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Mystic Tan, California Tan Exchange Lawsuits Over Spray Booth
PHOENIX—Mystic Tan, Inc. filed a lawsuit on Feb. 21, 2005 in
the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas against California
Tan, Inc. and New Tan, Inc. for infringement of a patent covering technology developed and
owned by Mystic Tan, Inc. The suit involves Mystic Tan’s patented MagneTan®.
“We believe that California Tan’s and New Tan’s
AutoBronzer tanning booth infringes on our patented technology,” says Troy
Cooper, president of Mystic Tan, Inc. “MagneTan technology helps define our
consumer’s experience and we will do everything legally in our power to
protect that interest.”
On March 4, New Tan, Inc., manufacturer of the California Tan
Sunless™ AutoBronzer™, jointly filed a lawsuit with sister company
California Tan, Inc. against Mystic Tan in Los Angeles Federal District Court
seeking an immediate declaration from the federal court that the company’s
AutoBronzer does not infringe upon Mystic Tan’s patent rights.
New Tan’s decision to enter into the automated spray-tanning
market came about only after careful consideration and planning, including close
scrutiny and review of the possible intellectual property (e.g., patent) rights
of various other parties, including Mystic Tan, Inc., says Christa Cole, general
counsel for California Tan and New Tan.
“We will move aggressively to win a declaration from the
federal court in Los Angeles that we do not infringe Mystic Tan’s patent
rights and also to recover our legal costs in the process from Mystic Tan,”
says New Tan President Richard Galvin.
NTTI Launches Enhanced Web Site
PHOENIX—The National Tanning Training Institute has launched
its new and enhanced Web site at www.tanningtraining.com.
Featuring NTTI’s new logo and clean-looking, user-friendly
pages, the site enables NTTI users to keep track of certification and courses
online, view monthly newsletters, news postings and business resources, and
access a forum.
Also, NTTI has started a membership program—free for a
limited time. Membership includes an NTTI lapel pin as well as access to a
members-only forum and consumer-newsletter template. Members also receive
discounts on future NTTI coursework, LOOKING FIT® subscriptions, the LOOKING
FIT® Tanning Fact Book and access to LOOKING FIT’s online archives.
“I am excited about the launch of our new Web site,” says
Amy Thorlin, training director for NTTI. “I believe that the updated features
and new membership program will be a great benefit to NTTI users.”
Visit www.tanningtraining.com to experience the new look.
Fiesta Sun Donates Portion Of Sales To Tsunami Relief
SUNRISE, Fla.—Fiesta Sun® is set to donate $1 from the sale
of each of its Naked Man beach towels to the American Red Cross tsunami relief
effort.
“It is a very unfortunate situation that the people in
India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Thailand have suffered from, and yet they must
continue on,” says Stacy Kaufman, president of Performance Brands, maker of
Fiesta Sun. “The supplier of our towel is located in Indonesia, yet with
everything going on in their lives they still are concerned about getting us our
beach towels.”
 Four Seasons Team Effort Helps Fight Cancer
PARIS, Tenn.—Four Seasons Sales & Service is gearing up
for its participation in the Henry County Relay for Life, June 10 at the Henry
County Fairgrounds in Paris.
The relay is an overnight event designed to celebrate
survivorship and raise money for research and programs of the American Cancer
Society. During the event, teams of people gather and take turns walking or
running laps. Each team tries to keep at least one team member on the track at
all times.
2005 marks the fifth year that Four Seasons has participated
in the event. To help raise money prior to the event, the company will have
monthly companywide luncheons. There are several other fund-raising ideas in the
works. For example, a flock of plastic flamingos can be placed in someone’s
yard for a minimum donation of $25 with a card that says “You’ve been
flocked!”
Designer Skin Offers Customized TV Commercials
TEMPE, Ariz.—Designer Skin offers salons the opportunity to
customize a professional TV commercial advertising their salons as well as
Designer Skin products. They can forego the hefty production costs and head
right for exposure with affordable TV advertising packages that directly target
a desired core demographic. Designer Skin will reimburse airtime exposure up to
50 percent in product co-op. Contact Designer Skin at (877) 756-3337 for
details.
