Redmond Reunion | LE's 2023 Family Reunion Recap by SCRATCH Magazine

Light Elegance has recently hosted their bi-annual LE Family Reunion and this year, SCRATCH Magazine has covered the entire event! Read on to see what SCRATCH has covered in their latest June 2023 issue.

"Every two years, two 'LE Reunions' are held; one for Light Elegance distributors, and another for the brand's educators and ambassadors. "It is so important for us to meet face-to-face with our LE family," comments Lezlie McConnell, Light Elegance co-founder & colour mother. "We hold monthly webinars and frequent meetings to stay in touch, but nothing can replace face-to-face interaction and connection."

"Go behind the scenes at the Light Elegance Reunion 2023: a meeting of minds, creativity, passion & supreme nail skill.

'We've got great chemistry' is the tagline of Light Elegance, a family-owned and operated nail brand with a 24-year history. And this chemistry applies to both its products and its people, as the company is dedicated to formulating high quality nail systems from its in-house R&D facility, to support the work of nail professionals worldwide.

"The reunion meant we could showcase our culture and facility, and reveal upcoming products, innovations and campaigns."

Lezlie, a former owner & manager of an upscale salon, collaborated with her husband, Jim, a polymer chemist, to launch the brand in 1999. They share a passion for formulating safe products with outstanding performance, and have developed gel, gel polish and L&P acrylic ranges for all nail needs. The tradition of innovation continues with the next generation: daughter, Lexy, and son-in-law, Joseph, who uphold the core pillars of the brand: chemistry, quality and community.

The business operates from Redmond in Oregon, USA, and invited its family of distributors, educators and ambassadors to reunite at HQ last month, for the first time in a number of years, owing to disruption caused by the pandemic. "Plenty of hugs and handshakes were exchanged," smiles Lezlie. "The event allowed our LE family to share their needs and discuss what they think the future holds for nails, as well as how they and Light Elegance HQ can better serve nail professionals in their region.

"The reunion also meant we could showcase our culture and facility, and reveal upcoming products, innovations and campaigns. This year, we concentrated extensively on nail allergies and education, and explored in-person education, online courses and changes to Light Elegance University."

Distributors from Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, South America and the US attended, and the itinerary included a meet and greet and two days of presentations, meetings and fun social activities. "Key presenters were chemists, Jim McConnell and Alyssa Allen, who discussed nail allergies and the future of chemistry for nail products," Lezlie continues. "Joseph and Lexy McLellan shared future marketing campaigns and brand innovations, and I was joined by customer service representative, Angela Williams, for a talk about the importance of good customer service, sales and building relationships with the nail professional.

"As Light Elegance HQ is located in central Oregon, it was important for us to share our culture," comments Lezlie McConnell. "We hosted a s'mores bar next to a fire pit, and the best part was watching our European family roast a marshmallow for the first time! We shared so many laughs and made such great memories."

"We wanted all attendees to leave the reunion filled with passion, inspiration and excitement for the upcoming year with Light Elegance. They can then take this passion back home to share with their teams and nail professionals."

Light Elegance Educators from the UK, Leila Monroy and Jojo Wickens documented their entire travels from the UK to Redmond, Oregon and shared their journey with SCRATCH Mag! 

Diary of an attendee:
Leila Monroy shares tales from her trip to Redmond, Oregon, with fellow UK Light Elegance educator, Jojo Wickens...

DAY 1
Jojo and I were invited by the Light Elegance HQ team, to represent the growing Light Elegance UK family in Redmond at the reunion. It was the first time in years that a reunion was taking place, and we were so excited to meet our peers - and forge new relationships. I am based in Edinburgh, and Jojo is in Exeter, so we decided to meet in London the night before our flight, and we caught up over a pizza.

DAY 2
We flew out of London to Seattle, where we had a quick layover - but we almost missed our flight to Redmond due to long security lines. Thankfully, we made it in time, and on landing, we were taken to our hotel to drop off our bags before meeting Lexy, Lezlie, Jim and Vidar, LE's Norway representative, for dinner.

DAY 3
Jojo and I went for an 8km walk to stretch our legs and find some refreshments. We met with Jim, who took us to lunch at a restaurant with a beautiful view, and we drove through the stunning landscape to our resort. In the evening, we met Light Elegance's New Zealand distributor for dinner.

DAY 4
We relaxed and went on several walks, and got to know a number of Light Elegance Distributors. It was a lovely, sunny day and we made the most of it!

DAY 5
Today was the first day of the reunion, and we were welcomed into a room decorated by balloon arches, with amazing Light Elegance images. Lexy and Joseph kicked off proceedings with a presentation of new products, and we had an insightful chemistry session with Jim and LE chemist, Alyssa Allen. We cannot wait to start helping the industry understand what's inside each product and why this understanding is so important. We had dinner with the entire family, and speeches were made. The atmosphere was really friendly and we enjoyed making new industry friends.

DAY 6
We watched an amazing presentation about LE education, and what the company wants to achieve in the next year. The brand has considered the current industry circumstances, and a revamped education format will be launching in the UK soon. I am very excited! We were then given a great pathway to help nail technicians understand the Light Elegance ethos and its range of products. Continued support is so important and as Light Elegance educators, we are committed to this.

Following the presentations, we relaxed before a BBQ-style dinner where we enjoyed s'mores around a fire pit. It was delicious! Sadly, it was time to say goodbye to many of our new friends, as they were heading home.

Jojo and I visited Light Elegance HQ and were given a tour by Lezlie, before we met the rest of the head office team. We were shown sneak peeks of new products, before we headed back to our hotel for some rest and relaxation. We later met Joche Santiago, distributor for Puerto Rico, for dinner.

We indulged in an amazing breakfast of American pancakes before revisiting Light Elegance HQ, as we had some time to spare before our flight. A meeting was scheduled to discuss Light Elegance and the UK market, and we are so excited to showcase the refreshed education programme in the near future.

Jim took us to the airport, where we caught a flight to Seattle before our flight to London. It was here that Jojo and I parted ways, until our next meeting.

As part of the Light Elegance family, we believe "What's Inside Matters' and it was so insightful to get to know the rest of the family better and four HQ. The brand is real, it's beautiful, and it is an honour to represent it as a Light Elegance UK educator. Jojo and I can't wait to share the future of Light Elegance in the UK - it's a very exciting time to be a nail pro!" - SCRATCH Magazine

Special thank you to SCRATCH Magazine for covering LE's 2023 Reunion. We cannot wait to share all of the exciting brand news to come! It is an incredibly thrilling time in the industry and for Light Elegance! 

Follow Leila: @leilamonroyle Follow Jojo: @jojowickens
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