A Look back at Regulation
In the regulatory field in 2015, our greatest victory – and one of which most people in the industry were unaware – was fighting and winning an incredibly important battle at the FDA. If the FDA had been successful in making sunlamps and sunbeds prescription-only devices, most of the industry would have been out of business. That FDA proposal came at us out of left field, and if we had not had a strong regulatory team in place, ready to jump into action, the outcome might have been very different.
It is ironic that the two issues at the FDA that we were certain would come to a head in 2015 – the proposal to make sunlamp products restricted devices and amendments to the performance standard – never saw the light of day.
However, with these issues still in the pipeline, we have to be even more vigilant in 2016. It may be next month, or it may be next fall; but the FDA will issue proposed rules on those two topics, and members of the tanning industry must be prepared when it happens.
A Look Ahead
It is clear to me that our biggest challenge for 2016 is getting you involved in what the ITA is doing. For too long, too many in the tanning business have remained on the sidelines and let others worry about these issues. If we are all to succeed, this has to change! Right now, the overwhelming majority of ITA members are product manufacturers and distributors. They have carried the financial load for this organization for the past three years. It is time for others to step up and share the burden of protecting your livelihoods.
Join our team now! Visit www.theita.com and become a member. If you wait for someone else to fight these battles for you, ultimately, there may be no more battles left to fight. ■
[gap height=”60″]Executive Director’s Report
The start of the New Year presents a good opportunity for us as an association and an industry to reflect on what we accomplished in 2015 and look at challenges and opportunities ahead of us in 2016.
In September of 2015, the ITA hosted its first trade show since 2008. The goal of reconstituting the Tanning World Expo in Columbus was threefold. First, we wanted to establish a venue for industry professionals to conduct business and network. Our second goal was to provide attendees with business ideas they could take home to their salons and implement. Finally, we wanted to create a stable revenue stream to pay for what we know will be expensive fights with the FDA. By most accounts, it was a good experience for vendors and attendees, alike. If you did not attend the TWE, we missed you. If you did, thank you!
It is our intention to host an even larger and better show next year in Columbus, and we hope you can be a part of it.
[gap height=”20″]Thanks,
[gap height=”10″]John Overstreet[gap]
