The 63rd annual CIDESCO World Congress and Exhibition was a success, says Anna-Cari Gund, president of CIDESCO International. In an exclusive Thought Leader columnThought Leader column for Spa Opportunities , Gund shares her insights on what was learned at the event.

It was with great pleasure that I opened the 63rd CIDESCO World Congress and Exhibition hosted by the National CIDESCO Section South Africa. National section president Tina Scholtz, together with honorary president Helene Weber-Bramwell and their team of professionals, gave us a week of unforgettable events.

Bringing together our CIDESCO membership from all four corners of the world, we had five days of motivational member meetings, inspirational talks from world experts and our annual beauty exhibition and make-up competition. Our mission, as always, was to raise standards within the beauty industry on a global basis through education and training.

The theme for this year’s event was ‘Skin is Alive’ and we were privileged to listen to some of the world’s leading somatologists and their ability to work with the skin. Renowned doctors and key skin and body experts were invited to provide their valuable insight on beauty-related topics as well as medical aesthetic disciplines. Exhibitors got to showcase the latest beauty technologies, services, techniques and treatments to CIDESCO members and beauty industry decision makers in South Africa, in a forum dedicated to educational excellence.

The official CIDESCO meetings started with a full day allocated to schools, examiners and sections, which was followed by a half day for examiners only. We were pleased to welcome a huge turnout from the South African schools and also happy to see that many examiners from far away were present at these meetings.

At our annual general assembly, we had an open forum for the delegates along with updates on school rules, statutes, and trademark rules where decisions were made accordingly. Schools were also advised on the new CIDESCO diplomas, which already had been taken up by many members, helping them to expand and develop their businesses further.

The programme was exceptionally well-received. From South Africa, some of the key speakers included: Dr Ridwan Mia, known for his pioneering work on three-year-old “Pippie” Kruger, spoke about harvesting skin; Dr Robert Weiss focused on hormones and how they affect the skin; Dr Des Fernandes, the pioneer of micro-needling, provided insight on this revolutionary therapy; Dr Cathy Davies gave an in-depth look at radiofrequency and ultrasound technologies; Dr Minoka Nadesan demonstrated and discussed the popular Vampire facial; and podiatrist Dr Dennis Rehbock looked at how to treat clients with diabetes.

On the international front, the congress was privileged to hear Johnette du Randt from the US, who discussed the effects and benefits of massage for cancer patients; Dr Bovero, president of national CIDESCO section Italy, who focused on touch therapy and its effects; Professor Dong Ping from China, who looked at periosteal micro plastic surgery – a non-invasive bone-shaping technique; and Anouska Cassano from the UK covered scalp micro-pigmentation.

There were also business advisors speaking on preparing students for the workplace and the stepping stones to success. Our “CIDESCO family” was once again met with the most unforgettable hospitality of the South African people. We were able to experience different cultures, mingle and exchange new developments in our businesses, learn more and further the aims of CIDESCO as the world standard in beauty and spa therapy.

Moving from a country of great hospitality to another, we are looking forward to celebrating our 70th anniversary at the next CIDESCO World Congress, which takes place in Ireland on 22 - 26 September 2016. This will be an unforgettable event as Ireland will also be celebrating its 100th year of independence in 2016.