The tanning industry is changing, and the industry’s leading convention – the National Tanning Expo in St. Louis – is changing with it. If you’re a tanning professional who wants to stay ahead of the curve in 2015 and beyond, then this is the event for you!
On October 17-19, hundreds of salon operators will flock to the Hyatt Regency St. Louis at the Arch for the biggest event in indoor tanning. These will be the tanning pros who are seeking out new techniques and strategic ideas that will produce growth for their businesses. There’s still time to join them and learn how to motivate your team and tap into what customers truly want and value. Considering the event’s co-hosts represent the industry’s leading distributor and manufacturing companies, the National Tanning Expo promises to be the best platform for tanning pros to learn, network and ultimately grow. Whether you were one of the nearly 600 people who attended last year or will be a first-time attendee this year, you owe it to yourself and your business to experience the difference this event will provide.
The National Tanning Expo makes a return to the “Gateway City,” and no one is more excited about this than Ed Jerger, Four Seasons Sales & Service Executive Chairman. “Nearly 600 people helped make last year’s Expo a big success,” said Jerger, “and we anticipate seeing them and many more new faces this year.” He added that St. Louis was once again chosen as the Expo’s destination both for its centralized location – perhaps the most-centralized U.S. city – and the many great sights and experiences this majestic venue has to offer. With everything on the menu for this year’s Expo, Jerger and his fellow co-hosts are expecting not only a huge turnout, but also many happy and smiling faces among attendees. He added, “I’m looking forward to saying ‘Hello’ to everyone in St. Louis!”
New Products Galore
New products – they’re some of the biggest reasons tanning salon pros attend industry events in the fall. Since the National Tanning Expo is open to a wide variety of the industry’s top manufacturers, those exhibiting will offer an exciting array of new products to see, touch and feel … just in time to get a head start on the upcoming season!
Team Devoted Creations can’t wait to unveil its 2015 line at the Expo, and company President Lewis Henry says many salon owners will be excited about this, too. “We’ve received a lot of requests for products without a bronzer,” he said, “as well as suggestions for lotions in the $45-$65 range. Since the salons are the ones selling our products to tanners each day, their input is extremely important and valuable. Our team works extremely hard to deliver products that meet our salon clients’ expectations, and we can’t wait to show them off in St. Louis!” The lovely ladies of Devoted Creations’ training team will present educational sessions on product introduction and sales and marketing tips during the event, and Lewis encourages everyone to stop by to learn more about how to increase product sales.
New Sunshine plans to introduce 50 new products from its popular Australian Gold, California Tan, Designer Skin and Swedish Beauty brands, including new products in the popular JWOWW and Kardashian lines. With at least 30,000 man-hours put in by New Sunshine’s branding and creative teams, the lotion maker’s launches were on track for both the company and the Expo, says Tracy Ring, New Sunshine Vice President of U.S. Sales. As she explained, “Each lotion brand has its own manager, creative team and chemist in order to ensure each has a distinct identity. These folks spend many, many months preparing for our launch each year, from product concepts, to names, fragrances, designs and everything else that goes into producing the top-quality products for which New Sunshine is known. We’re very excited to be a part of this show and look forward to introducing salon pros to everything we have to offer.”
The Supre Tan team is thrilled to be attending the National Tanning Expo again this year, which the lotion maker says is a great opportunity to meet with salon pros and show off its new products. Debuting this year are several new product families along with some new additions to the company’s Hempz and Snooki lines, says Valeria Rousselle, Supre Tan Director of Marketing. She added, “It’s our goal to introduce incredible new products that everyone can get behind, and we believe that we have done just that. Our sales, creative and marketing teams have worked together to develop products that incorporate fun new package designs with high- performing formulas and amazing new fragrances. We can’t wait to share our new offerings, and look forward to seeing everyone at this exciting event!”
Dynamic Speakers
To make this fall’s show an unforgettable one, the Expo co-hosts have assembled a stellar cast of keynote speakers. Combining education and motivation, these presenters will have much to share with everyone who attends, and their inspiring presentations will no doubt set the tone for what will be an exciting tanning trade event!
