AIHBA’s Jury Training Seminar

The Indian beauty industry has just not recovered post COVID but is now evolving to match its pace with the International beauty standards. AIHBA’s Jury training seminar is a niche concept that will open new avenues for the Indian beauty industry on International platforms.
The All India Hair and Beauty Association (AIHBA) has always been encouraging the Indian beauty industry by providing various platforms for artists to showcase their talent. Through AIHBA India Awards, or participating in OMC, World Skill competitions, and many more. And now yet again they have come up with a unique and niche concept of Jury Training Seminar called as Juror Seminar which will open the door for Indian Beauty Experts to be on the judging panel of beauty competitions at International events. Priyanka Parshurami gets into a candid conversation with Elisha Chauhan, President, Hair and Beauty Tour, USA and Juror Educator AIHBA, India, to get an insight into this unique concept of Juror Seminar.
Here’s the excerpt from the Interview.

Inspiration Behind the Concept: There are four main reasons, which inspired us to start the Juror Seminar.
1) Support AIHBA India awards
At the OMC competition, they organize a mini jury seminar before they do competitions, which is a really great initiative. In this seminar, they do a conference with the selected jury for the overall plan and flow of the event. AIHBA also though of executing the same concept for AIHBA India Awards.
2) Filling the gaps at the entry-level
When a hair and beauty professional or an aspirant enters the industry, they can do three months, six months or one-year courses which are mostly non-standardized as a result creates a gap at the entry-level. For example, if someone is not taught colour theory well at their entry level, that gap still exists even when they’re working for 10 years in the industry. So, AIHBA decided to do a jury seminar so that these skill gaps could be filled in before the experienced professionals were placed inside the competition ring for judging.
3) Growing need for international jurors
The need for International Jurors is growing in just not AIHBA India awards but in competitions across the globe. As a result, we realized a need to build capacity in the Indian hair and beauty industry so that they can fill the spots on the international jury.
4) No specific course of judging
AIHBA has started this whole array of competition in India. And with competitions, one needs judges because they have to mark the results. And for these judges to know the categories and marking system it is important to have undergone a proper marking system and judging techniques as at the end of the day they have to be fair to all participants.
Hence AIHBA came up with this concept of Juror Seminar, which will help to build a strong bench of judges not just for domestic but International competitions as well.

AIM of the seminar
The first aim of the jury education seminar is to align the jurors with the vision of AIHBA as to why we do competition and what is our goal behind it. Second is introducing them to our scoring system, which aligns with OMC so that when they progress from being a national judge to an international judge, they are able to make that transition smoothly. And last but not the least, to teach and inform them about the on rules and regulations, the industry standards internationally where we are right now and how can we progress as a juror.

Unique from other AIHBA seminars
A jury seminar is a totally different ball game. Other AIHBA seminars in workshops are either hands-on or more look and learn. This is closer to a symposium or a conference. It’s a group study session where we discuss and learn about:
– International competitions, exist, not only OMC but World Skills, NAHA, and others.
– Different standards exist in these competitions.
– The marking systems and the criteria for the competition
– Introduction to the world of judging

Criteria to be selected for juror seminar
The AIHBA jury seminar is a real niche concept and the criteria for the selection are:
Members need to be longstanding contributors to AIHBA.
At least five years of experience in the industry with a minimum of 3 awards or recognition

Way forward for attendees of juror seminar
After the jury seminar, AIHBA gives them opportunities to judge in different states and cities so that they have an idea about judging before they go on the floor on a massive scale at AIHBA India Awards or any International Awards panel. It’s like treading waters before you actually learn to swim in an ocean.
We also have systems of blind juries versus non-blind juries. So based on where they are in their understanding and experience, we decide which jury will they be a party to. So, we give them opportunities more and more in our different cities and states, even though the competition is on a smaller scale, but that’s how you train them to become the best juror.

Designation of next juror seminars
Already more than a hundred people from across India have been certified in the AIHBA jury seminar education system and our next stop looks like it’s going to be Kolkata, West Bengal, and Gujarat.