Lamp Promotion Offered By PC Marketing
RIDGEFIELD, N.J.—For every full case of Eternal Sun EX, SX
and/or UX lamps purchased, salons will receive a $25 equipment voucher toward
the purchase of all Montego Bay® and uwe® equipment. The vouchers, which can be combined for equipment
purchases, will be issued only until May 31, 2005.
Call (800) FAST-TAN for more details.
Eye Pro Visits International Distributors
FORT WAYNE, Ind.—Eye Pro, Inc. President Brenda Fishbaugh
was scheduled to attend the London Hair, Nails and Tanning Show on March 20-21
and then Cosmoprof Beauty in Bologna, Italy, on April 1-4. Cosmoprof, the world’s
premier beauty event, attracts visitors and exhibitors from all over the globe.
While oversees, Fishbaugh was to meet with distributors and
educate salon owners about the importance of eyewear. For more information, call
(800) 726-8322 or visit www.eyepro.net.
Future Industries Offers New Training Seminar
STRATFORD, Conn.—Future Industries continues to expand of
its training seminars with the addition of Counter-Person Sales Techniques. This
new training will focus on one of the most important people in the salon: the
counter person.
Ed Sharon will lead this training, which is designed to
instill in counter people a feeling of empowerment and newfound confidence in
the ability to effectively sell lotions, tanning packages and accessories.
Call (800) 346-3136 or visit www.futureindustries.com for more
information or to see a schedule of upcoming trainings.
 World Gym Names Sportarredo As Preferred Vendor
CHICAGO—Sportarredo USA announces that it has been named a
preferred vendor for indoor tanning equipment for the World Gym organization.
The announcement was made at the annual World Gym Convention, held in
conjunction with the Arnold Schwarzenegger Fitness Expo in Columbus, Ohio, in
March 2005.
“It is a great honor to be named a preferred vendor to the
World Gym organization,” says Gianluca Dianese, vice president of Sportarredo
USA. “It makes a clear statement of the integrity of our company and the
quality of our equipment.”
Salons To Sell Lifestyle With New Philips Campaign
EINDHOVEN, Netherlands—Philips Lighting Co. has officially
launched a new campaign for Philips Cleo tanning lamps. The trendy, fresh and
innovative “If sun is your style” campaign is designed to catch the eye. A
platform to show the company’s star tanning lamps, the campaign will focus on
details of a beautifully tanned body, showing skin in the most beautiful way.
Also, with the introduction of the new campaign, Philips
renewed its Web site for tanning (www.cleotanning.com). Now visitors can quickly
find all they need to know about Philips Cleo tanning lamps, tanning in general
and skin types, as well as download posters and calendars of the new campaign.
For details, call (800) 437-2205.
Tanners Can Test-Drive New Sun Capsules
PEABODY, Mass.—Sun Capsule’s fleet of demonstration
vehicles have been retrofitted with new 220-watt SuperSonic tanning units, and
they’re ready to roll.
Salons can book appointments and have the company’s
demonstration vehicles roll up so staff and customers can experience the
equipment firsthand. There is no cost or obligation. Call (800) 272-8267 or
visit www.suncapsule.com and fill out the short form to have a Sun Capsule
customer service representative schedule an appointment.
Professional Tan’s Symposium Marked With Success
HARTSELLE, Ala.—Professional Tan Distributors, Inc.
announces the success of its 4th Annual Symposium, which was Jan. 29 in
Birmingham, Ala. There were 350 attendees signed up, and the place was packed
even with an ice storm throughout central Alabama and Georgia.
Representatives were on hand from Australian Gold, Swedish
Beauty, Supre, Designer Skin, Fiesta Sun, Pro Tan, Synergy Tan, NORVELL, Fiji
Blend and Eye Pro.
For more information, call (800) 813-4826.
