total access to the host salon’s policies, training, procedures and more. 

On June 22-23, around 40 ICA members attended a regional event featuring not one, but TWO Washington D.C.-area salon chains. Diane Cole Stevens, owner of two Cole Stevens locations, and Reg Laws, owner of 12 PR at Partners locations, collaborated to create this unforgettable experience for ICA members.

“For the first time, we brought together two incredible salons for one regional event, and I loved witnessing the power of two,” says Scott Buchanan, ICA president. “Diane and Reg shared a wealth of best practices, offering us a glimpse into the unique synergies and beautiful differences between two of ICA’s top salon organizations.”

Laws says, “The best thing Diane and I did was to meet beforehand to find what our brands have in common. We decided what attracted our teams and guests to our businesses is our focus on creativity, so we dedicated Sunday night to showcasing our brands’ creative programs.”.

Day 1: The Business of Curls

Stevens kicked off the first day with a message of inspiration.

“I talked about how to inspire and motivate team members,” she says. “We also shared how we promote good mental health and what we do to get involved in the community. And my son, who works in the organization, shared tips on working with Millennial leaders.” 

Next, she dove into her passion: education.

“For this event, we focused on curly hair with texture-themed team building activities and games,” she says. 

ICA members learned to recognize a wide variety of curl patterns and how to style and treat different textures.

“Everyone was excited to learn—they want to lean into texture so they can confidently welcome all guests,” she adds.

Stevens shared the curl care cards her team gives to each guest so they know what products to take home and how to care for their style.

“I told our members they could create cards, too, or even generate a QR code,” she says. “These events are all about sharing information like this—giving members tips on how to fine tune their business so they walk away inspired.” 

At the show Sunday evening, PR at Partners stylists talked to the group about their training and how they move through apprenticeship, color training and have a strong focus on educating on communication. On stage, three segments of talent, from new stylists to masters, showcased their work. 

Then, sticking to the texture theme, Cole Stevens stylists showcased models with textured hair in a collection inspired by wildlife.

“We always use a collection to train our team on color patterns and hair cuts,” Stevens says. “Then they break it down to customize on our guests.”

Day 2: The PR at Partners Grand Tour

On Monday, ICA members hopped on a luxury bus to visit PR at Partners’ academy.

Laws shared his own journey as a salon owner and ICA member over the past five decades.

“In sharing, I wanted people to ask themselves what their own journey will be,” Laws says. 

At the academy, members sat in on a consultation class and a color-focused class. Laws shared details on his curriculum, including his Rock Star program where they cover not just technical skills, but also communication skills: connecting, presenting and creating. 

“We focus equally on communication, cut and color,” said Laws. “Our stylists talked to members about their 16-week experience at the academy and showed them the videos they created for social media.”

PR at Partners stylists are taught and trained how to produce a polished video for social media content as part of their education.

“Our communication training is what resonated the most with ICA members at the regional event,” Laws says. 

Melissa Vigue, co-owner of Bei Capelli Salon in Scarborough, Maine, says, “Getting a behind-the-scenes look at how different businesses operate is always so helpful and inspiring. 

“One of the biggest takeaways for me was learning how to approach expansion. After 24 years in business, we’ve been thoughtfully exploring the idea of growing into additional locations. Being invited to see firsthand how a successful company has scaled to multiple salons was incredibly valuable.”

The event wrapped up with a guided tour of one of the PR at Partners locations. 

“We were two owners operating businesses in the same area who didn’t really know each other,” Stevens says. “We found we train our teams similarly, and now, because of ICA, we are competitors who share knowledge with each other.”

Laws adds, “This event brought Diane and I together, and we’ll work together—the regional event is a great way to connect with other owners in your marketplace.” 

Michaella Williams, owner of seven Salon 718 locations in Brooklyn, says, “It was an incredible weekend in Washington. Diane and Reg’s deep dive into the importance of textures was both inspiring and enlightening.” 

Williams adds, “Witnessing how Reg has grown his company by making some of his top performers partners at different locations truly exemplifies a collaborative spirit that we all can learn from.”

Buchanan summed up the event, “Reg and Diane’s leadership and the passion of their teams inspired us all, reminding us of the vision and heart that move this industry forward. I’m deeply grateful for the inspiration they shared.”

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