Phorest has launched its Phorest Connect events, with the first ones doing a deep dive into its AI innovations, designed specifically for the professional salon industry.
According to the salon software company, the businesses that will thrive over the next five years won’t be defined by how much AI they use, but by how thoughtfully they use it to support their teams and clients.
Sessions have been held in Dublin and Cork, with another one planned for Belfast on 18 May.
Featuring insights and practical demonstrations of the platform’s AI offering, the welcome address was given by Sarah Russell, head of marketing UKI at Phorest, who talked about how a considered approach to AI needs to be taken in the salon sector. “We don’t want to lose the human touch, as that is so important in this industry,” she said.
Meanwhile, Luke Doolin, country manager UKI, spoke about how the salon industry is “AI resilient”. “What we are trying to do is build tools to amplify it,” he added.
Russell and Doolin were joined by Niamh Greany, global head of onboarding & Grow; Cillian Moloney, head of product – consumer experience; and Clare Duggan, head of engineering – consumer, as they unveiled a number of new features.
These include the introduction of WhatsApp messaging integration, and the AI-powered Cheat Sheet, which allows salons to generate quick and personalised client summaries for each appointment.
