News Archives - American Suntanning Association

Wired for Joy: Nashville speaker preaches the power of feelings in business

August 9, 2017August 9, 2017 by Michelle Huttenlocker, posted in ASA World Summit

When most of you arrive in Nashville and get settled in at your beautiful hotel and ready for a weekend of education and fun with people you may know or may just be getting to know, you likely experience a certain type of feeling. You probably don’t consciously consider it; it’s just there. That feeling you get from the buzz of the city and being around people that are excited and passionate about the same things as you…it’s joy!

After the feeling of joy permeates you, you feed the joy of those around you, namely your co-workers. Then, when you return home, you and your employees feel invigorated with knowledge and the camaraderie of the international tanning family, and you probably see an uptick in attitude, productivity, sales and other positive factors in your business. And your clients can feel it too.

Harnessing that joy and turning it into a constant in your business is the idea that keynote speaker Amanda Gore will share with the tanning community at the ASA World Summit Conference and Open Board Meeting in Nashville, Oct. 6-7.

“Everything in business is about feelings. In a small business, how you’re feeling in yourself as a leader, how you’re feeling about your staff, how your staff feel about you, how clients feel when they come to the business, how the clients feel when they leave the business, all that matters, and it’s probably the most important thing in a business,” Amanda says. “You can tie customer service, employee loyalty, employee engagement, customer advocacy, all of those things depend on how people feel about the service they received, the treatment they get and the leadership they have.”

Click here to read the entire article in the latest issue of Smart Tan Magazine online.

Explore Nashville: The Home of Country Music

July 31, 2017July 31, 2017 by Michelle Huttenlocker, posted in ASA World Summit, News

If you’ve ever been to Nashville, you know it’s a thriving, multi-dimensional metropolis with an array of entertainment and cultural options, but it is the Music City after all. No trip to Nashville is complete without experiencing live music and some of the places that helped make music what it is today. Even if you aren’t the biggest country music fan, the history and the impact Nashville has made on music in general is fascinating, and all types of performers are part of the Nashville lore.

Even with a busy schedule of educational sessions, learning about the biggest issues that will impact your business and networking with your favorite brands and salon owners, the ASA World Summit Conference and Open Board Meeting, Oct. 6-7, is a great opportunity to experience a taste of all that Nashville has to offer. If the historical element is what you’re interested in, you can’t miss these sites:

Ryman Auditorium

A National Historic Monument, Ryman Auditorium’s history includes much more than country music. It became known as the “Carnegie Hall of the South” in an age when John Phillips Sousa and Enrico Caruso performed, Theodore Roosevelt spoke, and Houdini escaped at the Ryman. But, of course, you can also check out dressing rooms dedicated to country legends like Hank Williams and Minnie Pearl.

Grand Ole Opry

The Opry is the world’s longest running live radio program, with its first show having taken place in 1925. Over the years, anyone who’s anyone in country music has been featured. Nashville’s number-one attraction, hundreds of thousands travel from around the world to see the show live each year. Be sure to check their schedule as acts are added for the weekend of Smart Tan Nashville, Oct. 7-9. Backstage tours are also available, if you can’t make it to a show.

The Bluebird Café

The iconic 90-seat music club is known for intimate acoustic performances and as the place where many of country music’s biggest stars paid their dues as unknowns. Superstars from Garth Brooks to Taylor Swift are said to have been discovered there. With music seven nights a week, you can visit for Writer’s Night, Open Mic Night, In the Round (several writers take turns), or a special event. The performance schedule is listed online and reservations can be made a week in advance.

Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum

It’s hard to explain briefly all that the Country Music Hall of Fame offers visitors. But perhaps Nashville.com does it best: “A treasure trove of historic country video clips and recorded music, dynamic exhibits and state-of-the-art design, a regular menu of live performances and public programs, a museum store, live satellite radio broadcasts, on-site dining, and fabulous public spaces all contribute to an unforgettable Museum experience.” Its permanent exhibit, “Sing Me Back Home,” uses artifacts and interactive media to allow visitors to experience everything from country’s pre-commercial roots up to modern day.

Special tip: The Omni Hotel, connected to the Music City Center where Smart Tan Nashville is located, is fully integrated with an expansion of the Country Music Hall of Fame® and Museum on three levels.

