Meeting Of Minds: Visitors Guide

We’re looking forward to seeing you at Meeting Of Minds on October 12!

Not booked your ticket? Book here.

The venue

The Meeting Of Minds 2023 takes place at the Edwardian, a 5-star Radisson Collection hotel in the heart of Manchester’s eclectic Deansgate district.

Location

Free Trade Hall
Peter Street
Manchester
M2 5GP
United Kingdom

Travelling from Manchester Airport

We recommend all international travellers fly into Manchester directly whenever possible. Manchester Airport is a very substantial international hub, with flights to most destinations, and reaching the conference venue is straightforward.

Public transport into the city is excellent. Trains run from the airport to Manchester Piccadilly station every 10 minutes, 7 days a week, with a journey time of about 20 minutes (information here). Manchester Piccadilly is less than 2 miles from the venue.

Uber is widely used in Manchester and across the UK. Services such as Lyft are not used here. There is also a taxi rank outside the main entrance to Manchester Piccadilly. All non-Uber taxis use meters, charge typical city rates, accept credit cards and are clean and safe.

There is no need to fly into any other airport, however the nearest alternatives are Liverpool John Lennon (LPL), Leeds Bradford (LBA), Birmingham (BHX) and Nottingham East Midlands (EMA).

If you must fly into London, or perhaps you want to explore London as part of your trip, the easiest way to travel between London and Manchester is by train. Trains in the UK are reliable but expensive and often need to be booked in advance. Coach travel is cheaper, but journey times are longer. Both trains and coaches can be booked through TheTrainline.com.

Booking your room at the Edwardian

Your conference ticket is for the event only and does not include hotel accommodation. Please contact the hotel directly to make a reservation. To access reduced conference room rates, your booking must be made by phone (+44 (0)161 8359929) quoting code MICR-111023.

Hotel facilities

A complete list of services and facilities at the Edwardian can be found on the hotel website.

If you choose to stay at the Edwardian, the fitness centre, sauna, pool and spa (excluding treatments) are all included in your room rate. If you are staying elsewhere and wish to use these facilities at the Edwardian, please contact the venue directly to make these arrangements.

The Edwardian also features a beautiful champagne bar called The Library, and is also home to Peter Street Kitchen, one of the finest restaurants in the North of England. Please be aware Peter Street Kitchen books several weeks in advance, so book early to avoid disappointment.

Contacting the Edwardian

• Visit the hotel website
• Email resmanc@radisson.com
• View on Google Maps

Alternative accommodation

If you are travelling on a budget and would like to seek alternatives to the Edwardian, we recommend the following hotels:

• Moxy Manchester (£95-126 per night)
• AC Hotel by Marriott (£106-119 per night)
• Sachas Hotel (£45-79 per night)
• Britannia Hotel (£49-85 per night)

The links above are for Booking.com. It’s the leading hotel comparison site in the UK and the one we generally use. However, if you’re shopping around, it’s also worth trying Trivago and Hotels Combined, and of course, AirBnB.

Event itinerary

October 11 – Before the conference

Whilst no formal arrangements are in place, attendees tend to start arriving in numbers the day before Meeting Of Minds.

If you’re arriving the day before, you may find some of your industry colleagues in the champagne bar off the main foyer, or making use of the spa, fitness centre and pool, on the underground level accessible via the stairs at the rear of the foyer.

Certainly as the day draws to a close, you’ll find most attendees will be somewhere around the bar area, having checked into their rooms, freshened up and being keen to mingle on their first night in Manchester.

October 12 – Day 1

Registration commences at 8:30am. Beverages and breakfast items will be available at the buffet, and the trade stands, product testing areas and selfie walls will most likely be accessible.

Talks start at 9:30am in the main hall.

From 12:30pm to 2:00pm, we break for lunch. During this time, three live demonstrations will be taking place and you’re free to observe, interact with the demonstrators, try out the latest SMP products and stock up at discount prices in the booth area.

