International Make-Up Artist Trade Show

INTERNATIONAL MAKE UP TRADE SHOW COMES TO AUSTRALIA FOR THE FIRST TIME

The International Make-Up Artist Trade Show (IMATS) will bring world-class make-up talent to Australia for the firsttime in the shows 12 year history.

To be held at the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour, from 12-13 September 2009, IMATSwill showcase the work of local and international award-winning make-up artists, both in beauty and prosthetic work.

Keynote speakers for the show include renowned Australian make-up artist Rae Morris - the make-up director ofAustralias Fashion Week, a four-time winner of Australias Make-up Artist of the Year award, and the author ofMakeup: The Ultimate Guide.

IMATS Sydney will host 60 international vendors, with educational seminars held throughout the weekend. 2500visitors, both trade and consumer, are expected through the doors for the event.

Aspiring make-up artists from around the globe will converge in Sydney to compete in the IMATS studentcompetition. The competition is divided into beauty and prosthetic themes: this years beauty theme is Gothic andthe prosthetic theme is X-Men Mutants. First-place winners in each category will take home a $1,000 prize.

Overseas keynote speakers include Oscar® winner Howard Berger, Britains BAFTA-winning make-up effectsdesigner Neill Gorton, and special make-up effects artist Gino Acevedo.

Berger, who won an Oscar® for his work on The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, willtake the stage with his make-up team from Narnia. Berger and KNB (the company he founded with Gregory Nicotero)have also worked on critically acclaimed productions such as Inglourious Basterds, Drag Me to Hell, Sin City, the KillBill films, Casino, Army of Darkness and Dances with Wolves, as well as numerous television shows.

As the prosthetics supervisor for Weta Workshop, Acevedo oversaw all three Lord of the Rings films. He has alsoworked on Alien 3, The Nutty Professor, Godzilla, Men in Black, Independence Day and Peter Jacksons King Kong,among other productions.

IMATS Sydney is sponsored by U.S. based Make-Up Artist magazine, which covers professional make-up artistry infilm, fashion, TV and theater. It was launched in 1996 by Emmy® Award-winning make-up artist, Michael Key, and iscirculated internationally. In addition to IMATS Sydney, Make-Up Artist magazine hosts four other annual tradeshows: IMATS London, held in January; IMATS Vancouver, B.C., held in April; IMATS Los Angeles, held in June;and IMATS Toronto, held in November. IMATS has gone from strength to strength internationally, with the 2009IMATS Los Angeles event attracting 6900 visitors, more than double the attendance of 2008.

The event is open to the public, and there are great discounts to be had! Girlfriends, sisters, mothers, bridesmaids, and professionals gather for a girls day out where you'll pick up some amazing tips and trips and learn about heaps of fab new beauty brands and innovations, and hear from some of the beauty industry's biggest luminaries.

IMATS Sydney is set to become the highlight of the beauty buffs calendar! For more information on IMATS Sydney,visit http://makeupmag.com/imats/ and click on Sydney, Australia.

IMATS SYDNEY

12 -13 September 2009,

Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Darling Harbour

Opening hours: 8:30am - 5pm Saturday; 10am - 5pm Sunday

Admission price: $40 one day pass; $60 two day pass

Open to trade and public