The 10 Coolest Moments of COLOR, Cut & Style

1. Go Big or Go Home
3,000 BTC besties made the trip to Florida, and we think our friends deserve the very best. We gave them some eye candy they’ll never forget...the biggest stage EVER in the world of hairdressing (see above), which stood 30 feet high and 164 feet long—with more than 100 feet of 3mm high-res screens.

2. Get Wet with BTC!
That’s what hundreds of BTC members did during our Saturday pool party, including Rickey Zito (@hairgod_zito), Mark Bustos (@markbustos), Linh Phan (@bescene) and Matty Conrad (@mattyconrad). Ready for an even bigger celebration in 2017? BTC is throwing another pool party on the Saturday before the show! More info here!

3. BTC Gives Back
For the second year in a row, BTC teamed up with Mark Bustos to give haircuts to the homeless. This year, 13 hairdressers gave 75 haircuts at the Broward Partnership Shelter and lives were changed. The experience was incredible, and being part of Mark’s mission, #BeAwesomeToSomebody, is something the BTC team will forever support. Want to get involved with the #BeAwesomeToSomebody movement in Austin? Contact us! 

4. Celebrity (Stylists) Read Mean Tweets - Click the photo to watch the video!
A-list celebs aren’t the only ones who have to brace themselves before logging into their social media accounts. When you’re a hairdresser with a big following, you have to have thick skin…and you also have to be able to laugh at yourself. So à la Jimmy Kimmel’s “Celebrities Read Mean Tweets” series, we had some fun with our stylist friends and put together “Celebrity Stylists Read Mean Tweets.” Then we surprised the entire #ONESHOT audience with the video. 

5. Feeling the Love
As Mary and the BTC team wrapped up their panel discussion on team positivity, CCS guest Carolina Matias felt the spirit move her. So much so that she jumped onstage to thank BTC for helping her rediscover her purpose and giving her the strength to keep her salon doors open. “Now I understand what I’m supposed to do,” she exclaimed, “and I won’t give up on my dreams.” 

6. Cocktails for Our #ONESHOT Finalists
How does BTC celebrate the nearly 300 #ONESHOT finalists the night before the awards? We throw a party, of course! We also revealed our #ONESHOT gallery that featured every single finalists’ photo. It was so amazing to meet every finalist (and for them to meet one another!) and celebrate the fantastic work they do every day. Later in the night, we unveiled the issue of BTC On Paper featuring ALL of their shots. There is nothing like seeing your work in print! 

Click HERE to see what went down at our very first #ONESHOT show!

7. 100 Pillows Were “Borrowed”
BTC members felt they needed to take a little bit of BTC inspiration home with them—first there were 100 pillows in our Connection Center cabanas...then there were none. Here's what you can expect in the Connection Center this year!

8. Inspired By Courage
Audience members came from all around the world, but nobody traveled as far as Alaa. Matty and Mark invited this young lady onstage to share her story. Her family in Saudi Arabia forbade her to make the trip, but she defied them and came to CCS because she has so much passion for her profession. “We were blown away by her courage,” said Matty.

9. We Got Mooned!
Nobody left the show without being glitterbombed! Thanks to Danny Moon’s colorful Major Moonshine glitter gel, everyone got mooned. We want to send out a big BTC apology to the Ft. Lauderdale clean-up crew...just send us the bill. ;)

10. We Love Shmeggs!
Much to our surprise, a student was a six-time finalist for the 2016 #ONESHOT Awards. Megan Schipani, aka @shmeggsandbaconn, from Silver Springs, M.D., won #HOTSHOT Student Shot of the Year and was so grateful for the entire experience, she presented Mary with a gorgeous drawing. After seeing her incredible artistic skills, it’s no wonder she was a finalist in so many categories. Congrats, Shmeggs!