Posts by Caitlin McDiarmid — APP Administrator

Point 79: From the Editor – Marina Pecorino

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Marina Pecorino
Managing Editor of Content & Statistics

Conference is coming!

It happened last year and it’ll happen next, but each year is a unique opportunity to meet new colleagues, share information, and purchase some of the best body jewelry available. Personally, this year, I’m most looking forward to the in-person support I get from my industry tribe and the volunteer family.

As we prepare for that life changing week, here are a few updates and things to you may want to consider:

  • Register for your preferred schedule— Classes are already filling up and the wait list system has been activated. The sooner you register the better your chance of getting all the classes you want.
  • Book your hotel room—We strongly encourage you to book in the APP Room Block. You’ll be closer to the excitement. Resort fees will be optional (covering in-room wifi and fitness center access), so you can choose to have more moola to spend on pretties in the Expo. And to top it off, you’ll be helping the APP maintain our privileges and position at Bally’s.
  • Alternatives to the Bar (A.T.T.B) are new this year!—For many of us, the Splash Bar can become tiresome, but we still want the opportunity to network and hang out, sans cigarette smoke and drunk shenanigans, please. Now you have more options; games in the lounge, Statim discussions with Brian Skellie, an after-hours Talk APP session, and a Body Piercing Archives pajama movie night! Check the Conference mobile app for more information.
  • Opening Pool Party Upgrade—This year, head over to the beautifully updated Go  Pool at the Flamingo Hotel across the street. Also new for this year, there will be a strictly enforced wristband policy for the pool party. You’ll find your wristband in your registration packet, so please remember to grab   it when you don that Speedo.
  • Conference mobile app—This year, along with the handy maps, schedules, and speaker information in our Conference mobile app, you’ll also find a fun new game. Play “Click” to win prizes through a photo scavenger hunt designed to get you to network and socialize. This is an especially handy addition for new attendees and those of us who favor the shy side.

Still feeling unprepared or have questions? Our ever-evolving checklist of don’t forgets and survival tips has become a staple reference guide for Conference goers. If you’re ready for a reminder, check out this checklist/ survival guide from Issue 71.

Shifting gears to non-Conference news,

Kendra, Jim, and I are very happy to announce two new additions to The Point team. We would like to welcome Ryan Clark and Badur Ramji to The Point committee. Ryan’s experience with editing and InDesign are already proving useful in the final stages of our publication processes. We will be utilizing Badur’s expertise in social media and web management to further engage our readership and develop the publication’s online presence. If you have ideas for any of us or just want to welcome our new committee members, please send an email to editor@safepiercing.org.

All of that said, start drinking your water and taking your vitamins now; I can’t wait to see you all in Las Vegas in a few short weeks!

Point 74: In the Office – Caitlin McDiarmid

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The Point - Issue 74

CaitlinMcDiarmidCaitlin McDiarmid
APP Administrator

I’ve been asked to write an article about how technology has changed over the course of my tenure with the Association.

When I first started working for the Association, I worked exclusively on a desktop computer in my home with a phone line, a credit card machine, and a small closet full of supplies and brochure stock.

That is how it remained for many years. During those years we contracted out our Registration Staff (and processes) at Conference and each instructor brought their own computer for their class. It was a great leap forward a few years down the road when we bought laptop computers for both the registration desk and our classrooms.

Back at home in the office I went from a desktop computer to a combination of desktop and laptop computers. Now I work solely on a laptop computer which moves with me whether working in the office, at home, or at Conference.

We have certainly utilized programs such as Cvent for registration in the past few years and have added to the Cvent family of programs with the CrowdCompass app starting last year. These programs have allowed us to register people ourselves, and even have them register themselves onsite. With these advances, we have also been able to compile statistics over a period of years which help us make decisions about each year’s Conference. We’ve gone from stamping cardboard cards, to collecting paper tickets, to bar code scanners, to scanning with smartphones (OnArrival) at our classroom doors. This has made the collection of data in our classes more accurate and streamlined the certificate production process.

However, in the office, software has stayed fairly consistent for us until this year. We have continued to manage our databases exclusively with Excel. As we have grown, this has become increasingly cumbersome. Information is transferred from one spreadsheet to another or maintained on multiple documents, which not only takes a lot of time, but comes with an increased risk of error.

