Immersive beauty event returns to Sephora – in new format
The “Sephoria” event is returning to Sephora – with a twist.
Previously held in 2018 and 2019 as a live, ticketed event and in 2021 and 2022 as only a virtual experience, the 2023 edition of “Sephoria: House of Beauty” will mark the first time it will be held in a hybrid format. This year’s Sephora takes place Friday, Sept. 29 and Saturday, Sept. 30 as a live, paid ticketed event in New York City and as a free global virtual experience in select markets.
The in-person event in New York City will take place at a new venue, Skylight at Essex Crossing in Lower Manhattan. The virtual experience will include an immersive, customizable 3D gamified platform which will open on Sept. 29.
For the first time, customers on the virtual platform will be able to create their own avatars to engage with social touchpoints, chat live with Sephora associates, and play games that allow them to earn Beauty Insider loyalty points (U.S. and Canada customers only). Attendees can also redeem a unique free NFT, or P.O.A.P (Proof of Attendance Protocol), upon entering the virtual space that can be added to crypto wallets for free.
Across both experiences, more than 50 participating brands will offer exclusive content. An in-person event in Paris will follow the flagship event in New York City.
Registration and ticketing for Sephoria: House of Beauty opens on July 18 for Sephora Rouge premium loyalty members, and for all other customers on July 20. Access to the in-person event in New York City will be available via two ticket tiers: Silver Key for $99 per session and Gold Key for $349 per session, with prices increasing to $119 and $369, respectively, on Aug. 4.
All in-person attendees will receive a specially curated swag bag filled with full-sized beauty products, with associated values based on ticket tier ($500-plus for Silver and $1,000-plus for Gold). Virtual attendees will register for free, and can opt-in to purchase exclusive Virtual Key swag for $65 ($300-plus value) with a selection of travel-sized product from participating brands.
“We are beyond thrilled to introduce the latest iteration of Sephoria with our first-ever hybrid experience, including an in-person event in New York City. Falling within our 25th anniversary year in the U.S., this event marks an exciting milestone and serves as both a celebration of our past and a nod to our future, as well as a symbol of the remarkable benefits of being a cherished member of Sephora’s community,” said Jessica Stacey, senior VP external communications, event & experiential marketing at Sephora.
“While we’re grateful for the return to an in-person experience, we also recognize the importance of making these events inclusive and broadly accessible to our global beauty community and will do so with free virtual components that are equally enriching," said Stacey. "We can’t wait to debut our biggest event endeavor yet and deliver on an unforgettable beauty experience in partnership with many of the world’s best brands.”
Sephora operates more than 600 stores across the Americas. And through a new long-term retail strategic partnership, there are over 600 Sephora at Kohl’s store-in-store locations nationwide, with 850 locations planned by the end of 2023.