Heartland Expo Photo Memories

Heartland put on three fabulous events to kick off the 2011 indoor tanning season. The fun started in Fort Worth, Texas, moved on to Atlanta and ended with the grand finale in Kansas City, Mo. Attendees of the latter raved about the new location – Harrah’s Casino & Hotel. It provided the perfect getaway for salon professionals, complete with lodging, restaurants, entertainment, lounging and plenty of fun. Attendees also enjoyed a continental breakfast, catered lunch and lively party at the VooDoo dance club after the day’s events. Prizes and goody bags were awarded throughout the Expo. Combine all that with a smoking-hot room rate, and it was easily one of the industry’s most value-packed shows.

Education also played a key role at the Expo. The Indoor Tanning Association’s Joe Schuster was on hand to share an update on the ITA’s endeavors. He reminded salon professionals about the organization’s work in 2010, keeping an eye on issues such as the national tan tax, restrictive state legislative efforts and potential changes to the FDA regulations regarding the industry. He also brought awareness about member benefits such as credit-card processing and cost-cutting energy partnerships (for those in deregulated states). In addition, he applauded Heartland for leading the charge with the $1 invoice donation program, whereby salons can opt to add a $1 donation to benefit the ITA’s efforts with each order through a participating vendor. This small action can help yield big results; in 2010, $125,000 was raised through the dollar check-off program to help fund the ITA's efforts on behalf of the industry.

Here’s my final batch of photos from the gathering. Enjoy!