Talks restart at 2:00pm and run until 5:00pm, with a comfort break and beverages in the afternoon.

At 8:00pm, join us at Almost Famous for a casual dinner. Almost Famous is just a 2 minute walk from the hotel. Dinner and your first drink is included. Further drinks can be purchased at the bar. They have two locations in Manchester. We’re booked at Almost Famous GN (Great Northern), view on Google Maps.

October 13 – Day 2

Talks start at 9:30am in the main hall.

As per day one, we break for lunch from 12:30pm to 2:00pm. During this time, three new live demonstrations will be taking place and you’re free to observe, interact with the demonstrators and check out the booth area.

From 2:00pm until 3:00pm, our Expert Panellists will be on stage. This interactive experience lets you vote on a series of topics, and the result of the collective vote will be discussed and debated by the panel. You may also present questions to the panel. This has always been a hugely popular feature at Meeting Of Minds, and we’re pleased to bring it back for 2023.

Talks run until 4:30pm, when we draw the day to a close. Attendees will have about 2.5 hours to relax and get ready for dinner.

Gala dinner and awards

Join us for drinks at 7:00pm, with dinner served at 7:30pm.

The awards ceremony begins at 9:00pm, finishing around 10:30pm. Evening entertainment continues until around 12:30pm.

A luxury 3 course dinner, reception drinks and table drinks are provided. Additional or alternative drinks may be purchased at the bar.

Additional guests

We would love to accommodate any accompanying partners, children or colleagues.

Additional guests joining for the duration of the conference require a regular ticket. However, many artists would like to bring loved ones or colleagues to the evening dinners and awards only, in which case, we now offer a discounted additional guest ticket.

This new ticket includes dinner at Almost Famous on the first night, the drinks reception and Gala Dinner on the second night, plus access to the awards ceremony. For adult guests, alcoholic beverages are included.

Additional guest tickets cost £195 and can be purchased here.

Dietary requirements

During the day on 12-13 October, beverages and a buffet lunch will be served within the conference space. The buffet contains meat dishes, plus dishes suitable for vegetarians and vegans. For those who booked our training experiences on 14-15 October, similar catering arrangements will be provided on those days. Options for vegetarians and vegans will also be made available at Almost Famous on the first evening.

For the gala dinner, please provide your dietary requirements.

Daytime catering at the venue, dinner at Almost Famous and the Gala Dinner are all 100% GMO-free. All meat is halal certified. Please advise the catering team of any allergens.

Training experiences

Day one and two are included with every Meeting Of Minds ticket. Days three and four feature optional training experiences with some of the world’s finest educators. Booking links for each class are shown below, or book all 3 classes for the ultimate Meeting Of Minds experience, and save £235.

Advanced blending & texturizing techniques

• Trainer: Seif Sidky
• Date: October 14
• Time: 9:00am to 3:00pm
• £595: Book here

One of the world’s longest tenured and most respected artists, Seif Sidky is ready to deliver an Advanced Masterclass in SMP Blending. This skill is critical to the development of any SMP artist. Effective and seamless blending can make or break a great SMP procedure.

With over 8 years as an SMP artist and advanced educator, Self is the perfect partner to teach this challenging facet of SMP.

Scalp color theory

• Trainers: Steven Greitzer & Carla Ricciardone
• Date: October 14
• Time: 4:00pm to 7:00pm
• £295: Book here

As modern scalp micropigmentation has evolved, so too has our understanding of the role that color pigments can (and must) play in the future development of SMP. Color pigments are here to stay, and the ability to use them confidently is only going to become more important over time.

The legendary duo that is Steven Greitzer and Carla Ricciardone (Miami, Florida) are booked to deliver a Masterclass in Scalp Color Theory. The purpose of this unique Masterclass, a world first, is to equip SMP artists with the knowledge and skills needed to use color pigments with confidence.