Lumière Rejuvenates Famous Faces
COSTA MESA, Calif.—Raymond Anthony International (RAI) was
one of the exclusive exhibitors at the Silver Spoon Pre-Oscars Hollywood Buffet
that took place prior to the 2005 Academy Awards. At the event, celebrities were
treated to a Lumière Photo-Thèrapie session. Also, the Oscars gift basket
provided to VIP attendees included a gift certificate redeemable for a
complimentary Lumière Règime.
“E! News” broadcast a segment that included Lumiére just
prior to coverage of the Oscars. “Lumiére was a huge hit,” says RAI CEO Ray Mead. “Everyone
we met in Hollywood was extremely excited about it.”
Salons Get Product Support From Biddiscombe
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.—In celebration of Sunsational Tans and
Massage’s Customer Appreciation Day in February, Biddiscombe sent out its new
Deep Hawaii line complete with testers for enough samples for everyone at the
Lockport, Ill., salon to enjoy.
Also, Tans and Treasures in Blueridge, Ga., kick-started its
season with samples of Biddiscombe’s Maikai and Wiki Wiki during the salon’s
“March Madness” promotion. For every bottle purchased, clients received a
free bottle of Luana with leis.
For more information, call (800) 258-3313 or e-mail
sales@biddiscombe.com.
 Salon Support Breaks Ground On New Distribution Center
FORT WORTH, Texas—On March 1, Salon Support owners Tony and
Jane Ford unveiled plans for their state-of-the-art 31,000-square-foot building
that will house lotion, lamp, equipment service and distribution. The building
also will feature a showroom for salons and additional training space.
E! Entertainment news reporter Patrick Stinson rejuvenates at
the Silver Spoon Pre-Oscars Hollywood Buffet. Tony and Jane Ford stand at the future site of Salon Support’s
new distribution center.
 NTTI Trains Growing Desert Sun Staff
PHOENIX—The National Tanning Training Institute (NTTI)
recently conducted basic certification for 33 employees of Desert Sun™ Tanning
Centers in Washington.
The private training was March 6 at the Auburn Best Western
Peppertree in Auburn, Wash. Amy Thorlin, NTTI training director, guided
attendees from Desert Sun through NTTI’s basic certification course and
administered a test at the end of the class. Thorlin also was given a tour of
two of Desert Sun’s locations by sales managers Erica Olson and Erin Laroya.
“Their salons were very nice, and they have an amazing
energy and enthusiasm for what they are doing,” Thorlin says.
In the last year, Desert Sun has expanded from five locations
to 31, eight of which are corporate salons. The remaining licensees are being
converted to Desert Sun franchises. The tanning centers have 45-50 corporate
employees, and nearly 140 total among all locations.
Desert Sun recorded gross sales of $2.5 million in 2004 and
projects to double that amount this year.
Also, on March 13, Desert Sun held its quarterly banquet at
Emerald Downs in Auburn. Jerry Deveney of SunForce Marketing and Greg Nehrlich
of PC Marketing were among the 150 in attendance. Deveney spoke about the
tanning industry’s past, present and future, as well as keys to profitability,
says Maximo Ansola, Desert Sun’s founder and CEO.
For more information on NTTI, call (800) 529-1101. For details
about Desert Sun, visit www.desertsuntanning.com.
 Eurowalls Employee Honored For Sales Achievement
LOCKPORT, N.Y.— Eurowalls-Euroline “Salon In a Box”®
recognizes Chris Guercio for receiving the company’s 2004 Sales Achievement
Award. Guercio, the company’s director of salon development, has been working
diligently over the past two years to help customers transform their salons with
Euroline “Salon In A Box” modular walls and reception-counter solutions. His efforts and
expertise of the tanning industry has been a great asset to new and existing
salon owners. Congratulations go to Guercio.
New Jersey Salon Hosts Two Fund-Raisers
LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J.—Lin’s Tanning and Boutique
recently hosted fund-raisers at each of its two locations. In November 2004, Lin’s
Manahawkin salon held a fashion show and gave a lecture on indoor tanning,
raising $1,100 for the March of Dimes. Also a huge success was the Little Egg
Harbor location’s toy drive for Toys for Tots, held for four weeks in November
and December 2004.
