Every August, the Long Beach skincare show takes over the Long Beach Convention Center — officially the International Congress of Esthetics and Spa, better known as ICES. In 2026 it runs August 23 and 24, and we'll be there like we are most years, with plenty of our students on the floor too.
People ask why a school makes such a point of a trade show when there's already plenty to do in class. The honest answer is that a convention floor teaches things a classroom can't. Here's what the show is, why it matters for our students, and how you can go — whether you're enrolled, still deciding, or already out working with your license.
What is the ICES Long Beach skincare show?
ICES is a two-day esthetics and spa trade show built for licensed professionals and students. The Long Beach stop is the West Coast edition, and it packs a lot into two days:
- 100+ exhibitors — professional skincare lines, devices, and spa equipment under one roof
- Education conferences — sessions led by working pros and brand educators
- Live demos on the show floor — treatments and techniques you can watch up close
- Sponsored workshops — hands-on time with specific brands and tools
- Show-only specials — pricing you won't get the rest of the year
The crowd is a mix of estheticians, skincare and waxing specialists, brow and lash pros, cosmetologists, medspa and spa owners, and students. Doors are open 9:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 23, and 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday, August 24.
Why we want our students there every year
In class, our esthetician students train on Dermalogica protocols and practice on real clients in our student spa. That's the foundation. The show is where they see how big the rest of the industry really is.
Walk the floor and you'll find brands like Eminence, Circadia, Le Mieux, Lira, and SkinScript demoing products and tech side by side. For a student, that's a fast education in what's out there — ingredients, devices, and treatment trends. A few things we want students to take away:
- Exposure to vendors and product lines beyond what any single school can stock
- New technology and devices — seeing tools in action beats reading about them
- Real conversations with brand reps and educators who hire, train, and sponsor
- A feel for the business side — retail, pricing, and how spas actually run
It helps cosmetology students too. Skin is part of the cosmetology license, and the show is a low-pressure way to figure out which direction excites you most.
We always run into our alumni
Here's the part we look forward to most: we always run into Beyond graduates. Every year someone comes around a corner working a brand's booth, attending as a licensed esthetician, or running their own spa and stocking up on supplies. Our current students get to see, in real life, where this license can take them — from someone who sat in the same classroom a year or two before them.
That's what it looks like for a school to be plugged into its industry. Since 1997 we've put 2,100+ licensed graduates into the LA and Orange County beauty community, and a lot of them are exactly the people you'll bump into on the ICES floor.
How to go: tickets, student discount, and hours
The Long Beach Convention Center sits at 300 E Ocean Blvd, right on the water — a short trip south of our Santa Fe Springs campus (figure 25 to 30 minutes), so for most of our LA and OC students it's practically in the backyard. Here's the rundown:
- One-day ticket: $70 (goes up to $90 after August 7)
- Two-day ticket: $90 (goes up to $120 after August 7)
- Two-day student ticket: $60 with a valid school ID — the best deal if you're currently enrolled anywhere
A couple of tips if it's your first show: go in with a plan from the digital program, pick up a tote for samples and literature, and don't be shy about asking reps to demo. The educators are there to teach, and most are glad to walk a student through a treatment or a device.
If you're a student, bring your school contract and grab the student rate. You can see full details and register on the official ICES Long Beach page. Wear comfortable shoes — you'll be on the floor all day.
Want this kind of hands-on, connected training?
A trade show makes sense for our students because they're already getting real, hands-on training — the show just widens the lens. If you've been thinking about skincare as a career, our esthetician program runs 600 hours with day and night options and tuition of $11,206.50 including your kit. Federal financial aid is available for those who qualify — start on our financial aid page. Want the full beauty license instead? Take a look at cosmetology.
The best way to get a feel for the school is to come see it. Book a campus tour or call us at (562) 404-6193. We're at 13640 Imperial Highway, Suites 6-8, Santa Fe Springs, CA 90670 — and maybe we'll see you on the ICES floor in August.
