(From left to right) NAILS Editors Tim Crowley and Sree Roy with Ultimate Beauty Companies’ giveaway winner Ann Hyun and husband Roy.

One of the highlights of the ISSE show was a press invitation to attend a charitable cash giveaway from Ultimate Beauty Companies (UBC). The event was titled UBC Makes Dream Come True, in which UBC awarded more than $30,000 to beauty professionals. The grand-prize winner was Anna Hyun, owner of Tiffany’s Beauty Supply store in Montclair, Calif.

Hyun received a check for $25,000 from UBC at the event, which was held at the V₂O nightclub next to the convention center in Long Beach, Calif. She was there with her husband Roy and laughed about how she only found out about her win a few hours before the event and could not believe her good fortune.

UBC also awarded $5,000 to the winner of the “Pay It Forward” contest. Kim Sullivan of D’Aversa in Long Beach, Calif. won the contest, in which UBC customers nominated a colleague who is deserving of the prize, and is then encouraged to “pay it forward” by doing in kind to others. Sullivan was nominated by a friend who told a heartfelt story about Sullivan recently losing her brother to cancer.

CEO and founder of UBC Morad Zahabian, explained that the idea of the giveaway is similar to the film Pay It Forward, in which a person who receives a good deed will then “pay it forward” and do a good deed to someone else. “We really believe that if you do something generous for someone, they will carry that spirit on to someone else,” said Zahabian.

Ultimate Beauty Companies is an umbrella company that includes four divisions: Nancy’s Beauty Warehouse, Exclusive Salon Distributors, Bella Salon & Spa Distributors, and viaBeaute.

— Tim