The Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) held its Annual Open Board Meeting Dec. 11 in Washington, D.C. The members-only event kicked off with an evening welcome reception at the Hotel Madera Dec. 10, and it was refreshing to see such a good turnout, considering much of the Midwest was being pounded by an ice storm. About 40 individuals from all sectors of the industry spent the evening exchanging ideas and sharing their perspectives in a relaxed, peer-to-peer atmosphere.
Much of the conversation centered on the need to educate tanners and non-tanners about the benefits of sunlight—a sentiment that was echoed during the open board meeting the next day at the law offices of Akin Gump. Attendees received updates on ITA finances and PAC contributions, and discussed state and federal legislative affairs in 2007. Representatives from Akin Gump also were on hand to discuss the specifics of federal-level negotiations and lobbying efforts made in 2007.
The discussion at the meeting then turned toward the upcoming 2008 election year and its potential impact on the industry, the activities of the UV Foundation and the success of the 2007 Tanning World Expo. Attendees were invited to give feedback about this year’s show and made suggestions for future expos.
The folks at Berman and Co. are enthusiastic and have created a fantastic plan that will be rolled out over the next few months. Because our tanning foes read the industry forums, blogs and magazines, we collectively decided not to divulge the specifics of the campaign; however, the LOOKING FIT staff urges salon owners nationwide to step up to the plate and get involved. If you want more information about the new campaign, contact the ITA at admin@theita.com or (888) 377-0477.
The future of our industry is at a pivotal point, and we all must band together to get more people tanning in salons. We shouldn’t view each other as competitors; instead, we need to focus our energy on fighting our true competitors—the tanning critics who want to put us out of business. If you are not a member of the ITA, you need to become one. The yearly membership fee for each salon is $100, which equates to about 27 cents per day, per store for a personal lobbyist. For example, the ITA spent $25,000 to defeat a 2006 bill banning teen tanning in just one state, yet very few of that state’s salon owners are ITA members. This, unfortunately, has happened in a number of places—but the lack of support will certainly not help salon owners in the long run, because politicians continue to view indoor tanning as a hot-button issue.
If you are not active in your industry, then become active. We should be educating tanners and nontanners about the benefits of sunlight and controlled exposure. We should be navigating our future, not letting government bodies and the derms regulate us out of business.
