Next in Beauty is a dedicated conference experience at Beautyworld Dubai, built for professionals who want more than product discovery.
Over three days, leading voices from across the beauty industry share the trends, insights and ideas driving the next wave of category growth. From cosmetics and skincare to beauty tech and innovation, every session is designed to leave you better informed, more connected and genuinely ahead of the curve. Because knowing what is coming next is how you stay relevant.
Mary Phillips Joins Next in Beauty
On the first day of Beautyworld Dubai, get ready for an inspiring conversation with Mary Phillips, Founder of m.ph Beauty, at 16:15–17:00 for an inspiring conversation exploring the beauty looks that define a generation.
One of the industry’s most sought-after makeup artists, Mary will share her creative journey, signature approach and insights into the evolving worlds of beauty, artistry and influence. The conversation will be moderated by Olivia Phillips, Founder of The Desk and Editor at Large, Harper’s Bazaar Arabia.
Don’t miss this exclusive opportunity to hear from one of the beauty industry’s most influential artists.
2026 Schedule
10:45 - 11:00 | Global Beauty Power Map: Where Growth Is Really Happening
11:00 - 11:45 | Global Dealmakers: Inside Beauty’s New Investment Playbook
11:45 - 12:30 | Beauty Supply Chain Workshop: What’s Working, What’s Broken, and How Brands Are Solving It
12:30 - 13:15 | For Him Only: Success Strategies in Men's Beauty
13:15 - 14:00 | The Business of Beauty: Leadership, Trends & the Future of Luxury Retail
14:00 - 14:45 | Beauty AI in Action: Live Demo of How Brands Are Already Using It
14:45 - 15:30 | Salon Startup to Scale-Up: Designing, Launching & Expanding Your Space
15:30 - 16:15 | Beauty Experts' Insights: Facts to Know, Challenges to Conquer
10:45 - 11:00 | GCC in Focus: A New Read on the Middle East Beauty Market
11:00 - 11:45 | New Chapter in Hair: Current Momentum and Future Directions
11:45 - 12:30 | Ageless: A Conversation on Biohacking, Beauty, and Longevity
13:15 - 14:00 | The New Rules of Beauty Retail
14:00 - 14:45 | WGSN Beauty Trend Insights
14:45 - 15:30 | The Rules of Beauty: Why Certification and Regulation Matter More Than Ever
15:30 - 16:15 | Ingredient Awareness in Beauty: Skincare, Makeup, and Clean Formulations
16:15 - 17:00 | Beauty's New Capital: The Middle East
10:45 - 11:00 | 5 Key Trends Brands Can’t Ignore
11:00 - 11:45 | Wellness Integration in Beauty: Spa, Retail and Hospitality Models
11:45 - 12:30 | Glow Across Borders: K-Beauty, A-Beauty, and C-Beauty
12:30 - 13:15 | A Practical Guide to Boosting Beauty Brand Visibility in AI Search
14:00 - 14:45 | The Brand Story: From Idea to Scale - Growing Brands That Attract Capital
14:45 - 15:30 | J-K-C Next: Discovering Tomorrow’s Products, Ingredients & Consumer Trends
15:30 - 16:15 | UGC, Influence & Viral Beauty: How Brands Win Attention Today
16:15 - 17:00 | Beauty 2030: The Industry Redefined
2026 Agenda
Day 1 - 6 October 2026
10:45 - 11:00 | Global Beauty Power Map: Where Growth Is Really Happening Where global beauty growth is coming from today - key markets, categories, and shifts shaping demand. Sets the context for what’s driving the industry right now. |
11:00 - 11:45 | Global Dealmakers: Inside Beauty’s New Investment Playbook Moderated by John Cafarelli, President + Co-Founder of BeautyMatter, a lineup of leading beauty investors will break down current funding flows, shifting deal structures, and the signals shaping decisions across categories, channels, and regions. Discussion will cover the trends driving growth, including clinical-grade skincare, the wellness crossover, fragrance's continued rise, and retail technology, while grounding the conversation in the practical realities of valuation, margin pressure, supply chain complexity, and the road to profitability. Attendees will come away with a clear-eyed view of the current investment climate, insight into how investor priorities differ by region, and concrete takeaways on what positions a brand to be fundable in 2026. |
11:45 - 12:30 | Beauty Supply Chain Workshop: What’s Working, What’s Broken, and How Brands Are Solving It A practical breakdown of supply chain realities — sourcing, packaging, logistics, and speed to market. Focus on real challenges and how brands are solving them today. |
12:30 - 13:15 | For Him Only: Success Strategies in Men's Beauty Men’s beauty is one of the fastest-growing categories in the industry. This session looks at how brands are building for grooming, skincare, and self-care for modern male consumers. |
13:15 - 14:00 | The Business of Beauty: Leadership, Trends & the Future of Luxury Retail What does it take to lead beauty in one of the world’s most iconic luxury retail destinations? Mia Collins, Head of Beauty at Harrods, shares insights into the evolving beauty landscape, emerging consumer trends, and the strategies shaping the future of luxury beauty retail. Moderator: |
14:00 - 14:45 | Beauty AI in Action: Live Demo of How Brands Are Already Using It Real examples of AI in beauty — from content creation to personalisation and product development. Focus on what’s already in use today. |