“At Lin’s, we believe in giving back to the community,”
says Lin Miranda, owner. “Occasionally, we spend our Friday nights volunteering at
the local youth center. They have a dance for the children and we supervise them.”
Salon Fund-Raiser Picked Up By Local News
GALION, Ohio—A fund-raiser hosted by NuWay Tanning and
Fitness Center got a boost from the salon’s local newspaper, which published
an article about the event in its March 15 edition. In addition, a local TV
station ran a brief segment on the event, says owner Marilyn Wood.
NuWay’s goal was to raise money for the St. Jude Children’s
Research Hospital through its “Workout Against Cancer.” Customers received
pledges for how far they could walk on the treadmills or ride on the exercise
bikes. Five prizes were raffled off, including an “extreme makeover” with
tanning, and one year of unlimited tanning plus a membership to the gym.
“For every $30 they raised for St. Jude’s, they got a
ticket,” Wood tells LOOKING FIT®. “They got to choose where that ticket
went, and then we drew from each of the five prize containers on Saturday [March
19].” The event raised just more than $2,000 for St. Jude, with
money still trickling in at press time. Fourteen businesses donated products for
prizes.
 New National Sales Exec Named At TanWall
ORANGE, Calif.—TanWall announces Kristina Admire as national
sales executive. Her credentials include a bachelor’s degree in communication
and business from the University of Colorado, and her area of expertise lies in
sales, marketing and public speaking.
Admire can be reached at (866) TAN-WALL or directly at
kadmire@tanwall.com.
Georgia Salon Supports Special Olympian
LOCUST GROVE, Ga.—Paradise Beach Resorts sponsored a local
child in Special Olympics Georgia, which was Jan. 21-23 in Cobb County. The
sponsored competitor’s event was rhythmic gymnastics.
In addition to providing $2,000 in financial support, the
salon’s staff traveled to the Cobb Gymnastics Center on Jan. 22 to
cheer the
competitor to third place.“I made a friend for life,” says Sandy
Mitchell, salon
owner. “Getting to know someone this special has a life-changing
effect.” Paradise Beach has made a commitment with Special Olympics to
sponsor and volunteer at future events.
NTTI To Train California Salon Owners
PHOENIX—The National Tanning Training Institute will offer
basic certification at three California locations in May and June. Amy Thorlin,
NTTI training director, will conduct basic-certification courses—sponsored by
Tan International and Australian Gold, Inc.— in Orange County (May 15),
Oakland (May 22) and San Diego (June 5). There will be door prizes and product
samples given out. Each training runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The cost is $30 per
person. Call (800) 529-1101 to register.
Animal Tan Sells Direct To Salons
PARRISH, Fla.—Animal Tan, along with its newly released
lines Oriental Secrets and Tannessee Tan, now is selling direct to its
customers. Discount programs and orders of any size are available. For more
information, call (888) 711-4826.
March Dream Vacation Winners Named
FORT WORTH, Texas—Salon Support has awarded four more dream
vacations to its hardworking customers. Congratulations go to the
winners: Nicole McGuire of Perfect Tan East in Port Saint Lucie, Fla.;
Diana Daniel of Cocoa Beach Club in Grayson, Ga.; Kimberly and Scott
Gumz of
Body & Sol in Onalaska, Wis.; and Dinah Sieber of Dinah’s Salon in
Overton, Texas.
Call (800) 670-7546 for details.
Latest In Tanning Legislation
PHOENIX—Here is a recap of recent legislative news:
Introduced Feb. 23, New York Senate
Bill 2602 would require owners and employees receiving
consent forms to be at least 18 years old. Also, it would ban minors under 14
from tanning and require written consent for minors 14-18.
Minnesota Senate Bill 1114 (introduced
Feb. 21) would require parental consent for minors 14-18. Minors 13 and under
would be allowed to tan only with written permission from a physician, and their
parents must accompany them and remain at the facility the entire time.