After Conference last year I became frustrated with the problems facing us in the office and the overwhelming amount of time devoted to tasks which I felt could be automated. I did some preliminary research and began pitching the idea of the Association adopting a management system. Jef Saunders was also looking for ways to automate the application process by taking it fully online. While it took a lot of work and we looked at a lot of systems, we were able to narrow it down and select one (with approval of the Board) which we feel very excited about.

I am happy to announce that the APP is on the cusp of implementing an Association Database Management Software system. When fully active, this program will change the way we do our “day to day” work. It will streamline almost all of our office processes, consolidate all our databases into one, provide a structure for committees to work from, establish a member portal where members can access their record, upload documents, pay dues, get member notices, provide an online application process, automate many of our communications, and more!

This is a big undertaking and will result in big changes. At this point in the office pretty much every day, I think to myself “this would be so much easier if the system was already in place.” I was probably about a year later than I should have been with my push for us to look at an overhaul of how we manage things in the office and with our membership documents applications and other matters. I know that Jef also cannot wait for these processes to be fully active. Like with all the projects this will take time; we want to do it right the first time.

The office has already taken its accounting program online. Members are experiencing the benefits by being able to pay their dues directly from their invoices. We see the benefits as those payments get recorded in real time, saving Paul King, Emily (our clerk), and me a lot of data entry. Paul and I can also both work in the program whenever we want, which keeps us from getting too behind on the growing workload.

So while it has taken us 13 years to really change how we handle our daily tasks, our databases, and our office procedures, we ARE doing it this year. I am happy to help steer the Association to this new level of efficiency and growth. I am sure that every member and every potential member will benefit from this new system – this new technology – and the changes that result.

This management software system will change my job. How it will change my job is not yet fully known. I am prepared however to go with the flow and tackle new challenges that come with new systems and any kind of change. I hope that those who are reading this will watch as the Association takes this great leap forward. We encourage our membership to provide feedback on how these changes affect the Association, its members, potential members, and the greater community of the piercing industry.

Point #72: Volunteer Thank You – Caitlin McDiarmid

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CaitlinMcDiarmid

Caitlin McDiarmid
APP Administrator

 

Every year I have the joy of working with an ever growing group of people who volunteer to help before, during, and after the Conference. Of all the things I do for the APP—of all the tasks that I do in my job—meeting, training, assisting, working alongside of, and getting to know these people is my favorite thing. Mentoring these young women & men to meet their own personal challenges through the act of service is the thing I am most proud of professionally.

Volunteers at the banquetThis year our Al D. Sowers Scholarship recipients came from all over the world and came together to tackle all the new-ness that is Conference.
Gladix (Gladys) Porca Miseria
Sydney Harbaugh
Jason Heeney
Mariona Huertas Riera
Aiden Johnson
Charlie Remy LeBeau
Paul Rainer – “Shannon Larratt – Industrial Strength” scholarship recipient
Jose Carlos
Mandy Thiel — “Industrial Strength” scholarship recipient
Lucina Ayelen Ugarte Basulto

JD Lorenz and Industrial Strength donated two complete scholarships. Gorilla Glass, Quetzalli Jewelry, Intrinsic Body, Inc. and Anatometal all contributed to the scholarship fund in 2015. Stephen DeToma from Anatometal also ran a contest at the Expo challenging attendees to test their core strength, in the Plank position – and raised money towards next year’s fund.

We also had several piercers contribute passes and money to the No Excuses Scholarship fund which this year allowed Caleigh Bell-Morena, James Garvin, Jessica Stone, Emily Woods, Miriam “Loreia” Haslinger, Rob Gold, Anderson Reinkordt, and Matt Lyle to attend Conference.

The amazing amount of support the two scholarship programs receive is growing each year and this is a beautiful thing – we and the piercer recipients are so very grateful.

This year we invited a number of 2014 and 2013 scholars back to work with us, based on their outstanding performances:
Marita Wikström
Andre Nalin
Ismael Vargas
John Robberson
Zach Fitzgerald
Ryan Clark
Jacob Spjut
Nathan Grosvenor

Many of the following volunteers not only did all the things all volunteers do – but also served on the Speaker Operations, Product and Design, and Conference Operations Subcommittees.

