FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

BRAVO TV STAR TABATHA COFFEY, NATIONAL BEAUTY LEADERS AND MAJOR BRANDS COMING TO BILLINGS FOR NIC’S 71ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE

Billings Mayor Mike Nelson and Montana Representative Curtis Schomer to join national conference gathering focused on jobs, small businesses, professional mobility and public safety

BILLINGS, MONTANA – Billings is about to get a little more beautiful, and a lot more national attention.

The National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology (NIC) is bringing its 71st Annual Conference to downtown Billings, welcoming state regulatory leaders, beauty-industry professionals, educators, national companies and special guests from across the United States and Guam.

And this year, there is some serious star power coming to Montana.

Internationally recognized beauty-industry leader, business and personal coach, author and Bravo television star Tabatha Coffey will attend the conference as an NIC Ambassador. Coffey is widely recognized for television programs including Tabatha’s Salon Takeover, Tabatha Takes Over and Relative Success, as well as appearances on national television programs.

MEDIA ALERT: Tabatha Coffey available for Billings interviews

Billings-area television, radio, print and digital media are being offered a special opportunity to interview Coffey during her visit.

In addition to participating in the conference, Coffey is looking forward to experiencing Billings and connecting with local small-business owners, bringing with her decades of experience in the beauty industry, entrepreneurship, leadership and business transformation.

For local television in particular, opportunities may be available for on-location interviews, conference footage, sponsor exhibits and conversations with Coffey and national and state leaders.

“I’m honored to be an Ambassador for NIC, supporting the standards and protections that help our industry thrive. Licensed professionals deserve consistency, safety, and strong advocacy, and I’m committed to helping elevate the conversations that matter most to our community.”

Tabatha Coffey, NIC Ambassador

Coffey says the beauty industry has shaped her life and that protecting its integrity and supporting both professionals and consumers are deeply important to her.

WHY BILLINGS? WHY NOW?

NIC's membership unanimously voted to bring its annual conference to Billings, giving attendees from throughout the country an opportunity to experience Montana hospitality while patronizing the city's restaurants, shops and local businesses.

Conference activities will be centered at the historic Northern Hotel in downtown Billings, with conference attendees, meetings and sponsor exhibits bringing additional activity into the heart of the city.

EVENT AT A GLANCE

WHAT: National Interstate Council of State Boards of Cosmetology 71st Annual Conference

WHERE: Northern Hotel, Downtown Billings, Montana

DATE: October 20-22, 2026

TIME: 10:30 am

SPECIAL GUEST: Tabatha Coffey, Bravo TV star and NIC Ambassador

LOCAL WELCOME: Billings Mayor Mike Nelson

SPECIAL PARTICIPANT: Montana House Representative Curtis Schomer

MEDIA OPPORTUNITIES: Interviews, conference coverage, sponsor exhibits, beauty-industry and workforce stories, small-business/community features

BILLINGS WELCOMES NATIONAL LEADERS

Billings Mayor Mike Nelson is scheduled to welcome NIC's delegates to the city.

Montana House Representative Curtis Schomer is also scheduled to attend and present at the conference, adding a Montana perspective to discussions involving regulation, workforce development and the future of professional licensing.

Together with state regulatory leaders from around the country, national industry representatives and Coffey, their participation provides Billings media an unusual opportunity to tell a national story from right here in Montana.

MORE THAN BEAUTY: THIS IS A WORKFORCE AND SMALL-BUSINESS STORY

Behind every salon chair, barber station, nail table or treatment room is a professional who trained, tested, became licensed and, in many cases, built a small business and created jobs.

NIC believes those professionals should not encounter unnecessary barriers simply because they move across a state line.

The organization is working with states to advance greater uniformity in education, testing, professional regulation and credential verification, while keeping consumer protection at the center.

Break Barriers for Licensure in the Beauty Professions

Differences among state licensing requirements can create challenges for qualified professionals relocating to another state.

Those challenges can be particularly significant for:

• Military members and their families who relocate frequently
• Professionals moving to Montana or other states for employment
• Individuals trying to begin earning income quickly to support their families
• Applicants coming to the United States from other countries
• Salon, spa and beauty-business owners searching for qualified employees

NIC advocates for greater consistency through NIC National Examinations and its NIC National Database, designed to help jurisdictions verify licensing credentials and improve information sharing.