Georgia House Bill 702 (introduced
March 4) would add to the list of statements required for warning signs to
include information on medications and photosensitivity. The bill also requires
minors 14-18 to have parental consent and minors under 14 to be accompanied by a
parent.
Illinois House Bill 452 was amended
to mirror already existing regulations. It would prohibit tanning for anyone under 14 and require
parental consent for minors 14-18.
Mississippi House Bill 645 died in
committee Feb. 1. The bill would have prohibited tanning for anyone under 14 and
required parental consent for minors 14-18.
Zabari Hires Renowned Graphic-Design Firm
LAKEWOOD, Colo.—Zabari recently hired C. Clark, a renowned
graphic-design firm known for its superior-quality label and design work with
companies such as Coca-Cola and Qwest. “Clark is well known for its attention to detail,” says
Zabari spokesman Mike Davis. “Their artist spent several weeks studying
pictures of the animals and tropical themes we were trying to create. They used
authentic photos taken during the research to create our vivacious,
animal-themed labels for our new products.”
For more information, visit www.zabariproducts.com.
Forever Tan Hosts Annual Trade Shows
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Forever Tan recently hosted two southeast
trade shows for salon owners and staff from Georgia, Florida, North Carolina,
South Carolina and Virginia. An ice storm—the third in as many years during Forever Tan’s
Charlotte event— did little to slow the excitement Jan. 29-30 at Adam’s Mark
Hotel.
Reps from each vendor presented their product lines:
Australian Gold, Designer Skin, California Tan, Fiesta Sun, Fiji Blend, NORVELL,
Supre, SunLync, Mystic Tan, Eye Pro, The Tannie, JK Capital and Euroline.
Representing JK North America, Anthony Tesoriero and Chris Mochinksi provided
additional educational seminars.
Forever Tan gave out gift bags filled with free samples
provided by all of the vendors. Also, customers could tan on an Ergoline 850,
and free sunless airbrushing was provided by Rick Norvell of NORVELL.
The first day concluded with a cocktail party sponsored by
Supre, complete with dancing, food, drinks and a live DJ. To conclude the show Sunday, Forever Tan gave away an Ergoline
Ambition 300, valued at $15,000, to Cindy Wright, owner of Tropa-Raze Tanning in
Chester, S.C.
Also, vendors supplied door prizes for an additional raffle at
the end of the day. Steve Spencer, owner of Forever Tan, allowed those customers
who could not make the show due to weather to attend the next southeast trade
show, Feb. 12-13 at the Hilton in downtown Atlanta.
This show featured the same format as Charlotte, including a
Saturday night cocktail party sponsored by Designer Skin. Jack and Tammy Foley
of Suddenly Tan in Calhoun, Ga., walked away winners of an Ergoline Ambition
300.
Canada Updates Tanning Equipment Regulations
OTTAWA—Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh on March 7 announced
that amendments to the Radiation Emitting Devices Regulations (Tanning
Equipment)— which modernize the current standards to address the new
technology being used for today’s more powerful tanning devices—came into
force Feb. 23, 2005 with their publication in the Canada Gazette, Part II.
The Radiation Emitting Devices Regulations (Tanning Equipment)
set out the technical requirements for modern tanning devices and their
replacement parts for sale, resale, importation or lease in Canada as follows:
- Requires that manufacturers recommend a maximum exposure
time for the user’s first exposure. This exposure time depends on the
characteristics of the lamps and varies according to the type of tanning
equipment.
- Requires that manufacturers recommend a maximum number of
exposure times per year. The number of exposures needed to reach that dose
depends on the characteristics of the lamps and varies according to the type of
tanning equipment.
- Introduces a way to calculate the exposure times that
takes into account skin sensitivity and the characteristics of the lamps.
- Provides warnings to consumers related to the use of
tanning equipment. The new warning signs must be permanently affixed to the
external surface of the tanning equipment and bear the information, clearly
legible, and readily accessible to view by the user immediately before use.