I pushed some of the Super Volunteers to be involved in those committees, make training videos, and provided support to encourage them to do their own mentoring of the other volunteers. While most of them do a variety of jobs – they each have their “home base”.

Seven Wolfe, Ryan Feagin, Kristen Young, Chadwick Jackson II
Seven Wolfe, Ryan Feagin, Kristen Young, Chadwick Jackson II

Our Classroom Supers:
Kristin Young (Speaker & Conference Operations Subcommittee)
Seven Wolfe
Ryan Feagin *Super in Training
Chadwick Jackson
Mike McInnes *Super in Training

Our Merch Booth Supers:
Casey Hosch (Design / Product Subcommittee)
Danny Greenwood (Design / Product Subcommittee)
Monica Sabin
Mark Montgomery

Our Raffle Booth Supers:
Ken Seyler
Zane Nichols
Kenny Hughes

General Supers:
Dianna Brown *Super in Training
Andru Rogge

Our Registration Supers:
Kendra Berndt (Conference Operations Subcommittee)
Theo Sheffler
Anna York
Badur Ramji
David Kelso
Tiana McGuire
Marina Pecorino

Our Information Booth Supers:
Jezebel Voulé (Conference Operations Subcommittee)
Luna Duran

Team AVOur AV Supers:
Gus Diamond (Conference Committee)
Allen Falkner
Brian Moeller (Conference Committee & Speaker Operations Subcommittee)
Shana Gyure
Shorty Calma *Super in Training
Ryan Clark

William Spencer (Conference Committee) and I shared the management of the volunteers. He’s always willing to pitch in and he keeps me from taking things too seriously while at the same time making sure I don’t forget to feed and water the volunteers. He also reminds me that there’s more to our experience at Conference than work. He jokes around a lot, but he’s an essential part of the team and a critical support to me personally and to the event.

We had a lot of returning LOVE volunteers and a few new ones:
Amanda Badger
Arik Johnson
Aubrey Diebler
Brittany Kronbeck
Christina Blossey
Dae Jedic
Evan Quinno
Hika Kierkenupp
Julie Taylor
Kaitlin Siebken
Krystal Slager (Klos)
Lani Soleil
Rob Church
Robyn Johnson
Solo Paige-Turner
Stephanie Hill
Stephanie Savage
Trist’n Peterson
Vivi Contreras

Our mentor team worked hard this year to improve contact with their mentees and I want to make sure we recognize both the organizers and those serving as mentors—

Our mentor team:
Ash Misako
April Berardi
Billy Wood Jr.
Kendra Berndt

Our mentors:
Adam Aman
Dana Dinius
Brett Graham
Jake Hardman
Rob Hill
Richard Ivey
Mark Montgomery
Pablo Perelmuter
Brett Perkins
Shawn Porter
Monica Sabin
Jill Sans
Mick Swan
Chris Theis
Johnny Velez
Will VonDoome
Casey Wardell
Darrin Walters
Nick Wolak

As everyone here knows, the industry has been experiencing huge growth and this is clear at our Conference. The Conference Committee and the related subcommittees worked really hard to implement some new technology at Registration, the classroom doors, and booths, also creating new programs like the Conference smartphone app.

I need to give special thanks to a group of the volunteers. These folks worked extra outside of Conference and while at Conference to really make things happen this year. They are the best and the brightest of the bunch, reviewing countless spreadsheet-based schedules, doing research and writing merch proposals, proofing badge packets, proofing the website, and helping with the app. My job has grown too big and without my smarty pants team I wouldn’t have made it.
Marina Pecorino
Jezebel Voulé
Kristin Young
Theo Sheffler
Danny Greenwood
Casey Hosch
Shorty Calma
Brian Moeller
Kendra Berndt (Her first time managing the Registration Department also went smashingly)

I hope our readers and especially our attendees appreciate the efforts of these individuals to help make our event the amazing Conference that it is.

Saving the best for last, thank you Thaddeous Love— not only for all you do for the APP (technology research; repair; maintenance; moving boxes; chauffeur; award designer/manufacturer; onsite taco delivery service); but for all you do to shore me up through long hard days, weeks, and months of Conference prep—and for knowing when to listen and when to tell me, “That’s enough. Enough work stuff.”