The new ASA World Summit Conference and Open Board Meeting, Oct. 6-7, 2017, offers a full slate of networking opportunities, education and entertainment, but the trip is also a great opportunity to take some time to explore an incredible city with attractions for any style. There’s so much to see in the city, even those who have been going since our first convention there haven’t seen it all. Better start planning now — we’ll see you in Nashville!

Early bird pricing for the ASA World Summit ends August 1! It’s your last chance to register for the lowest rate of $79. Click here to register.

Explore Nashville: The Honky Tonk Highway

July 6, 2017July 7, 2017 by Michelle Huttenlocker, posted in ASA World Summit, News

Rated on U.S. News and Travel’s Best Nightlife Scenes list with the likes of Miami Beach and Las Vegas, Nashville after dark is truly something to see. It’s a big city with many districts and colleges, but when you picture Nashville nightlife, it’s always the Honky Tonk Highway. Visiting the world renowned district is a can’t-miss opportunity when you attend the ASA World Summit Conference and Open Board Meeeting this fall.

Nashville

Officially known as Lower Broadway, it’s four blocks packed with music venues, restaurants and shops. And, as they say, when you’re on the Honky Tonk Highway, there’s never a cover charge and the music is always live. The street’s neon signs brighten the vibe but don’t obscure the historical aura of the district as you wonder the crowded sidewalks. It’s a country music fan’s dream world, but it’s a great time for everyone.

“More and more live music venues are popping up — and not all of them cater to country-music fans,” the News and Travel review says. “You may have to look a little harder, but you can find whatever suits your music taste. And if you do love country music, you came to the right city.”

Legend’s Corner will be your first stop on the Highway, two blocks down 5th Avenue from the Music City Center. Selected as Nashville’s best country bar by Nashville City Search voters, it features great acts every night and thousands of records and pieces of memorabilia covering the walls. Keep your eyes peeled — celebrity sightings are common at Legend’s Corner and on all of Lower Broadway.

Click here for more information and to register for the ASA World Summit.

Explore Historic Sites in Nashville

June 28, 2017June 28, 2017 by Michelle Huttenlocker, posted in ASA World Summit, News

There’s more to Nashville than what meets the ear.

We know all about the sounds – namely the live music and roar of the crowded streets of the Honky Tonk Highway – but what do you need to stop and see on your trip to Nashville? You’ll have a busy schedule at the ASA World Summit Conference and Open Board Meeting, but you may want to think about building an extra day into your trip to see what the city offers outside of world-renowned music and nightlife.

Nashville’s reputation as a cultural and educational hub dates back to the 1800s, so there’s plenty of history to see and learn, for those who want to stray from the downtown scene. The city’s modern, bustling business district is littered with historic plantations, architecture, museums and settlement sites, along with 21 college campuses. Not many cities can match the variety of that experience.

Here are a few of the can’t miss destinations:

The Tennessee State Capitol

state capital - Nashville

The Capitol building remains essentially the same as it was when it was constructed starting in 1845. It features statues honoring Sam Davis, Sgt. Alvin York and Presidents Andrew Jackson and Andrew Johnson. Tours are available Monday through Friday.

Educational Institutions

Vanderbilt - Nashville

The area features 21 accredited four-year and postgraduate institutions that help define the economic and cultural identity of Nashville. There’s plenty of sites to see at Vanderbilt, Belmont (don’t miss the Belmont Mansion!), Bethel, Austin Peay and others.

Fort Nashborough

The revamped Fort Nashborough reopened earlier this year. The stockade, established in 1779, was the original settlement that would become what we know as Nashville today. Self-guided tours are open daily.

The Belle Meade Plantation

The plantation, used primarily for horse training in the 1800s, is famous for its architecture and history. Tours are available daily.

Downtown Presbyterian Church

Located on Fifth and Church street, the Downtown Presbyterian Church originally opened in 1816 and was known as First Presbyterian Church. It’s known to site-seers for its Egyptian Revival architecture with lotus columns, a winged sun disk, stained glass windows, Egyptian style woodwork and perspective renderings of Egyptian scenes on the sanctuary walls.

