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Roll out the pink Cadillacs: Mary Kay brings its in-person seminars back to Dallas

Over 14,000 independent beauty consultants will converge on the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center starting this weekend through Aug. 5.

After two years of virtual meetings, cosmetics giant Mary Kay is bringing back the ladies in pink and their matching Cadillacs to Dallas for in-person seminars starting this weekend.

Addison-based Mary Kay Inc. will welcome more than 14,000 independent beauty consultants to the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center through Aug. 5. It is one of the longest-running annual events in Dallas with more than 1.2 million people attending since 1975. Mary Kay was founded in 1963.

Despite cancellations in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event itself will remain the same, said Candie Rodriguez, Mary Kay’s vice president of human resources and events.

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“Since we haven’t haven’t met in three years, we really want to continue the tradition,” Rodriguez said.

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The Mary Kay convention arrives just as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention raised Dallas, Tarrant and Collin counties’ COVID-19 risk levels to red. Mary Kay will offer a virtual option for participants and will adhere to CDC and local guidelines, Rodriguez said.

“We’re going to continue to monitor any changes that happen throughout the course of our event,” Rodriguez said. “Even if there’s not a mandate, if (attendees) feel more comfortable wearing masks, then certainly, we want them to feel comfortable in this setting.”

Mary Kay beauty consultants at one of the company's previous conventions in Dallas.
Mary Kay beauty consultants at one of the company's previous conventions in Dallas.(Courtesy of MaryKay)

What’s a Mary Kay event without the pink Cadillacs? At the seminars, Mary Kay will have a few of its iconic vehicles available for photo opportunities. The Cadillac program was started by founder Mary Kay Ash to reward “the best of the best.”

About 1.5% of Mary Kay’s consultants reach the status of independent sales director and about 10% of those directors earn the use of the pink Cadillac, according to Mary Kay’s website. To be a Mary Kay consultant, startup selling options range from $30 to $130.

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The consultants’ arrival translates into tourism for hotels and restaurants around Dallas-Fort Worth.

“We always look forward to Mary Kay being in town,” said Tracy Mayer, executive director of the Hotel Association of North Texas. “They have a significant impact on the hotel community, it’s like having a Texas/OU weekend spread over those two weeks.”

The seminar weekends are estimated to bring a $35 million economic impact to North Texas. This includes about 29,000 hotel room nights and over $800,000 in local tax revenues.

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“We love being in Dallas,” Rodriguez said. “The city seems very excited to have the ladies in pink back.”