- When: January 10, 2014
- Where: Heartland Tanning – McDonough, GA
- Who: Australian Gold, California Tan, Designer
- Skin, Devoted Creations, Norvell Skin Solutions, Performance Brands, Sun Is Life,
- Supre Tan, Swedish Beauty, Synergy Tan, and Wolff System Technology Corp.
Forget about the glitz and glam, Heartland Tanning’s 10th Annual Winter Fair got right down to business, providing 135 salon professionals with what they need to prepare for an awesome season!
The day’s events began with Norvell Skin Solutions’ popular Norvell University Basic Training, followed by a presentation on Sun Is Life, ist Magazine’s training and certification program. Tony Brown, Sun Is Life director, focused on why the program’s message of professionalism is important to salon operators and the industry. “We aren’t doctors, epidemiologists or toxicologists,” he said, “we’re tradespeople who help people achieve a tan. Others in the beauty industry don’t receive the amount of negative media attention that we do in part because they don’t make health claims about their services.” Brown’s presentation was followed by California Tan’s Doctorate of Sunless program and Norvell University Master Certification.
The event’s sponsors hosted educational seminars that made up a good portion of the day’s agenda, and these presentations went beyond lotion ingredients and fragrances. “In the past, we’ve featured keynote speakers,” said Cindy Twilley, Heartland Senior Manager/Georgia Operations. “This year, we decided to focus entirely on educational presentations and we asked the vendors to present information on various sales and marketing-related topics. They all did a wonderful job and the event was very educational.”
The three-hour drive to the event was well worth it, says Nancy Hornsby, owner of Sun Your Buns in Columbia, SC. “I brought our assistant manager with me,” she said, “and we learned so much! She learned a lot about the latest lotions and how to sell them, and she already seems more excited about them when talking with our customers. I enjoyed networking with the vendors as well as other salon owners, and I got a lot of great marketing ideas.” Returning to next year’s Winter Fair, Nancy added, will be high on her list of priorities.
While each attendee received valuable training and education, some lucky show-goers also won valuable prizes. Ann Strickland of Bahama Tan (Carrollton, GA) took home $200 worth of sunlamps from Heartland, while Tiffany Frasier of Myx Mega Tan (Covington, GA) won a $100 gift card from Devoted Creations, and Brian DeMoss of Emily’s Hair & Tanning Salon (Whitesburg, GA) won a New Sunshine gift card valued at $100.
As the last smiling salon pros headed out the door, the folks at Heartland Tanning knew the 10th Annual Winter Fair was a success. “Like many of our attendees told us,” Cindy Twilley said, “this event is a great place for them to bring their staff for the latest training and education. We’re proud that after ten years, we’re still offering events that our salon clients can’t wait to attend, and we plan to continue to host this one for many more years to come.”
