Where Craft, Creativity, and Community Shape the Future of Pet Grooming
GROOM’D, the premier conference and trade show dedicated exclusively to the pet grooming profession, continues to cement its status as the essential gathering for industry professionals. Organized by the World Pet Association (WPA), the event returned to the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park, Georgia, from March 13-15, 2026, delivering three days of high-level competition, expert-led education, and product discovery. Following a record-breaking 2025 edition, this year’s event saw participation rise across every metric, reinforcing the show’s role as a national benchmark for grooming excellence.
A Growing Platform for the Industry
GROOM’D 2025 set the stage for the 2026 edition by attracting more than 4,000 attendees and a record-breaking 115 exhibitors across 19,570 net square feet of show floor. The 2026 event built on that momentum, drawing thousands of grooming professionals—from first-time competitors to seasoned salon owners. The show floor expanded its marketplace, with one in four exhibitors being new to the event, broadening the range of grooming tools, wellness products, and business services available for hands-on evaluation.
As Mike Karsting, senior vice president of WPA, noted, the event’s growth reflects the industry’s deliberate choice to invest in professional development: “The momentum we’re seeing reflects a deliberate choice by professionals to invest time in education and hands-on evaluation of products in one place.”
Education That Raises the Bar
Education has become the defining story of GROOM’D. In 2026, participation in educational programming rose 17 percent over the previous year, with grooming professionals filling more than 60 sessions. The program covered technique, breed-specific styling, business operations, and safety standards, led by nationally recognized groomers, competition winners, and educators who set the benchmarks for the profession.
A new feature for 2026 was the Live Expert Demos, which ran across all three days directly on the show floor. This format brought applied instruction into the same space where attendees could immediately evaluate the tools being demonstrated, bridging the gap between learning and hands-on product discovery. Sessions featured insights from respected industry professionals, including Jay Batista, Rachel Colant, and Melissa Jepson, influencing grooming standards and techniques across the trade.
The Competition Ring: Showcasing National Talent
The competition ring at GROOM’D is where the craft of grooming meets national recognition. In 2026, 205 competitors entered nine contests, vying for a combined prize pool of $29,975—the largest in event history and roughly 60 percent higher than the previous year. This growth underscores the rising importance of national competition as a benchmark for technical excellence and professional recognition within the grooming community.
2026 First-Place Contest Winners
Individual Winners
- Best Pet Stylist in Show: Lis Johnston | Madison, Wisconsin
- Best All Around Pet Stylist in Show: Ramie Burgess | Randleman, North Carolina
- Best First Time Competitor in Show: Stevie Jo Elliot | Detroit Lakes, Minnesota
- Clipper Classic: Caitlyn Pesetsky | Queen Creek, Arizona
- Abstract Design: Patty Lee | Mooresville, North Carolina
- Extreme Duo: Lori Craig & Angela Kumpe | Moore, Oklahoma
Group Winners
- Other Purebreds – Group: Sophia Staples | Reston, Virginia
- Wire Coats (Handstripping) – Open: Courtney VanCamp | Cape Coral, Florida
- Sporting Spaniels & Setters – Open: Sommer Ferguson | Edgerton, Wisconsin
- Poodles – Open: Kimberly Levesque | Derry, New Hampshire
- Mixed Salon/Freestyle – Open: Melanie Charland | Apex, North Carolina
- Creative Dog & Cat Styling – Open: Alicia Mulac | Romeoville, Illinois
A full list of winners across all divisions is available through the event organizers.
A Community That Powers the Profession
Beyond the competitions and education, GROOM’D is defined by its community. The event provides a space for groomers to connect with peers, find mentorship, discover new product sources, and forge partnerships that shape careers. As one attendee noted, the depth and quality of the classes—far beyond corporate slide shows—left participants genuinely excited and better prepared to serve their clients.
The event also offers specialized sessions such as CPR-PetTech First Aid certification, Model Dog Styling Workshops, and business-focused seminars on scalability, boarding expansion, and mental health in the grooming salon.
Looking Ahead to GROOM’D 2027
Planning is already underway for GROOM’D 2027, scheduled for March 12-14, 2027, at the Georgia International Convention Center. As the grooming profession continues to raise its own bar, GROOM’D remains the essential event where professionals gather to sharpen skills, discover innovation, and celebrate the creativity and dedication that define the craft.