Vendors: BodyChek Wellness, California Contour, Cocoon Wellness, Devoted Creations, Eye Pro, Insurtec, KBL Equipment, New Sunshine Brands, Norvell, Poly LED Light Therapy, Primal Elements, Selfie Sunless, Sun Evolutions Brands, Tanovations, Tan Incorporated, TanTrack Software
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The 28th annual regional event hosted by Heartland Tanning was attended by 300 industry professionals who braved snow and ice to reclaim their passion for the tan biz and get ready for a big Busy Season.
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On Friday morning, the two-day event kicked off bright and early with the always popular Warehouse Closeout Sale, offering attendees great cash ‘n’ carry deals. The remainder of the day featured top-notch training opportunities including Product Showcases from Devoted Creations (Ty Godwin), New Sunshine (Lauren Ardizzone), Norvell (Brandon Cardinal) and Sun Evolutions (David McFarland and Gina Jaeger). Advanced and hands-on sunless tanning training was presented by Norvell’s Brandon Cardinal, Tennille Cardinal and Jacob Hale. And, once again, Team Heartland chose to offer IST Magazine’s award-winning Sun is Life® Training & Certification, presented by Program Director, Joe Schuster. “The Sun is Life class was fantastic – Joe Schuster is a great instructor!” exclaimed Purchasing/Marketing Manager, Karen Ballinger.
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Also that afternoon, ASA President Melinda Norton and Bill Mandry, Heartland’s Director of Pura Sales participated in an informative Owners Roundtable/ASA Discussion. Vendor exhibits were open for business and attendees lined up for a meet-and-greet with JWOWW product designer/spokesperson, Jenni Farley. Kansas City Chiefs’ mascot, K.C. Wolf was a special guest at a lively Welcome Tailgate Party with drinks, food and games to wrap up the busy first day’s activities.
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On Saturday morning, attendees enjoyed a continental breakfast, followed by opening remarks from Heartland Executive VP/General Manager, Brad Henson and VP of Distribution, Tammy Reed. The informative presentations continued with “Easy Earnings with Eye Protection” (Eye Pro’s Brenda Fishbaugh) and “Increase Your Odds, Increase Your Pull Down” (Jason Brooks, New Sunshine).
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The industry notables were followed by award-winning Keynote speaker Merit Kahn, CSP creator of “The Merit Method” who engaged the crowd with a motivational presentation entitled “Give a Shift!” Next up were former pro athletes Riley Cote and Todd Herremans of BodyChek Wellness with “CBD for the WIN” and expo veteran, David McFarland, who offered expert tips for “Winning the Retail Revolution.”
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Following a BBQ lunch, the vendor exhibits re-opened and Sun is Life Director, Joe Schuster, moderated a Panel Discussion with Lauren Ardizzone, Brandon Cardinal, Ty Godwin and David McFarland. Topics included: social media, staff turnover and attire, goal-setting and customer complaints. The productive session was followed by more presentations: an Owners Only Workshop, “Teaching Culture to New Hires” (Merit Kahn), an Employees Only Workshop (Bill Mandry), “The Business of Sunless Spray Tanning & How You Can Increase Yours” (Brandon Cardinal), “What Really Works – Salon Promotional Ideas” (Gina Jaeger) and “Salon Owner to Salon Owner … Let’s Talk” (Ty Godwin).
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As always, the expo’s jam-packed schedule concluded with prize raffle drawings. The grand prize was a FIT Bodywrap System won by Alison Sole of Coconut Beach Salons in Independence, MO.
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Heartland Co-owner, Brad Henson, was extremely pleased with the success of the event. “Even after all these years, we never get tired of hosting it,” stated a smiling Henson. “The positive vibe created by the camaraderie is rewarding and beneficial to all involved.”
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