US Conference 2025

Enter your unique soaps, cosmetics, and candles in our reimagined Makers Showcase at the 2025 Annual Conference!

The Makers Showcase is a combination of peer-voted and juried categories that registered conference attendees* can choose to participate in. This is a friendly competition, and winners in each category are honored at the Closing Ceremonies at the end of the conference. Additionally, the 2025 Makers Showcase will feature TWO “Best Product” winners: attendees will choose a “Best Peer Voted” entry from the Peer Voted Categories and the judges will choose a “Best Juried” entry from the Juried Categories to be honored at the Closing Ceremonies as well.

*HSCG Board of Directors, Staff, Conference Volunteers, Conference Exhibitors, and their associates, Speakers, Expert, and Master Soapmakers are not eligible to participate in the Makers Showcase.

Peer Voted Categories

Attendees will have the opportunity to vote on a number of categories! Peer-voted categories for 2025 are:

1. Cold Process/Hot Process
2. Melt & Pour
3. Creative & Specialty Soap: includes decorative soaps, children’s soaps, pet soaps, and other creative soaps that don’t necessarily fit into our other categories.
4. Conference-Themed Soap
5. Packaging: All soaps in this category must be labeled compliantly according to the FDA guidelines. Marie Gale will review the three products with the highest number of votes for proper labeling.
6. Candles

Juried Categories

Some products require hands-on testing, Juried categories for 2025 are:

1. Lotion
2. Bath Fizzies: includes bath bombs, salts, and scoops.
3. Body Scrub: below the neck only – no lip or facial scrubs will be accepted.
4. Lip Balm

Entry Details

1. All soaps must be entered void of any packaging so that attendees can view the full detail of the product, with the exception of soaps submitted in the Packaging Category, or course.
2. All products entered in the Makers Showcase will automatically be entered for the Best Peer Voted and Best Juried awards. You do not have to use an entry as these are not considered categories.
3. Each eligible 2025 HSCG Conference Attendee may submit one (1) entry per category
4. Each category in the Juried Entry Group will require duplicate/multiple product submissions for testing, as outlined below:
5. Lotion, Bath Fizzies & Body Scrubs: (2) of each entry product are required. One will be used for display, and one will be used for testing. This means that if you are entering a body scrub, for example, you will need to submit TWO identical scrubs from the same batch.
6. Lip Balm: Each entry must be submitted with four identical balms from the same batch: one for display, and one for each of our three judges to test. Our judges love each other, but not enough to use the same lip balm!
7. Each participating attendee must fill out entry forms for the categories they are participating in. There are two entry forms; one for Peer Voted Categories and one for Juried Categories. Please fill out and return one or both entry forms to makersshowcase@soapguild.org prior to April 21st to expedite your check-in at the Makers Showcase Table. If you are unable to do so, we will provide forms for you to fill out.
8. All required paperwork (if not received by the HSCG by April 21st), entries, and duplicates if required must be turned in by 12 PM local time on May 6th at the Makers Showcase table. Any entries, duplicates, or paperwork submitted after this time will not be accepted.
9. If you are submitting products in the Packaging, Lotion, Bath Fizzies, Body Scrub, or Lip Balm categories, these products must be compliantly labeled according to U.S. FDA guidelines.
10. The Makers Showcase Coordinator is in charge of the display and will decide how and where the products are displayed. Each product will be assigned a number for ease of voting. The numbers are generated at random and not assigned to products in a specific order.
11. Attendees can vote for their favorite product in the Peer Voted Categories starting at 1 PM local time on May 6th. Voting will close at the end of the final break on May 7th. All votes must be placed electronically – no paper ballots for verbal entries will be accepted.
12. Attendees will be able to view all entries, including non-votable Juried entries, until May 7th. After the final break on May 7th, the judge’s panel will convene and determine the winners in each of the Juried categories, and determine the Best Juried Product.
13. Winners for each category, including Best Peer Voted Product and Best Juried Product, will be announced at the Closing Ceremonies on May 8th.
14. Products featured in the Makers Showcase will be brought back to HSCG Headquarters to be put on display.