HERSHEY, Pa., April 25, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Thousands of Empire Beauty School students are once again gearing up for the shining moment when they will have the chance to compete against their most talented peers for top prizes at Empire Education Group's 7th Annual Future Professionals Expo taking place in Hershey, PA on May 15th and 16th. The largest competition since the event's inception, over 2,400 students and staff from Empire's 102 schools are expected to be in attendance for a thrilling weekend of cut-throat competition, interactive classroom workshops and highly regarded career-networking opportunities with top industry insiders.

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On hand to judge the masterful works of hair, nail and make-up styles are industry experts Brig Von Austen and Ben Mollin, both former Bravo Shear Genius champions, Jan Nordstrom-Arnold of Creative Nail Design, Shannon Lamm of Goldwell, Janel Bucina of Make Up For Ever and Martin Dale of Matrix. Additionally, top beauty editors from Seventeen Magazine and Modern Salon Magazine will bring their renowned beauty expertise and keen eyes to round out the judging panel. And for the second year in a row, master stylist Nick Arrojo will be on hand to headline an inspiring platform hair-show during Monday's award ceremony.

Competing at their local schools throughout the year, students from near and far will vie for top prizes and coveted titles during Sunday's energy-filled, highly-intense competition. The competition categories include: Long Hair Evening Design, Female Trend Cut and Style with Color, Artistic Braided Design Style, Nail Artistry, Men's Trend Cut, Make-Up Artistry, Regional Future Professional of the Year and National Future Professional of the Year. Winners and runners up will be honored at an exciting award ceremony on Monday. Also, as integral components to every student's success, top Empire educators will be recognized at the ceremony with hard-fought titles such as Regional Educator of the Year and National Educator of the Year, and two very worthy schools will walk away with the honor of being crowned Future Professionals Expo-Total Quality School and Total Team.

Winners will take home an abundance of prizes that include Master of Beauty Classes with Nick Arrojo, the chance to perform on stage with SexyHair artist Rafe Hardy, and the chance to be published in a major makeup magazine.  Additional prizes include educational trips to Florida, Atlanta, Baltimore, Indianapolis and an assortment of packages from professional brands such as Goldwell, Matrix, ISO and Fromm.

New and notable to this year's competition is the 'Master Apprentice' Contest, an opportunity of a lifetime for anyone in the cosmetology field. One lucky Empire student will have the chance to land his/her dream job as an apprentice with Nick Arrojo at his trendy, world-famous New York City salon, Arrojo Studio.

Throughout the competition and the two-day expo and educational event, students and staff will be greeted and entertained by Empire's favorite comedian, Amy Schumer of Last Comic Standing. Amy will bring her witty sense of humor to every aspect of the competition and expo. And, in addition to Amy, the school system's new mascot 'Empire's Trend-e' will also be on hand to amuse the creative, energetic crowd.

During the day, students will be treated to a variety of hands-on educational workshops where they will learn cutting-edge techniques for all things related to haircare, makeup artistry and nail art. In between classroom time, they will have the opportunity to explore the trade show floor, an exclusive showcase of the industry's latest tools, products and formulations from brands such as FHI, Goldwell, Creative Nail Design, Fromm, Repechage, OPI, SexyHair and Ultima Hair.  

Not to be missed and just outside the trade show floor, students will have the invaluable opportunity to connect with potential future employers at the Network Cafe. Companies such as Smart Style, Arrojo, JC Penny Salons, Great Clips, Master Cuts and Empire Education will be on hand to chat with students in an intimate setting, while offering priceless advice and guidance and perhaps even job opportunities – a key point of difference that sets Empire apart from other cosmetology programs today.

"Future Professionals Expo has become a fundamental element of many of our students' journeys at Empire because of the unparalleled exposure it offers," states Franklin K. Schoeneman, CEO, Empire Education Group. "Future Pros allows our students to super charge their skill-development, creative inspiration and networking opportunities.  It is also an incredibly motivating, high energy event that celebrates their chosen profession and shows them in a very real way the many possibilities that are open to each of them if they continue to work hard.  Feeding that drive and enthusiasm is the special sauce that really propels a student to do amazing things.  It's what you could call a game changer."

For more information, visit www.futureproexpo.com

Empire Education Group

Empire Education Group provides quality in cosmetology education, offering students many of the finest training tools and facilities.  For 80 years, Empire has grown to become one of the largest providers of beauty and cosmetology education in North America.  Empire's 102 accredited cosmetology schools in 21 states use exclusive Certified Learning in Cosmetology (CLiC) education curriculum; the company prepares students for successful careers in cosmetology (hair care, skin care, and nail care.)

Schools accredited under Empire Education Group include; Empire Beauty Schools, The Hair Design School, Northern Westchester School of Hairdressing and Cosmetology and International Academy.   For more information and a complete listing of all schools under the Empire Education Group name, visit: www.empire.edu

SOURCE Empire Education Group