During Premiere Orlando, Booksy welcomed barbers, hairstylists, creators, educators, and industry leaders, including us, to its annual Big Top Event on May 30.
The circus theme started before guests entered through the arched gates. A gigantic ferris wheel offered unlimited rides outside the venue, while circus-costumed greeters welcomed attendees beneath a Big Top-inspired arch. At the entrance, guests received a ticket for the evening and a red clown nose, setting the tone for a night that leaned fully into the fun of the theme.
Just inside, a popcorn table surprised guests when a top hat centerpiece sprang to life, revealing a circus-themed server beneath it. The venue featured a photo booth, slushie machine, carousel bar, custom fragrance experience, caviar bar, giant claw machine, and baby goat petting experience.
Throughout the space, ring dancers, stilt walkers, unicycle riders, jugglers, and fire dancers added to the Big Top energy. Many stylists, barbers, and nail techs on the invite list showed up decked out for the theme, showing that the beauty industry truly knows how to put on a show.
A Celebration of Modern Pros
Booksy’s Big Top Even, while playful on the surface, also posed as a metaphor the the modern beauty/barber professional’s role.
They’re not just operating a business behind the chair. A whole portion of their business and life is spent working behind the camera as creators, marketers, and showmen. The night celebrated one of the least highlighted bust most important aspects of being a modern beauty/barber professional: the ability to put on a show while creating great work.
Several Booksy ambassadors spoke to that shift throughout the evening. Joel Torres shared how simplifying business operations has created more space for travel, teaching, and education. Timmel Horne discussed expanding beyond barbering into podcasting, education, and personal brand development. Lonnie Horne spoke about the value of operational consistency, while Mr. Official reflected on the evolution of barbering without losing the culture and community that have always shaped the profession.
Where Technology Fits In
Booksy also used the event to speak to the role technology plays in the day-to-day lives of beauty and barber professionals.
In 2025, Booksy powered more than 215 million appointments and helped providers save an estimated 7.7 million hours annually through automated scheduling, payments, marketing, and business management tools.
“At a time when AI and automation dominate conversations across industries, beauty and barbering continue to prove that human relationships remain at the center of exceptional experiences,” said Gus Murillo, Director, Global Creative & Community at Booksy. “Technology can simplify operations, but it can never replace the creativity, culture, and personal connections that professionals create with their clients every day.”
The event activations were big, colorful, and intentionally over-the-top, but the focus stayed on putting on a spectacle in honor of the stylists, barbers, and nail technicians who are truly the reason this industry exists.
Rooted in Beauty Culture
The Tease also had the chance to briefly meet Stefan Batory, founder and CEO of Booksy, whose enthusiasm for the beauty industry came through immediately. In a space designed to distract, his genuine connection with the industry felt resonate.
Booksy’s Big Top Event was whimsical, high-energy, and memorable, but it did not lose sight of the people at the center of it all. Technology may be changing how beauty and barber professionals manage their businesses, but the heart of the industry is still human.
To learn more, download the Booksy Biz mobile app for free or visit booksy.info/learn-more.