Point #72: Josh Prentice Award Winner – Caitlin McDiarmid

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CaitlinMcDiarmid

Caitlin McDiarmid
APP Administrator

 

I was happy to participate in and read the article about Josh in Issue 71 of The Point. While writing my part of the article I cried buckets. Grief is a complicated thing. I thought I had gotten it out of my system and then saw the cover, and broke down again. Grief is such an ongoing thing.

Ryan Ouellette mentioned in his article (Issue 71) that I seem to select people to receive the award who I am close to both professionally and personally. I know that I am close to those who serve alongside of me in the trenches – who always help out just a little more and offer themselves when others have not.

Service has built our volunteer family. If you have not yet experienced the joys of volunteering – of sacrificing your time for others – I urge you to do so. Whether it’s in your community or in your industry, someone will be affected positively by your service, and the world will be better for it.

I was more than thrilled to present this year’s Josh A. Prentice Award to Jezebel Voulé, a good friend of mine; in fact I consider her family.

Jezzy Voule - Josh Prentice Award 2015She came to us as an Al D. Sowers Scholarship applicant. She made it clear that no matter what we thought she WAS getting the scholarship. She was so persistent and genuine; so driven and focused. And so, she did get the scholarship.

Later I found out how much she had sacrificed to come to Conference. How she had raised the money to get there (going without electricity) and how hard she had worked to learn everything she could before coming to Conference.

Jezebel came back the following year to volunteer and has returned 7 years in a row. She’s a rule follower. While she continues to find balance between when to bend or break the rules, she is one of the most reliable volunteers. She consistently is reported as one of the most helpful people by volunteers and attendees alike.

She moved from a studio where they didn’t have any air-conditioning in Texas to an APP studio in Iowa; and eventually to her dream studio – finding a home at TRX in St. Louis. However the shop is not the only place she works hard. Recently she has also taken on the unpleasant task of collecting documents from our members and has made real progress with the project.

A few years back she spent Christmas with my family in Lawrence. By the end of that visit my whole family loved her as much as I do. She’s a member of my St. Louis family, who continues to support me while doing follow up medical appointments there. She is the only person who has gone to my dance class with me.

I will never not need her and the organization will never not need her to volunteer. She is a critical member of our team, is an innovator, an initiator, a team player, and a positive and friendly face to all strangers. And while it may not matter, I’m pretty sure Josh would’ve really liked her.

Point #72: Conference Statistics – Caitlin McDiarmid

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CaitlinMcDiarmidCaitlin McDiarmid
APP Administrator

 

We never get tired of hearing “this was the best Conference yet.” We were even more proud to hear it for this, our 20th anniversary! Thank you to all the participants of this year’s events. Having members of our history at Conference combined with the premiere exhibit of the Body Piercing Archive made it even more special. We’ve never heard such positive comments about our Banquet and the dance floor filled for the first time ever. Our numbers are up with a 10.05% increase in participants! Our Vendors were even more supportive than ever – with more sponsorships and more donations to the Raffle than we ever expected. Our attendees opened their pockets and hearts with generous donations to the Sailor Sid Campaign and the purchase of APP merchandise. Class attendance stayed steady and all our new technology performed well.

Here’s Conference by the numbers…

Overall attendance at Conference this year: 1040

Full Conference Attendees: 567

Partial Conference Attendees: 279

Speakers: 58

Vending Companies: 53

Number of Volunteers: 70

Number of Class Topics: 40

Number of Workshop Topics: 4

Number of Round Table Discussions: 5

Class Hours: 95

Round Tables & Meetings (Hours): 19

Individual Class Attendances: 4607

APP Donations via Conference: $4,139.30—Thanks each and everyone of you for your support!Attendance by Category - 2015 APP Conference

Point #71: In the Office-Josh Prentice – Caitlin McDiarmid

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CaitlinMcDiarmidCaitlin McDiarmid
APP Administrator

 

 