The Hermitage

Hermitage - Nashville

The former home of President Andrew Jackson, you can experience the historic mansion, museum and grounds of The Hermitage. It’s a National Historic Monument known as one of the largest and most visited Presidential home.

Click here for more information and to register for the ASA World Summit.

‘Tan Tax’ In Senate Health Care Bill

June 23, 2017June 28, 2017 by Michelle Huttenlocker, posted in News

tan tax WASHINGTON, DC (June 22) — The American Suntanning Association announced Thursday that the U.S. Senate’s bill introduced Thursday to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act includes a provision to repeal the 10 percent ‘Tan Tax’ on Sept. 30 — one quarter earlier than the tax repeal date in legislation that already passed the U.S. House of Representatives in May.
Republican Senate leaders have told the press they want to move quickly on this bill. The New York Times reported Thursday that leaders want debate and a vote to all take place before the July 4 holiday.

Senate passage of the bill would lead to a conference committee reconciling differences between the House and Senate bills, which then would need to be approved by both bodies before being signed into law by the President. The conference committee is where the date of the Tan Tax repeal would be decided.

There’s work left to do, but the Tan Tax is closer to the scrap heap than ever.

“The amount of effort that went into putting us in this position is beyond colossal,” ASA President Melinda Norton said. “The ASA federal lobbying team – both staff and volunteers – has put thousands of hours into telling our story on Capitol Hill: that the tax failed as a revenue producer for Obamacare, closed more than 9,000 businesses, killed 95,000 jobs and pushed those who wish to use sunbeds into non-salon tanning where sunburn was more likely. Congress understands: It’s hard to imagine any other way the tax could have been a failure.”

What that means is this: After four years and more than 1,200 meetings with members of Congress on Capitol Hill, the American Suntanning Association’s cornerstone lobbying objective – repealing the devastating 10 percent Tan Tax – is closer than ever to happening.

The 10-percent Tan Tax was fiscally irresponsible and totally ineffective. That’s why 112 members of Congress from both parties signed on as co-authors and sent a stand-alone bill to President Obama’s Desk (2015 HR 2698) to repeal it and why it is once again on the chopping block. This failed tax raised significantly less than one-third of what was projected and cost the government $11 million a year to collect while closing more than 9,000 American tanning salons and killing 95,000 jobs. Those closures cost the treasury revenue and involved countless SBA loan defaults. All-in-all, this tax may have actually cost the treasury money.

As an unintended consequence the 10% tax led to a large increase in non-salon tanning in apartment complexes, home sunbeds and unregulated units in non-salon locations — places without professional operators trained to properly set exposure times to minimize the risk of sunburn. So the tax failed as a revenue producer for the ACA, closed more than 9,000 businesses, killed 95,000 jobs and pushed those who wish to use sunbeds into non-salon tanning where sunburn was more likely.

As Norton said, it’s hard to imagine any other way the tax could have been a failure.

Tan Tax Timeline:

August 2009: A 5% tax on cosmetic surgery procedures — commonly known as the “Botax” referring to Botox injections, dermatology’s most-common cosmetic procedure — is part of the Affordable Care Act.
December 2009: Allergan Corporation and the American Medical Association lobby to remove the “Botax” and substitute the “Tan Tax” just days before the final Senate vote on The Affordable Care Act. The Tan Tax has produced less than $85 million a year (CBO) while costing $11 million a year to collect — netting less than 10 percent of what the “Botax” likely would have produced to fund health care.
July 1, 2010: The 10% “Tan Tax” goes into effect. The tax takes effect before IRS could develop and communicate any plans on how to collect it.
June 9, 2015: U.S. Rep. George Holding (R-North Carolina) and U.S. Rep. Collin Peterson (D-Minnesota) introduce HR 2698 — a stand-alone bill to repeal the 10% Tan Tax. By 2016 the bill gains 112 co-sponsors from both parties and Congress passes the bill and sends it to President Obama’s Desk in December 2016.
February 2017: Rep. Holding and Rep. Peterson re-introduce 2017 HR 1150 — a stand-alone bill to repeal the 10% Tan Tax.
June 2017: Elimination of the 10% Tan Tax is part of Congressional plans for health care reform in both the House and Senate.