Wherever you are in life, your choices and actions put you there. This is why accountability is so important. Taking personal responsibility for one’s current situation is the first step toward improving it. Ready to help salon owners and their staff take this step is “Mr. Accountability” himself, Walter Bond, former NBA athlete. “Walter will reveal how to harness and apply the power of accountability,” said Ed Jerger, “so that every listener can become a rock star in their salon business.” During his time in the NBA, Bond played for the Dallas Mavericks, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons.
If you want to grow your salon into the thriving business you’ve always dreamed it could be, then Mike Blore says, “Let go of the seeds.” In his presentation of the same name, Blore – owner of the California Sun salon chain – will share some of the simple yet effective ways salon owners can maintain a positive outlook and increase profitability. As Ed explained, “Providing realistic and simple ways to execute ideas is Blore’s trademark. He has consulted more than a hundred salons, and he’ll share the success stories of others who have made dramatic changes that resulted in hundreds of thousands of dollars of revenue.” Blore will show how simple applications can mean the difference between life and death as a business. Based in Sacramento, CA, California Sun has grown to 30 locations.
Four Seasons Sales & Service is dedicated to salon owners’ success, and the presentation by Jerry Deveney will illustrate just how much that’s so. His presentation will focus on the many aspects of FS Salon Central, a program that offers Deveney’s expert business analysis as well as many other analytical tools designed to do one thing: help salon owners increase their stores’ revenue. Deveney will also unveil FS Advantage, a revolutionary new Website designed to engage the end-users – tanners across the country – connect them with salons in their areas, and keep them coming back. Deveney added, “Our mantra has always been, ‘Anyone can sell you a product, but Four Seasons is dedicated to teaching you how to earn more money. I plan to offer Expo attendees everything they need to be successful, and I look forward to sharing it with as many salon pros as I can!” Deveney is VP of Business Development for Four Seasons.
Tanning salons are like hotels – both businesses provide a home-away-from-home for their customers, and both business models thrive on offering attentive customer service. In her presentation “Engage Your Team in Customer Service,” Anita Rehm, Hyatt Regency Director of Learning & Development, will explain how the techniques and strategies mastered in the hotel industry can be applied to a tanning salon environment. Describing Rehm’s presentation as “energetic and engaging,” Jerger says she’ll demonstrate proven methods for motivating a salon team to be more creative and innovative in discovering what customers truly want and value. He added, “This leads to a happy work environment and a team excited to engage more with customers.” A 20-year veteran of the hotel industry, Rehm has built her career researching the answers for what makes a great customer experience.
In addition to dynamic speaker presentations, the Expo will also feature a Panel Discussion. This popular event allows attendees to ask questions of a group of salon owners and industry veterans who are willing to share their sun biz knowledge and expertise. The one scheduled for this year’s national event will offer a powerhouse of valuable info that all salon pros – rookies and veterans – will find valuable. While the event’s co-hosts are busy firming up commitments from industry veterans to serve as moderator and panelists, it should be expected that the distribution giant will draw some big names for this important event.
Training & Certification
Starting the season early means training yourself and your staff early, and the Expo will provide some amazing opportunities for achieving that. After all, the show’s organizers have long recognized the value of education, and they chose two popular and recognizable organizations to highlight the training available at their event.
Whether you’re in a state that requires salon operator certification or not, having a staff that’s trained and certified speaks to the level of professionalism of your business. To help every tanning salon operator become a certified tanning tradesperson, Sun Is Life® – ist Magazine’s training and certification program – will offer its Tanning Operator Certification course at the Expo. “I wish Sun is Life had been around when I started in this industry 35 years ago!” exclaimed Vince Lorraine, IST Publisher. “The course teaches all the basic skills needed by tanning operators in the U.S.” With so much added scrutiny being placed upon how tanning salons conduct business, Vince added, it’s more important than ever for salon professionals to increase their level of professionalism within their communities. “Come to St. Louis and discover what the Sun Is Life difference is all about!” he added.
