by Jef Saunders

In this issue celebrating the organization’s 25th anniversary, we ponder the future of the body piercing industry, our community, and the Association of Professional Piercers. As President, considering the future of our organization and industry is one of my highest priorities. The opportunity to help establish policies and safeguards which help our organization flourish, and our industry to become safer and better-educated, has been one of the greatest honors of my career. As such, I’m excited to discuss how we hope to aid in the growth and success of our industry.

It is the goal of the APP, and hopefully the goal of everyone in our community, to foster inclusivity and diversity. With that goal in mind, the

APP has added several new classes, roundtables, and TalkAPP sessions to our 2019 Conference. These courses are intended to highlight diverse perspectives and ideas, provide education about the challenges faced by people of color in our industry, and discuss actionable steps we can take to minimize those challenges.

In addition, the APP has added the following language to our Member’s Code of Conduct:

“I agree to provide a work environment that is free from harassment, bigotry, and discrimination. I will not discriminate or harass employees or clientele based upon an individual’s sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, size, race, ethnicity, national origin, immigration status, age (except where legally required), religion, ability, or any other legally protected characteristic(s).

“Declining to perform a piercing on an individual (who has provided legally required valid identification) based on  minimum  age requirements, anatomy viability assessment, or potential health complications is not considered a violation of the APP Code of Conduct, unless it is done to explicitly discriminate against a legally protected characteristic. Refraining from piercing when there is a reasonable risk that the piercing will fail or result in complications is considered appropriate, safe, and ethical piercing practice.”

The APP will continue to expand our educational offerings and improve pre-existing classes at our annual Conference. In addition, we will continue to broaden the scope of our online courses; it is imperative that we offer a wide variety of options for education, so that all individuals looking to learn are able to do so regardless of distance or financial concerns. Furthermore, as sister organizations spring up around the globe, we will do everything we can to assist these colleagues in nurturing their organizations and developing educational materials.

I am truly excited to see what our industry’s jewelry manufacturers and other suppliers deliver in the coming years. I am in awe of the high-quality, innovative creations our sponsors have produced in the past 25 years, and I think we are all looking forward to seeing what they have in store in the next quarter century.

Finally, as the APP’s educational mission continues to succeed, I expect to see further growth in our membership. In the last three years alone, we have seen membership increase by more than double. Our next big benchmark will be one thousand APP Members from all over the world!

The future has some big things in store for our community, and I can’t wait to see what we accomplish! Excelsior!