14:45 - 15:30 | Salon Startup to Scale-Up: Designing, Launching & Expanding Your Space How salon businesses are built and scaled — from concept, design, and services to operations and growth. |
15:30 - 16:15 | Beauty Experts' Insights: Facts to Know, Challenges to Conquer Speaker: |
Day 2 - 7 October 2026
10:45 - 11:00 | GCC in Focus: A New Read on the Middle East Beauty Market Why the Middle East is no longer just a market, but a region actively shaping global beauty direction. This opening sets the stage on how influence, growth, and innovation are shifting toward the region. |
11:00 - 11:45 | New Chapter in Hair: Current Momentum and Future Directions A deep dive into the most dynamic areas of haircare growth, from scalp health and diagnostic tools to next-generation treatments and shifting consumer habits. |
11:45 - 12:30 | Ageless: A Conversation on Biohacking, Beauty, and Longevity Breakdown of longevity as a category - what is real adoption, what is early signal, and what is marketing noise. |
13:15 - 14:00 | The New Rules of Beauty Retail Consumers don't think in channels. They don't care where a brand "lives," what category it sits in, or whether a sale happens on a shelf, a screen, or a stream. Discovery happens everywhere, all at once, and the old idea of a linear path to purchase has quietly fallen apart. The fight for the beauty wallet isn't an omnichannel problem anymore. It's a scramble to show up in the right moment, on the right platform, before the consumer even knows what they're looking for. So what actually works right now? This panel, moderated by Kelly Kovack, founder and CEO of BeautyMatter, brings together the retailers and brand leaders on the front lines to talk real tactics: how they're winning attention, converting browsers into buyers, and building the partnerships that make it all possible in a landscape that keeps rewriting its own rules. |
14:00 - 14:45 | WGSN Beauty Trend Insights Discover the trends set to shape the future of beauty. WGSN explores emerging consumer behaviours, cultural shifts and market signals, offering a forward-looking perspective on what’s next across beauty, innovation and consumer culture. |
14:45 - 15:30 | The Rules of Beauty: Why Certification and Regulation Matter More Than Ever An overview of how regulatory frameworks and certifications like B-Corp are reshaping brand credibility. What compliance means in a rapidly globalising beauty market. |
15:30 - 16:15 | Ingredient Awareness in Beauty: Skincare, Makeup, and Clean Formulations |
16:15 - 17:00 | Beauty's New Capital: The Middle East A look at the Middle East as an emerging centre of gravity for beauty investment, growth, and influence. What is driving this shift and what comes next. |
Day 3 - 8 October 2026
10:45 - 11:00 | 5 Key Trends Brands Can’t Ignore Key trends shaping the next phase of beauty - what’s coming next, what’s shifting now, and what brands need to start changing immediately to stay relevant. |
11:00 - 11:45 | Wellness Integration in Beauty: Spa, Retail and Hospitality Models Wellness is moving beyond the spa into retail and hospitality, reshaping how beauty is experienced. As formats merge, brands are rethinking how they deliver services, spaces, and customer journeys. |
11:45 - 12:30 | Glow Across Borders: K-Beauty, A-Beauty, and C-Beauty A look at standout products from key regional beauty markets and what defines their approach - from innovation to formulation and consumer appeal. |
12:30 - 13:15 | A Practical Guide to Boosting Beauty Brand Visibility in AI Search AI is changing how consumers discover, evaluate and choose beauty brands. This practical session explores how brands can optimise their digital presence for AI-powered search, strengthen discoverability and stay visible as the next generation of search evolves. Speaker: |
14:00 - 14:45 | The Brand Story: From Idea to Scale - Growing Brands That Attract Capital Most brands don’t struggle with starting - they struggle with what happens after. This workshop follows the real journey from idea to launch to scale, and the turning points that decide whether a brand grows or stalls. Speakers: |
14:45 - 15:30 | J-K-C Next: Discovering Tomorrow’s Products, Ingredients & Consumer Trends Uncover the next wave of beauty innovation from Japan, Korea and China, from emerging ingredients and products to evolving consumer behaviours. |
15:30 - 16:15 | UGC, Influence & Viral Beauty: How Brands Win Attention Today The power of UGC, with examples of successful brand collaborations, and what brands need to implement in their new marketing strategies. |
16:15 - 17:00 | Beauty 2030: The Industry Redefined What will beauty look like by 2030? Explore the forces reshaping the industry, from breakthrough innovation and evolving consumer expectations to new business models and cultural shifts. A forward-looking conversation on the ideas, trends, and opportunities that will define beauty’s next decade. |
2026 Speakers
Anastasia Achilleos
Founder, Method of Excellence
2025 Highlights: In case you missed it
