Wella Professionals brought the global hairdressing community together for an unforgettable three-day event at Destination 2025, uniting over 1,000 hairdressers, press and ambassadors from 52 countries in Malta to celebrate the craft, creativity and future of the salon industry.
Against the picturesque Mediterranean coastline as a backdrop, Destination 2025 delivered a dynamic programme of mainstage artistry, hands-on education, brand experiences and bold trend-reveals. This was all anchored in Wella Professionals’ commitment to R.I.S.E. with Wella: a global platform dedicated to advancing Relationships, Inspiration, Science and Education.
Delegates from Wella’s RED club in the UK & Ireland joined the global gathering and were welcomed to Malta by Wella Company General Manager UK & Ireland, Max Amen, who hosted a spectacular gala dinner at Malta’s iconic La Valette Hall to officially open the event. “RED is about joining together and sharing ideas. By doing so, we will learn and move forward.
This week, there will be a lot of education and craft from different global artists; it will be an extraordinary opportunity for us all to gain knowledge and grow,” he said. A sunset drinks reception and gala dinner was followed by an outstanding hair show by HOB Academy. The show was headed up by HOB International Creative Director, Akin Konizi, alongside Nestor Sanchez and Elijah Hourrides, who collectively delivered the perfect balance of trendsetting colour and superb cutting techniques, wrapped up with business advice and insights from HOB Salons CEO, Natasha Grossman.
The main Destination event was hosted by Patrick Cameron and, over the course of the three days, guests were treated to immersive education sessions, brand booth explorations and the unveiling of Wella Professionals’ new global campaign, ‘Make It You’. Celebrating the idea of hair as identity, the campaign empowers professionals to create transformations through personal expression. One of the event highlights was the Trend Reveal Show, where Wella’s top artists debuted Surreal Color, the brand’s Autumn/Winter 2025 trend inspired by artificial intelligence and the tension between reality and fantasy. Global Ambassadors, including Renya Xydis, Yuya Nara, Romeu Felipe and James Earnshaw, showcased cutting-edge colour and care transformations using Koleston Perfect, Ultimate Repair and more.
Sebastian Professional, the iconic cult haircare and styling line also took to the stage, delivering session styling at its finest. Sebastian’s Global Ambassadors, Anthony Cole and Shay Dempsey, were joined by Creative Director, Pedro Saldana, and Sebastian Ambassadors, Angelo Vallillo and Bekki Delehedy, who wowed delegates with their super creative styling skills.
As well as being engrossed in the very latest haircare trends, techniques and launches, there was time for UK & Ireland delegates to embark on a burst of mind-blowing business inspiration in a session with AI futurist, Richard van Hooijdonk. This was balanced with time to network and enjoy the stunning surroundings in Malta. Highlights included an incredible vineyard tour and wine tasting, as well as a day sailing on a beautiful boat around the Mediterranean Sea.
The event honoured the winners of the International TrendVision Award from 2023 and 2024, culminating with the Make it You show (named after the new campaign), which featured amazing hair creations from Global Ambassadors, Nikki Lee, Romeu Felipe and James Earnshaw. Spotlighting some of the best creative talent from around the globe, Destination 2025 proved that when professionals come together, they don’t just grow, they rise.
