On November 3-5, nearly 300 tanning professionals gathered at Nashville’s Grand Hyatt for the eagerly anticipated National Tanning Expo 2024, hosted by industry-leading distributor Four Seasons. Attendees were welcomed by a packed event lineup, including top-tier education sessions, insightful presentations and a vibrant networking scene with nearly 30 vendors exhibiting hundreds of exciting new products.
Day 1
The event kicked off on Sunday afternoon with specialized training sessions led by Four Seasons’ Sunless Specialist Megan Gordon, as well as Sun Is Life® Salon Operator Training & Certification, and Norvell Sunless Training. As the day wrapped up, attendees enjoyed a VIP Welcome Reception complete with cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and live music from local talents Lauren Vale and Nick Howard – setting the stage for a productive and fun-filled Expo.
Day 2
Early Monday morning, the action resumed with a series of informative presentations that kept the energy high throughout the day. Topics ranged from “Are You Investing in the Future or Yourself?” to practical sessions like “Creating a Learning Environment for Staff Success” and “Elevate Your Salon Standards” led by the Devoted Creations training team of Megan Edwards, Gracie French, Makayla Thomas And Alex Zeedyk. Specialists like Kristine Le Nguyen, O.D., offered critical insights into the effects of UV on eye health, while Lisa Semerly of Halotherapy Solutions discussed wellness-focused innovations. Evening sessions featured Brandon Cardinal of Sunless Inc., offering an engaging talk on integrating spray-tanning with wellness. American Suntanning Association Executive Director, Joe Levy wrapped up the presenetations with an Association Update. The informative sessions concluded on Tuesday morning, including a collaborative Industry Panel Discussion.
This year’s Expo floor was buzzing with excitement, showcasing 16 cutting-edge tanning units, including the KBL K11 Air all-LED system made available for tanning sessions, and a CryoBuilt cryotherapy chamber – a new Expo addition that captivated attendees. In the words of Four Seasons President Melissa Gallion, “The feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. Salon owners and manufacturers seem to have a renewed confidence in our industry, which is encouraging to see.”
“Salon owners and manufacturers seem to have a renewed confidence in our industry, which is encouraging to see.”
FS President, Melissa Gallion
As always, prize giveaways added a thrilling highlight to the Expo. Ashley Allen of Tan N Time in Hopewell, VA walked away with the grand prize: a KBL K5 tanning unit valued at $25,995! Other winners took home prizes like a $500 Four Seasons gift certificate, a POLY Go Red Light handheld unit, and a VIP trip to tour Four Seasons’ Paris, TN, facility. Dusty Lynn Wolfe of Dustylynn Tanning & Spa in Visalia, CA won a highly-coveted consultation session with veteran industry experts Mike Blore and Samantha Easterly (California Sun) valued at $5,000.
“This show was filled with excitement and very positive vibes!” enthused Sheila Routon, Four Seasons’ Marketing Manager. Returning Emcee Jerry Deveney, President of SunForce Marketing, wrapped up the Expo with the fitting words, “Let the good times roll!”
Gallion concluded, “It was exciting to be a part of the amazing collaboration between salon owners. We are already planning for the 2025 National Tanning Expo in Nashville and look forward to seeing everyone there!”
Vendors |
| Alani Nu Nutritional Supplements |
| American Suntanning Association |
| Bleach Bright |
| CryoBuilt |
| Devoted Creations |
| Ed Hardy |
| FIT Body Wrap |
| FS Boutique |
| FS Parts |
| Halotherapy |
| JW North America |
| KBL |
| Mecotec, US |
| My Eye Sunshields |
| New Sunshine Brands |
| PinkPro Beauty Supply |
| POLY Red Light |
| Radiance Lamps, Sterling Acrylics |
| Smart Sun Therapy |
| Sun Evolutions Brands |
| Sunless Inc. Brands |
| Sunna Sunless, Sunna Teeth Whitening |
| SunStyle Sunless |
| Tan Inc. |
| Tan Track |
| Tan-Link Software |
