Lee Kitchen will close out the 2018 AACS Annual Convention & Expo in Orlando on Monday, October 22nd and you won’t want to miss it! During his 32 years at The Walt Disney Company, he helped create some of their most impactful marketing campaigns, memorable guest experiences and real-time operational efficiency changes. Now he serves companies hungry for innovation, internal creativity and fresh thinking. Learn how you can effect significant change in your own business through Lee’s inspiring words.

In his presentation, Lee will highlight the Design Thinking Innovation process and give a quick overview of each step (scoping, empathizing, ideating and developing), using stories from his time innovating at Disney coupled with fun, interactive exercises. He will also cover the importance of collaboration, creativity and how certain behaviors make or break innovative culture change in any organization.

We’re looking forward to an engaging and unifying 2019 for our association and the industry as a whole, and we want you to be a part of the movement. You will be receiving information in the mail in the coming week and membership renewal has never been easier. You can pay for your membership online, via mail or call the national office for assistance.  To get all the details on membership, visit to our website .

As a special thank you for your renewal, all membership renewals received by Monday, December 3, 2018 will receive a 50% discount off of their first registration to the 2019 Annual Convention & Expo September 27-30 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV.

Let’s get the competition started! During the AACS Annual Convention, be among the first to hear about the 2018-19 Beauty Changes Lives Mentorship Competition. Beauty school students across the nation can channel their creativity and fundraising skills to win a day of mentoring from an industry icon such as Jen Planck, Andrew Carruthers or Winn Claybaugh. The competition kicks off in November and more information will be available at www.beautychangeslives.org.

Sponsored by Great Clips, the keynote speaker Pete Smith of SmithImpact will open up Annual with a motivating presentation that will put you in the right headspace to take in all that the convention has to offer. He promises at the conclusion of the presentation that attendees will:

1. Recognize how responsibility, accountability, and production is increased in a culture of choice
2. Explore the critical role of identity at every location, including the main campus and remote branches
3. Witness the influence of fear in our lives and uncover the keys to overcoming that fear

Join us in the International Ballroom Sunday evening to win exciting prizes and support YOUR industry! Sponsored by Akerman LLP, the AACS Government Relations Committee will host a party and silent auction to raise money for the Government Relations General Fund. All proceeds will go toward supporting advocacy efforts critical to schools around the nation.

Beauty Schools Marketing Group with be presenting results gathered from the Benchmarking Survey. Stick around after the President’s Breakfast and AACS Town Hall meeting on Monday morning to be a part of this interactive discussion on the future of our industry.

It's NOT TOO LATE TO REGISTER for the 2018 AACS Annual Convention & Expo? Click here!

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