september 24 2026
NEW YORK

Where the Next Era of Beauty Takes Shape

BITE is more than a showcase—it’s a strategic platform designed to elevate the entire beauty ecosystem. Where brands showcase their stories, connect with key retailers, investors, and industry leaders, and cement their place in the future of beauty.

BITE’s conference sessions, powered by Beauty Independent, are meticulously designed to inform your strategy and provide actionable insights that empower your next move.

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ATTEND

THE SHOWROOM

BITE’s Showroom is the ultimate destination for discovery—a stage where breakthrough brands showcase their stories, connect with key retailers, investors, and industry leaders, and cement their place in the future of beauty.

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CONFERENCE
HALL

We believe in elevating the entire beauty ecosystem. That’s why BITE’s conference sessions, powered by Beauty Independent, are meticulously designed to inform your strategy and provide actionable perspectives to guide and empower you on your journey. Featuring the industry’s top voices, you’ll learn how beauty’s all-stars have navigated real challenges—and unlock the knowledge you need to take meaningful steps forward

SECURE TICKETS

THE
Agenda

Merchant Leadership Forum

A data-driven look at the macro forces driving consumer behavior, key developments in the competitive environment, as well as specific trends shaping the categories in beauty.
A grounded look at AI in beauty retail. We’ll explore what consumers are doing with it, how brands and retailers are responding, and where to focus your own learning, with real merchants sharing how they're navigating the shift.
A clear-eyed look at how the merchant role is changing. We’ll cover the responsibilities that stay essential, the forces reshaping the job, and what it all means for your career and where it can take you.

The Momentum Series

While “buzzy” brands often capture the spotlight, others are quietly building tomorrow’s big success stories. Meet four BITE exhibitors that we believe are on the path to becoming beauty’s next marquee deals. Designed for investors, dealmakers, founders, and industry leaders alike, this session offers an in-depth look at the strategies behind four brands we believe deserve to be on every dealmaker’s radar.

Vision Center Sessions

Investors want 65% to 80% gross margins. Retail demands at least 10x COGS to MSRP. This session examines how to calculate, benchmark, and actually improve your cost structure at every stage of growth and why the savings are harder to hold onto than most founders expect.
Landing a retail account is the easy part. By the time most brands realize they weren't ready, the chargebacks have already started. This session covers the real operational and financial requirements of a wholesale launch and what makes a mass launch fundamentally different from a specialty one.
Most beauty brands spend between 20% and 50% of revenue on marketing. Rhode spent 11% and achieved a 9X return. This session examines the real economics of influencer programming at every stage of brand growth: how much to spend, when to overspend, and how micro and affiliate models actually drive results.

Secure Early Bird Tickets

PAST speaker

Aaron Hefter

Founder & CEO, Imaraïs Beauty
Andy Coxon

Co-founder, AKT
Cristina Nuñez

Co-Founder & Partner, True Beauty Ventures
Ed Currie

Co-founder, AKT
Fernando Acosta

CEO, RoC Skincare
Helena Glazer

Creator & Editor, Brooklyn Blonde
Jared Pobre

Founder, Caldera + Lab
Jessica Tully

VP of Client Strategy, Force Brands
Jill Granoff

Senior Advisor, Eurazeo
Kate Oldham

SVP, Saks
Lisa Sugar

Partner, Sugar Capital
Maria Warrington

CEO, Beacon Wellness Brands
Melisse Shaban

CEO, Aramore
Michelle LeBlanc

VP, Beauty, Personal Care & Hispanic Strategy Team, CVS
Neda Daneshzadeh

Co-Founder & Partner, Prelude Growth Partners
Oshiya Savur

Chief Brand & Marketing Officer, Maesa
Renee Ogaki

Founder & CEO, OGAKI
Sarina Godin

Chief Product Officer & SVP of Operations & Wholesale, True Botanicals
Shamin Walsh

Managing Director, BAM Ventures
Tish Poling

President & Co-Founder, IPG