Phorest has named the first speakers for its Phorest Summit 2027, with a lineup featuring Hall of Fame magicians, TEDx speakers, social media gurus.
For the 2027 Summit, the first to be held outside Dublin, the theme is Beyond: What the Future Holds in Our Industry. Sessions will look at how salons, spas, and clinics can respond to change as it happens, and put emerging technology, including AI, to work without giving up the human relationships their businesses are built on.
Jon Petz opens the first wave of the line-up. A Hall of Fame keynote speaker, magician, and mentalist who performs as an “Amazement Artist”, Petz spent years in sales and marketing. His session will cover performance, presence in front of a team, and the small moments that decide whether a client remembers a visit.
Founder of F*ck Being Humble, Stefanie Sword-Williams follows. A TEDx speaker, and two-time author, she is a Forbes 30 Under 30 honouree, with Apple, Google, and Nike all having brought her in to teach teams how to talk about their own work. Owners and their staff leave Stefanie’s session with a way to state their value – and back it up.
Elfried Samba will joins them on the Phorest stage. As Global Head of Social Content and Community at GymShark, he helped take the company from one million customers to 20 million and helped the brand pass a £1 billion valuation. He now runs the creative house Butterly 3ffect and speaks on building a brand without a media budget.
Formerly the Salon Owner’s Summit, the event runs at the Gleneagle Arena in Killarney, Ireland on Sunday, 24th, and Monday, 25th January 2027, and will be closer to a retreat than a conference, situated among Kerry’s lakes and mountains, giving attendees room to think about the next three years rather than next week’s rota.
“Owners spend the year solving problems for everyone else,” said Ronan Perceval, founder and CEO of Phorest. “Two days in Killarney gives them the room, and the people, to work on their own business.”
Business owners will leave with material they can use after two evenings of music, food, and entertainment in the Irish tradition. More than 750 owners, managers, and industry professionals are expected, with attendees getting a hands-on look at new Phorest AI tools and products before general availability.
Early bird pricing ends on 30 September 2026, with tickets for both days available now at www.phorestsummit.com.