“I began by getting pierced in a shop in Alabama and becoming friends with the people working there. I worked as receptionist for a short stint before being offered an apprenticeship. I have been enthusiastic about the art of piercing ever since. During my apprenticeship I learned the fundamentals, like disease prevention and basic technique, but was left to learn a lot on my own. By networking with my peers in the profession I have become a pretty well rounded piercer. I’m now a proud member of the APP, and look forward to keeping with standards and promoting health and safety to the piercing industry as long as I’m involved, and will always advocate for the industry that has allowed me to make a profession of something that I truly love.”—Josh Prentice

JoshPrentice
Josh Prentice

“The lack of emotional security of our American young people is due, I believe, to their isolation from the larger family unit. No two people—no mere father and mother—as I have often said, are enough to provide emotional security for a child. He needs to feel himself one in a world of kinfolk, persons of variety in age and temperament, and yet allied to himself by an indissoluble bond which he cannot break if he could, for nature has welded him into it before he was born.” —Pearl S. Buck

“Our differences are apparent during meetings and discussions about the business of the Association—we see that clearly. However, our love for each other far surpasses any conflicts or differing opinions.

This reality was driven home by the loss of Josh Prentice while we were in Atlanta. Josh volunteered at the Conference the last three years. I only knew him at Conference, only knew him as one of “my” volunteers. I only him as one of “my” volunteers. I only spent three weeks with him — but he was family and so I grieve for him like I would for family. We all do. We came together, sobbed and mourned upon the news of his death. We worked as best we could on the tasks at hand. Wept during breaks and wept after we were adjourned. We supported each other as best we could. We reached out to our loved ones—our other family members—and let them know we loved them and pleaded with them to be safe in their actions.” — The Point Issue 39: In the Office – Caitlin McDiarmid (Spring 2007)

Josh Prentice
Josh Prentice

I wrote that article just a month or so after we lost Josh. And it’s true, I didn’t know him very well or for very long. I think Josh’s death made me realize the impact of relationships—the impact of one single human connection can have. The fact that his death occurred at the same time we were holding a Board meeting in Atlanta also had its own impact. For me it was a serious reminder that ultimately this Association is built on those personal connections, those personal relationships we have—as colleagues, as mentors/students, instructors/ attendees, vendor/customer, Board/ members… and human to human. It made sense to me to have Bethrah included in this article, someone who knew Josh way better than I did.

“Josh Prentice was a remarkable young man. He quit school at the age of 16 to support his family after his father became disabled. After working a handful of different jobs his sister and brother in-law encouraged him to pursue a piercing apprenticeship. He was hesitant at first but once he made the decision to pursue piercing as a career there was no stopping him.

From the beginning he worked diligently to expand his skill level and knowledge base. In 2004 he attended his first APP Conference with us and shortly after came to work in the Atlanta location of Virtue & Vice. When the piercing portion moved two doors down in 2005, Josh’s previous work experience was a true blessing. He pretty much knew how to do everything construction related. Separate from his in-shop time Josh was a brilliant networker. He was in regular contact with piercers all over the country. He was constantly gaining insight, information and new techniques.

On a personal note Josh was a truly loyal friend. He was supportive during some of the crappiest times of my life. He was funny, sweet, sarcastic, brave, and warm. I have this strong memory of him prancing around the counter with his arms open to hug me for no apparent reason at all, smiling his big goofy smile. Even all these years later, there are barely words to describe the empty place he left behind.

I think he would be quietly proud of his legacy. The recognition of those who hold it all up through their hard work and dedication. Those who are unassuming and don’t behave with entitlement. Those who say ‘yes’ to the grunt work and actually show up and do it. That’s who he was, a beautiful example of all of those things.” —Bethrah Szumski

Bethrah brought me to tears last year when she mentioned that Josh’s mother had spoken to her and thanked us all for remembering and honoring her son in the way that we do every year at Conference.

As the years go on, there are more and more people in our industry who never knew Josh or worked with him at the Conference. When I established the Volunteer Award in 2008 (first awarded in 2009) it was simply that I wanted to honor outstanding volunteers for their work and I wanted everyone to remember Josh, who to me epitomized that every single person makes a difference. They make a difference in their lives and the lives of others.