The regulations apply only to equipment sold or resold after
the amendments came into force. They are not retroactive.
John Abaté International Expands
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—John Abaté International™ announces its
current expansion through the relocation of its Department of Public Relations
and Latin American Business Development to the heart of South Beach, Fla. The
office will dedicate its efforts to greater dissemination of information about
the company and increased activities to develop more Latin American distributors
and salon owners who sell JA™ tanning and skincare products.
The new office is located at 100 Lincoln Road, Miami Beach, FL
33139. For more information, call (305) 674-0599.
Hollywood Sun Offers Tested German Lamps
CHARLOTTE, N.C.—Hollywood Sun Tanning Systems has gained
exclusive rights to distribute tested German-manufactured lamps for all types of
sunbed applications. Thousands of each lamp type have been tested to exact
specifications—including length and glass thickness—for a maximum of three
minutes. Those first-run lamps that pass the tests are offered by Hollywood Sun
to salons at “super-discounted prices,” says Barry Canter, company
president.
“They look like they haven’t been fired,” he says. “You’re
not going to get a bad lamp.” Lothar Waldhauer, Canter’s business partner in Germany, flew
to the United States to meet with Canter personally to inform him of the deal.
For more information, call (800) 450-0497.
Dan Shine Aboard At Global Sun Light
PLYMOUTH, Minn.—Graham Goy, acting president and CEO of JK
North America, Inc., announces the appointment of Dan Shine as Global Sun Light’s
new director of lamp sales. In this position, Shine will be responsible for
growing Global Sun Light’s aftermarket lamp sales and service through existing
distributor networks and other channels. He will work closely with distributors
and branch locations as well as national accounts, and he also will supervise
and coordinate the efforts of the Global Sun Light sales staff.
With more than 23 years of experience in the sale of tanning
lamps and gas-discharge specialty lamps, Shine gained extensive experience by
previously working for three lamp manufacturers, most recently Light Emission
Technologies.
Industry Reacts To UN Adviser’s Tan-Ban Proposal
PHOENIX—At least two tanning-industry groups openly opposed
a March 17 recommendation by the World Health Organization (WHO)—the United
Nations’ specialized agency for health—that no person under 18 years of age
should use a sunbed.
The WHO expressed concern about “socially desirable” tans,
especially for young people, and cited statistics from “some of the main
consequences of excess UV exposure” including skin cancer (mainly melanoma)
and eye damage.
“We would hope that this recommendation will inspire
regulatory authorities to adopt stricter controls on the usage of sunbeds,”
says Dr. Kerstin Leitner, WHO assistant director-general.
The American Academy of Dermatology (ADA) was quick to lend
its support of the WHO, citing still more statistics about melanoma. The ADA
acknowledged that the tanning industry is regulated, but questioned the
enforcement of rules that are in place.
The Indoor Tanning Association objected to the WHO, saying,
“regular, moderate exposure to ultraviolet light is necessary for good health,
and we maintain that any overexposure
should be avoided. It is important to achieve a balance between getting enough
exposure to UV light to maintain adequate levels of vitamin D. We encourage all
consumers to make an informed decision.”
The ITA continues: “We cannot speak for other countries, but
in the United States the indoor tanning industry is already regulated;
federally, by the FDA and by many states that require parental consent for
persons under the age of 18 to tan. We strongly believe that decisions about
whether or not teenagers tan should be made by their parents.”
Calgary, Alberta-based Fabutan Sun Tan Studios also released a
statement in opposition of the WHO. Fabutan President Doug McNabb believes the
WHO’s recommendation misleads people to believe that the indoor tanning
industry is promoting the notion of sun-burning people. “That is simply not
true,” the statement reads. “The consistent message throughout the indoor
tanning industry is ‘never sunburn.’”
At press time, the following links led to complete press
releases from each organization:
www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2005/np07/en/index.html
www.aad.org/aad/newsroom/who_endorsement.htm
www.theita.com/pdf/who_response.pdf
www.fabutan.com/press_release_mar1705.htm
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