At this writing in the beginning of March, the introduction of new legislation has slowed as most legislatures are well into the middle of their sessions. At press time, 23 bills had been introduced in 16 states.
However, there is progress to report! In Maryland, thanks to the leadership of Robin and Marty Eason under the banner of the Maryland Indoor Tanning Association, salon owners defeated the proposed teen tan ban in Committee. In Mississippi, two bills died in Committee. In Montana, the bill was tabled, effectively killing it for the session. In South Dakota, a spirted fight lead by Zach and Denny Neugebauer of Year Round Brown defeated the ban on the House floor. Finally in Virginia, a bill requiring parental consent failed to pass before the session adjourned.
There are also some problems. In Iowa, a mistaken belief that the industry supports teen tan bans has led to major difficulties in defeating a ban in Des Moines. Business owners Steve Scott and Wade Ranard have been battling for weeks to stop the proposed ban, but the outcome is still unclear. In Kentucky and New Hampshire, under-18 bans have passed the House and await action in the Senate. Bob Ashe and Dana Pierce are spearheading efforts in New Hampshire to defeat the ban in the Senate and the ITA is helping recruit other business owners to join the battle.
Please email the ITA admin@theita.com for the most recent information. ■
Executive Director’s Message
Show Update:
ITA Tanning World Expo
September 25-27, 2015 – Columbus, OH
All of the elements are falling into place for what is sure to be the biggest indoor tanning show in years!
Why Columbus? We chose Columbus, OH for a number of reasons, the first being accessibility for drive-in traffic. Sixty percent of the U.S. population is within 700 miles of Columbus. The second is affordability – the Greater Columbus Convention Center is a world class facility with adjacent hotels, dining and party options that will provide significant savings for exhibitors and attendees compared to previous shows. Finally, there are more tanning salons within 300 miles of Columbus than any other city in the U.S. Our goal is to make your experience as positive, cost effective and successful as possible.
In past years, we heard numerous complaints about both the cost of admission to the show and the costs of hotel rooms. We are confident we have put those issues to rest this year.
There are several hotels adjacent to the Convention Center. In two of the hotels, we have reserved large room blocks with very reasonable rates for our attendees. The base rate for the Hyatt is $142 and for the Crown Plaza, $130. Please visit tanningworldexpo.com for links to these hotels’ reservation systems and for regular updates on the show.
ITA members will also receive discounted rates for booth space and floor badges … only $49 for admission to the show floor! To make sure you receive the discount, join or renew your ITA membership.
Please join us in Columbus. Your experience will include new products, salon training, expert panels and rocking parties with the best in the biz!
Registration for the Tanning World Expo includes access to our Friday night Industry Party. This reception will be the perfect time to kick off the show and to interact and network with attendees, exhibitors and industry leaders in a relaxed and festive atmosphere. Stay tuned for more details.
Thanks,
John Overstreet
