- When: December 8, 2012
- Where: Rosen Shingle Creek Resort – Orlando, FL
- Who: Australian Gold, BEAUTY ANGEL, Body IQ, Body Wave, California Tan,
- Cosmedico Light Inc., Designer Skin, Devoted Creations, Ed Hardy Tanning,
- Ergoline, Fiesta Sun, Forever Tan, Four Seasons Sales & Service, Hempz,
- Island Sunburst, JK Capital, JK Light, Light Sources Inc., Lucasol,
- Playboy, Podz Eyewear, ProTan, Soltron, South Beach Tanning Company,
- SUN ANGEL, SunLync, Supre Tan, Swedish Beauty, Twilight Teeth,
- UV Marketing Group, Vemma and Wolff System Technology Corp.
The Southeast Tanning Expo offered some new twists on an old favorite, much to the appreciation of the nearly 300 tanning professionals in attendance.
Hosted by JK-North America, the fifth-annual event began with an opening address – “Branded for Success” – by Jerry Deveney, JK Executive Director of Sales. He was followed by Drew Donnell (UV Marketing Group), who presented, “Strategic Charitable Giving – How to Turn Negative Press Into Positive Results”, and the keynote address by Luly B. (LulyB.com) – “How to Get Noticed Without Spending A Fortune”. Three new tanning units were displayed on the exhibit floor – the Ergoline Sunstyle Sunless Booth, the Ergoline SUN ANGEL DUO S52 and Ergoline Sun Select 48.
“After hosting so many events, it can become difficult to find speakers who offer material that our attendees haven’t heard before,” said Nina Neuschuetz, JK Director of Marketing. “We feel so fortunate to have been introduced to Luly B. – as a mother/entrepreneur, she connected with many of our female attendees, and her presentation initiated a lively discussion. We’re excited to have her as the keynote speaker for our February 9 Expo in Seattle, WA.”
The Panel Discussion – a staple of JK Expos – allowed attendees to gain knowledge from a panel of tanning industry veterans. The session was moderated by Jerry Deveney, and included Vince Lorraine (IST Magazine/Tropi-Tan), Rhonda Culligan (Body Heat Tanning), Tonia Creeden (The Sun Studio), and Gavin Brown (Forever Tan). “Most of the questions were about EFT memberships and the panelists provided various reasons why EFTs are a good idea, and shared ways to add value to their programs as an incentive to keep clients,” said Jerry Deveney. “Rhonda Culligan shared a promotional tactic from the fitness club industry that can be a big boost to EFT sales.”
Being new tanning salon owners since November, Stacy and Brent Elliott thought the Expo was just what they needed to help operate their business – 24 Hour Rays in Lakeland, FL. “We really enjoyed all of the one-on-one time we had with the vendors,” said Stacy. “We spent a lot of time with the rep from Supre Tan and received so much valuable information, particularly regarding marketing and promotions. We also sat in on the Panel Discussion, which gave us plenty of great ideas. We’ll definitely come back next year!”
Knowledge wasn’t the only thing Expo attendees took home – tens of thousands of dollars in prizes were given away by the vendors. The Grand Prize – an Ergoline Flair 32/1 sunbed valued at $10,995 – went to Steve Healy of Energy in Vero Beach, FL.
JK-North America’s fifth annual Southeast Tanning Expo was a success, with clients responding positively to the event’s new venue. “This was our first time at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort, and it was a beautiful place with great food, atmosphere and customer service,” said Nina Neuschuetz. “Everyone seemed to enjoy it, and we’re considering Rosen as the possible location for next year’s Expo. We wish to thank the many exhibitors and salon attendees who helped make this a successful Southeast Tanning Expo.”
JK-North America’s next event – the 2013 Northwest Tanning Expo – is scheduled for February 9th at the Tulalip Resort Casino in Tulalip, WA – and the company’s 2013 West Coast Tanning Expo will be held in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace on June 10-11, 2013.
