Again and again I heard the same sentiments echoed throughout this year’s APP Conference. “This year  has  a  great vibe.” “There are so many new people, and they are all about the classes.” “Everyone being so focused is making this my favorite Conference ever.” It really was remarkable.

I have to say, as President of an organization, going into something like our annual Conference comes with no small amount of nervous energy. You want it to be successful, but what I really want is for the attendees heading home to have that infectious energy that makes them want to improve their piercing techniques and health and safety. I want our attendees to be overjoyed about the goodies they are bringing home to their shops from our incredible Expo, and most of all I want them to leave excited to come back again.

In my humble opinion, this year’s APP Conference truly delivered. This was a top to bottom group effort, and really speaks to how well our community works together when focused on a common goal. I was blown away by the size of the Expo and the continued ingenuity of our Vendors. In addition to our vendors’ commitment to improving and innovating their products, the APP receives awe-inspiring support from sponsorships of our Conference activities and our raffle prizes. My deepest thanks goes out to our Vendors for all of their support. The Mentor Program continues to grow and continues to support our new attendees. This year I was able to see Mentors meet their Mentees, and watch how that system works. I was very impressed to see how it was managed, but I was also stunned by the size of the undertaking! It is a genuine pleasure to see so many new faces in classrooms and in the halls. The volunteers, no doubt, have established themselves as the glue that holds Conference together. I tried to say it as much as I could in person, but my gratitude to them for all their hard work knows no bounds.

There were several times that I ran into Caitlin’s office, panicked, asking if something was done. On every single occasion, not  only was everything handled, it was handled months previous and I left her office thinking “how does she do it?” Thank you Caitlin, and thanks for making me look prepared even when I wasn’t!

A lot of this year’s success can also be credited to Kendra Jane, our new Vice President. It is a pleasure to serve with her on the Board, and I’m sure she is as thrilled as anyone at how well this Conference went.

Of course, when we look back at each Conference we also do so with a critical eye, imagining what we can do better. It has been this constructive criticism, from within the organization and from our attendees and vendors, that have made each Conference work a bit better than the one that preceded it. We will continue to develop, innovate, improve, and experiment, and I’m excited for what we have to come.

Which brings me to Camp APP 2017! As a camper in 2016, I can’t heap enough praise upon Bethrah Szumski and the Camp APP volunteers and instructors for the quality of experience they are able to deliver. It is absolutely one of my most treasured moments in my piercing career. I strongly recommend it to all of our Members.

There is a lot of wonderful activity happening within the organization, and I am very much looking forward to discussing it in the next President’s Corner. Enjoy Issue 80 and thank you for supporting safe piercing!