This year has been one of innovation for the folks at Norvell Skin Solutions, and St. Louis is the place for them to show it! Along with its new products, the sunless manufacturer is also offering a new Norvell University training option in St. Louis – Advanced Hands On. This new course was developed by the sunless experts at Norvell to address the needs of spray-tanning technicians of all levels, but particularly those with no previous experience. Said Brandon Cardinal, Norvell Vice President of Sales & Marketing, “Our experts will walk you through the complete process of custom spray-tanning; just bring a model or we’ll find one at the Expo. This is great for salon employees who’ve never spray-tanned someone to learn these techniques firsthand.” Norvell will also host its Basic and Master certification programs. Brandon added, “We have the course for you in St. Louis!”
What salon owner doesn’t want intense product training for themselves and their staff? New this year is intense product training from Devoted Creations/Ed Hardy Tanning and the New Sunshine family of lotions – Australian Gold, California Tan, Designer Skin and Swedish Beauty. These training sessions will bring these products to life and explain the ingredients used to create all lotion types – accelerators, bronzers, tingles – and explains who should use each. “We know that salon pros have wanted in-depth training on the new products,” said Sheila Routon, Four Seasons Marketing Manager. “We’ve created the opportunity for vendors to host these sessions, which will provide hands-on training on how to approach tanners and explain why they need a tanning lotion, and how to sell each individual product. It’s just one more way to show that we’ve been listening to our attendees’ requests.”
And a Whole Lotta Fun!
As industry leaders in tanning distribution and manufacturing, the Expo’s presenters will be awarding many awesome prizes at the event. With so many giveaways happening in one place, everyone’s chances of being a prizewinner automatically increase. So who knows? Even you – yeah you, the one who says “I never win anything” – can return home with education, contacts and some awesome prizes!
The city of St. Louis itself is another Expo attraction and one that attendees will definitely enjoy. Originally founded in 1764 as a French fur-trading village, St. Louis is now loaded with a variety of diverse attractions designed to allow show-goers to blow off some steam. The city’s iconic Gateway Arch, which gives St. Louis its nickname, is a great place to start a tour of St. Louis – the 630-foot structure is the tallest man-made monument in America, and the observation windows at the top offer a beautiful view of the city’s skyline. The museum underneath the Arch offers many exciting exhibits and movies about the city’s history, and the 45-minute narrated paddleboat cruise on the mighty Mississippi River is also a popular attraction.
Whether it’s night or day, St. Louis has much to offer visitors in search of interesting and unique experiences. When the sun is up, there is the variety of attractions in Forest Park, known as the Heart of St. Louis. There’s also the St. Louis Zoo, Saint Louis Art Museum, the Missouri History Museum and the St. Louis Science Center, and best of all, they’re all free to enjoy. For those looking for the latest nightlife super-attraction, the newly-constructed Saint Louis Ballpark Village is the place to be! Adjacent to Busch Stadium, home of the St. Louis Cardinals, this development covers ten acres and seven city blocks, consisting of 250,000 square-feet of retail shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. St. Louis is also home to the Soulard neighborhood in downtown, which features many popular restaurants, bars and blues-music venues, such as BB’s Jazz, Blues and Soups, Broadway Oyster Bar, 1849 and The Grizzly Bear.
Register Now!
With a jam-packed agenda, the show is an amazing value, so the time to register is now! With everything it has to offer, it should come as no surprise that hundreds of salon pros have already pre-registered for this industry-changing event. That said, there’s still plenty of time to join in all the excitement. Early Bird registration is $49.95, and walk-up registrations is $59.95. Sun Is Life Certification is $39.95, and Norvell University’s Basic and Intermediate Certification courses are $29 each, and the Masters Certification is $149. Salon pros interested in becoming a part of tanning industry history can register online at nationaltanningexpo.com, or by calling 800.325.2769. ■
A 14-year industry veteran, John "Ribby" Ribner has written hundreds of articles for IST Magazine and, as Director of Editorial Content, has also helped guide the publication's evolution. Ribby is a graduate of Central Michigan University's journalism program and has brought many years of newspaper reporting experience to his position of Head Writer. He is also the author of three novels, "Legacy of the Bear," "Prophecy of the Bear" and "World So Dark."
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