Beauty Independent is expanding Uplink Expo, a trade show connecting entrepreneurs and suppliers focused on emerging beauty brands, by bringing the event to New York City.
The expansion is occurring as Beauty Independent parent company Indie Beauty Media Group (IBMG) is consolidating its programming and events under the Beauty Independent umbrella. Beginning with Uplink Expo’s New York City edition on June 20 at The Metropolitan Pavilion, the original date and venue for Adit Live NYC, Beauty Independent’s Uplink Expo will incorporate IBMG’s Adit Live events.
Adit Live was a trade show outgrowth of Adit, an initiative IBMG started in the midst of the pandemic in 2020 to digitally link commercially-ready brands with retailers. It extended its services to linking brands and investors last year. Uplink Live is the outgrowth of a digital directory of suppliers developed by Beauty Independent.
“By combining Uplink Expo and Adit Live, we bring together every constituency needed to support rapidly growing founder-led beauty and wellness brands, from founders and CEOs to investors, retailers and suppliers, under the same roof, at the same time and united toward the same goal: collective growth,” said Nader Naeymi-Rad, founder of IBMG and publisher of Beauty Independent. “It’s going to be magic.”
Oliver Garfield, CEO of luxury beauty retailer Cos Bar, says, “We are big fans of Adit Live. The quality of exhibiting brands always impressed us. Incorporating Adit Live into Uplink Expo makes perfect sense. Both events are curated and highly focused. Combined, there is now truly something for everyone”.
Hillary Peterson, founder of skincare brand True Botanicals, who attended the inaugural Uplink Expo in Los Angeles in January, commended the show for being the “perfect size.” She was joined by dozens of other entrepreneur attendees at it, including Jouer founder Christina Zilber, Nécessaire co-founder Randi Christiansen, Curlsmith founder Michal Berski, The Inkey List co-founder Collette Laxton, Urban Decay and Caliray co-founder Wende Zomnir and Hero Cosmetics founder Ju Rhyu.
Peterson says, “It’s so important to bring the right energy at a show like this, and for brands looking to attend, equally important to bring your curiosity and network with other brand founders and vendors on an intimate level.”
Beauty Independent aims to curate the selection of suppliers exhibiting at Uplink Expo to represent every function across the value chain, from ingredients and manufacturing to third-party logistics, Amazon services, public relations and financial services.
“This show is pure quality over volume,” says Jeffrey Martin, director of marketing at Federal Packaging, a beauty manufacturer that exhibited at Uplink Expo LA in January. “We were busy with quality interactions at our booth from the moment the show started until it ended.”
“I’ve both attended and exhibited at countless other industry trade shows. By and large, the atmosphere is impersonal and the experience borders on soul-crushing. No one goes to these events because they want to, it’s because they feel they have to,“ said Dan Hodgdon, founder of haircare brand Vegamour. “Uplink is completely different. It’s curated, so everything from content to the exhibitors is designed to appeal to beauty entrepreneurs, and the level of energy is off the charts. As a founder, you feel like a kid in a candy store.”
Uplink Expo NYC will follow Beauty Independent’s Dealmaker Summit on June 17 to 18 in New York. The Dealmaker Summit will feature panels delving into beauty industry mergers and acquisitions and investment.
“Together, Dealmaker Summit and Uplink Expo provide founders, brand leaders, investors, retailers and suppliers a comprehensive week of unparalleled content and networking,” says Beauty Independent managing editor Jane Carlson “Everyone will have an opportunity to learn and make meaningful connections—knowledge and connections that can change the trajectory of their business or career.”
Rich Gersten, co-founder and managing partner of beauty and wellness investment firm True Beauty Ventures, says, “The Dealmaker Summit set a new standard for sector-specific content and networking in beauty. From day one, Beauty Independent has been an authentic advocate of beauty entrepreneurs. They know and serve that community with incredible focus and enduring passion. For our part, we are very excited to attend this year’s Dealmaker Summit and the inaugural Uplink Expo NYC.”
Click here to learn more about exhibiting at BITE NYC 2025.
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