The goal is straightforward:

Make professional mobility easier without making public safety weaker.

“LICENSING ISN’T RED TAPE. IT’S A PUBLIC HEALTH SAFEGUARD.”

That distinction will be an important conversation in Billings.

Beauty professionals routinely perform services involving chemicals, sharp instruments, close personal contact and services involving the skin, hair and nails.

For NIC, modernization does not mean abandoning professional standards.

NIC's message:

“We’re here to help states modernize, not dismantle, licensure.”

Professional licensing establishes minimum qualifications, provides consumers with a means to verify credentials and gives regulators mechanisms for accountability when problems arise.

At the same time, modern regulation can help qualified professionals enter the workforce more efficiently.

That makes professional licensing not simply a beauty-industry issue, but a consumer protection, workforce development, economic mobility and small-business issue.

MAJOR BEAUTY BRANDS COME TO BILLINGS

NIC’s conference will also bring leading beauty brands, education organizations, examination providers and industry partners to Billings.

Sponsors include nationally recognized names such as L’Oréal, Wella, Paul Mitchell, Milady/Cengage, Pivot Point, Pearson, Prometric, and Prov, along with numerous additional organizations supporting the professional beauty and regulatory communities.

Their participation underscores the national reach of the conference and the economic importance of an industry built largely around professionals, entrepreneurs and locally owned businesses.

A NATIONAL MOVEMENT WITH MORE THAN 70 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP

For more than 70 years, NIC has worked with state boards, educators and industry leaders to support effective regulation and professional standards.

Its work spans all 50 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. territories, including Guam, with state leaders coming together to exchange ideas, learn from one another and discuss solutions to common regulatory challenges.

NIC develops and supports national licensure examinations, shares regulatory research and best practices, connects state boards with industry experts, and provides regulatory education and implementation resources.

Its guiding principles are simple:

Protecting the Public. Empowering Professionals.

NEW NATIONAL LEADERSHIP BEGINS IN BILLINGS

The Billings conference also marks an important leadership transition for NIC.

After five years of outstanding leadership by President Anwar Saleem, the presidency will transition to Wendy Gray, who was elected by NIC’s membership at the previous Annual Conference.

Gray, a longtime industry professional who resides in neighboring Wyoming, will help guide the organization’s continuing work on national testing, professional mobility, regulatory collaboration and consumer protection.

Saleem, who also serves as Executive Director of H Street Main Street, Inc. in Washington, D.C., has brought his extensive experience in economic development, entrepreneurship and community revitalization to his leadership of NIC.

The transition provides another compelling Western connection as a Wyoming leader takes the helm of a national organization during its conference in Montana.

Saleem also serves as Executive Director of H Street Main Street, Inc. in Washington, D.C., where his work has focused on economic development, entrepreneurship, community engagement and revitalization.

The transition adds a distinctly Western connection to this year's Montana conference as Gray begins her tenure.

FROM CAPITOL HILL TO BILLINGS

NIC's work is attracting attention far beyond the beauty industry.

Tabatha Coffey, Wendy Gray and Susan Colard (NIC Executive Director) recently travelled to Capitol Hill and had conversations with congressional offices about beauty education, professional licensing, testing, workforce development, consumer protection and state regulatory authority.

At the center of those conversations is a critical concern: modernizing licensure should never come at the expense of consumer safety.

Beauty and wellness professionals work directly with the public, including individuals who may have underlying health conditions, compromised skin or other factors that can place them at greater risk. Professional education and training help practitioners understand sanitation and infection-control practices, recognize when a service may not be appropriate, and safely use chemicals, professional products, tools and specialized equipment.

Without appropriate education, training and competency standards, consumers may face preventable risks, including chemical injuries, infections, adverse reactions, skin damage or scarring.

NIC believes reducing unnecessary barriers and improving workforce mobility can and should happen without removing the education, training and accountability that help protect consumers.

Modernize licensure. Improve mobility. Protect the public.

In October, that national conversation comes directly to Billings, Montana, as the people responsible for regulating, educating, testing and supporting beauty professionals gather to discuss how the profession can move forward while keeping public safety at the center.