In 2009 I honored both Ed Chavarria and Tiana Mc- Guire. I had wanted to give the award starting in 2008 and had just not put my ducks in a row to get it established. So I made up for it by the double award. I joked when it was first awarded that I knew Josh would have laughed at me for giving a big Lucite obelisk in his name, so I made the awards more personal; less fussy. Over the years, I have honored John C. Johnson (2010), David Kelso (2011), Gus Diamond (2012), Luis Garcia (2013), and Ryan Ouellette (2014). I believe I made good choices and that Josh, if here, would agree. Then he probably would have made a joke about why hadn’t he gotten the award yet, saying something like “I mean it has my name on it.”

When I think of Josh, the loss of him reminds me to reach out and really find out how people are doing in their lives. The memories of my interactions with Josh remind me to be genuine, give with the whole of my heart, smile more, and when I make a mistake say I’m sorry and move on. Small lessons, but important ones.

The Conference after Josh passed, some of his friends gathered around an empty area next to the Splash Bar in the Riviera Hotel’s Casino. We gathered in a circle with glasses in hand and made a toast to Josh, many of us pouring a bit of our drinks on the floor in his honor. At that very moment all the lights went out in the casino. True story.

Josh Prentice
Josh Prentice

We miss you Josh. But we won’t forget. And I hope long after I am gone from the organization, someone will still be passing on these simple undeniable words: Every single person can make a difference.

Point #71: Service – Caitlin McDiarmid

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CaitlinMcDiarmid

Caitlin McDiarmid
APP Administrator

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy. I awoke and saw that life was service. I acted and behold, service was joy.” — Rabindranath Tagore

One of the greatest gifts given to me over the last 13 years has been the gift of mentoring. There’s something about having a grown man or woman, someone who isn’t your own child or student, tell you that you were instrumental in them learning, growing, changing, or reaching a new goal. I wasn’t good at it when I started with the APP. I was more than bad at it. But I continued just the same, tried to learn from my own mentor, Paul King; and tried to work on myself. I’m still not perfect, but the work and success of the volunteers continues to reflect my efforts back to me.

In 2007, at an emotionally laden Banquet Dinner, I talked about the transformative power of service. Back then I didn’t write down my speeches in advance so those exact words are lost. I know I spoke too long – we all did that year. But I wanted to try and get across to the audience – to our Attendees – the joys of service. The APP after all relies on volunteers from the top down.

Our Board Members are volunteers; our committee members are volunteers; our conference workers are volunteers (some minimally compensated). There are few of us who are compensated for certain jobs, but generally go far above the call of duty and are still volunteers for the Association.

From approximately 20 conference volunteers in 2003 (that includes the Board who worked the merch booth and classroom doors that year) to approximately 70 in 2015. As the Conference has grown our team dynamic has developed. As the fun we all were having showed our volunteer group has expanded.

71 - Conference Volunteers

The community of conference volunteers have become more than friends; they have become a family. Through service and working alongside each other we have formed bonds, which means that we send each other letters (real letters!) and cookies in the mail. We reach out to each other when we are going through rough times or experiencing great joys. We share opportunities in the industry – who’s hiring/who’s not. We celebrate when another volunteer becomes a Member and when a new volunteer joins the group. Through service to the organization and the Conference I’ve watched these young women and men grow up, mature, have relationships, change relationships, get jobs, travel, open shops, serve as committee members, and even as Board Members.

Many of the conference volunteers also serve in other capacities for the Association and the event. They often volunteer in their communities as well. Service brings a joy to life that I don’t think can be found elsewhere. This year I am encouraging the most experienced volunteers to start mentoring the newer volunteers. They have earned their place in this process. It is the next step of service work.

I watch every year as a group of volunteers, all decidedly different from one another, interact and work together on a variety of tasks and come out the other side friends and colleagues. It’s a magical process and by the end we are all in tears saying our goodbyes. I’ve watched people from a variety of religious backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, economic levels, cultures, piercing skill level, anxiety levels, social abilities, and ages – all let things which could have caused barriers become bridges.

I have never had a volunteer walk away from the experience unchanged. Service is transformative. Attending the Conference is transformative. Combine the two and it’s amazing.