Advanced hairlines & scar camouflage

• Trainers: Masoud Noory & Jeff Picasso
• Date: October 15
• Time: 10:00am to 4:00pm
• £595: Book here

Two SMP rockstars, Jeff Picasso (Los Angeles, California) and Masoud Noory (Longueuil, Quebec) are at Meeting Of Minds 2023 to deliver a Masterclasss in Advanced Hairline Creation And Scar Camouflage.

It takes skill to craft the very best hairlines. This class teaches how to do exactly that, with two of the best artists in the business. Scar camouflage, too, is a skill many artists struggle with, but no successful artist can be without. Join us for this advanced masterclass and brush up both skills with this totally unique opportunity.

Products and discounts

All stocked brands of SMP consumables including needles, pigments, aftercare and practice products will be available to purchase at Meeting Of Minds.

New product launches

A range of exciting new products will debut at Meeting Of Minds. You will be able to view, test and purchase these products on-site, and be the first SMP artists in the world to use them.

Event discounts

We offer a 25% event discount on all purchases.

Currencies and payment methods

All payments will be processed in British Pounds (GBP). Equivalent prices in US Dollars and Euros will be shown for your convenience. We accept cards and cash.

Marketing services

As you probably know, Team Micro is the leading provider of marketing services for SMP artists. To discuss a new website or your Google rankings, find our Operations Manager Nahim Ali at the event, or send a Facebook or WhatsApp message to arrange a discussion in advance.

Model opportunities

Our live demonstrators and trainers require models for a variety of procedure types. Please contact the demonstrator or trainer directly to discuss in detail.

All model procedures are free of charge. The following opportunities are available:

Faded top-up with Seif Sidky

One model required for a training class on October 14. The class focuses on advanced blending and texturizing, so if you’re ready for a top-up, this is an ideal opportunity with one of the best artists in the world.

• Message Seif on Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp

Scar camouflage with Masoud Noory & Jeff Picasso

Two models required. One for a live demonstration at Meeting Of Minds, and one for the training class on October 15. If you have FUT or FUE scars, now’s your chance to conceal them.

• Message Masoud on Instagram or WhatsApp

Beard pigmentation with Agnieszka Tarasiuk

One model required for a live demonstration at Meeting Of Minds. Ideal for artists with sparse or patchy beards.

• Message Agnieszka on Instagram or Facebook Messenger

UNDO removal with Candice Piroli

One model required for a live demonstration at Meeting Of Minds. Ideally suited to anyone who has a small area of sub-standard SMP or permanent makeup they would like to lighten or remove.

• Message Candice on Facebook Messenger

Black Rain technique with Tony Abbagnato

One model required for a live demonstration at Meeting Of Minds. Ideally we are looking for a male participant with mild to moderate hair loss.

• Message Tony on Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp

Male brows with El Truchan

Want to redefine your eyebrow shape with an expert in masculine brows? El Truchan is looking for a male participant with no previous brow micropigmentation.

• Message El on Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp

Scalp density with El Truchan

Want a density procedure but never had the time to arrange it? El Truchan is looking for a male or female participant for a live demonstration at Meeting Of Minds.

• Message El on Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp

ProCell with Taryn Quinterri

ProCell promises to slow hair loss, revitalize thinning hair shafts and thicken the overall appearance of your hair. World class artist Taryn Quinterri has an opening for one demonstration model at Meeting Of Minds.

• Message Taryn on Facebook Messenger 

Hairline refresh with Masoud Noory

One model required for a training class on October 15. If you want to soften or restructure your hairline with one of the very best in the business, now’s your chance.

• Message Masoud on Instagram or WhatsApp

Contacting our team

Prior to the event, please contact our Events Director Damien Porter at damien@teammicro.com or via Facebook Messenger, or call our office during UK business hours on +44 (0)161 401 1124 or +1 917-764-5286.

During the event, find any member of our team and we will be happy to assist. Alternatively our Operations Manager Nahim Ali can be contacted via Facebook or WhatsApp.

Please note we are unable to assist with queries related to your hotel reservation. Please contact the Edwardian directly.