We shouldn’t get to have all the fun. While our team has grown over the years, we are always looking for new volunteers. If you can’t volunteer during Conference, think about doing so in your community; whether as a piercer educating students in schools about safe piercing or as a food shelf worker. Do something, get involved for the greater good. Absolutely positively – everyone can make a difference.APP Conference Volunteers 2014

Point #70: In the office

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IN THE OFFICE

Caitlin McDiarmid headshotCAITLIN MCDIARMID
APP Administrator

I’ve been asked to talk about how the office has changed over the last 20 years; I can only speak to the last 12 years (as I wasn’t part of the APP prior to that time), but there is still quite a lot to talk about.

At the end of 2002, I was informed that the “Body Piercing Association” was looking for clerical and administration help in Albuquerque, NM. It was at that time, I was hired as the “Administrative Assistant” on a part-time basis. My main responsibilities were to disseminate incoming emails and calls to the appropriate parties, fulfill orders that came into the office, mail out The Point Quarterly, and other duties as assigned. I was encouraged to learn the standard responses to common aftercare questions and the ever popular “How do I become a Body Piercer?” It was a pretty tough time for the organization. Money was extremely tight. The Board was very dedicated and paid out of their own pocket for flights, among other things. There were seven Board Members and there were no committees or other members contributing time to the work of the organization. I spent a lot of time setting up new systems for the organization of digital and physical files and learning how the organization ran. Four months later I experienced my first Conference. With all the supplies for Conference loaded into my pickup, I drove to Vegas. This was my first trip to Vegas at that.

Conference attendees—Photo by Kimberly Zapata
Conference attendees—Photo by Kimberly Zapata

We had 16 scheduled volunteers that year: a few Board Member’s employees and six Al D. Scholars; people like Ed Chavarria and Chrissy Shull. John Johnson and David Kelso also volunteered that year. I’m also pretty sure that was the year, a gentleman with a hat and a cigar saved my life by letting me know he knew a little bit about AV stuff (Gus Diamond). The Board worked the Merch Booth, and occasionally stood at a classroom or the Expo Door. We had 17 classes for 34 class hours; taught by 25 instructors.

After a year, I was writing articles for The Point, was responsible for the maintenance of all the databases and mailing lists, processing all orders/sales, doing basic accounting, and stocking all supplies and materials the APP utilized. I wasn’t folding, addressing, and stamping The Point anymore – we were having a mail-house do that. I was doing all the certificates for membership and for Conferences; and all the member updates on the website, master list, and accounting system. By then I handled all incoming calls and emails, which included inquiries about membership, calls from piercees and piercers, calls from the Press, Educators, Health Inspectors, and pretty much anyone looking for the APP. I still referred calls to the Board of Directors if they were beyond my scope of knowledge.

I made arrangements for the APP to attend a variety of health conferences, including the American Public Health Association, the American College Health Association, the National Association of Local Boards of Health, and the American School Health Association. I found lodging in a variety of cities for Board Members who were manning these tables; and usually tying in a Board meeting at the same time.

Since we were still watching our pennies, I did a lot of comparison shopping for the APP in an effort to keep costs down and maximize the efficiency. From office supplies, to lodging, to printer costs, to postage and shipping costs, I took our financial status into account at every step.

And my duties at the Conference continued to grow.

We have struggled as an Association over the years. Twelve years ago we struggled with financial limitations, but had a dedicated, strong Board who worked together extremely well. Later, as an Association, we struggled with Board dynamics but still moved faithfully forward. The occasional industry drama threatened to derail and distract us from the mission of the APP and, while the office was certainly affected by these challenges, the work still got done. We still did outreach. We still had a conference which expanded and developed.

The office moved to Kansas when I did in 2005. My step-kids and partner became my informal assistants, helping to do mailings, stuff badge packets, research technology purchases, and maintain our computers.

Then, in a blink of an eye, a decade plus has past. The office is no longer house-bound – we have a “real” office, four walls and a lot of paper. The kids all grew up and now there’s a part-time clerk to assist with the work. The Point is all digital; after growing from a newsletter of a few pages of black and white to a full color Journal. I have been through seven elections, have seen Board Members come and go and return–some successful, some less so–all sacrificing personal time and all passionate about this organization. Our Officers and Board Members have grown in number and we have all grown older. Our membership has increased substantially. Our industry has grown, survived a horrible recession, and is now thriving. People know who the APP is! There are 14 active committees, and a handful or two of sub-committees. The administrative work for the organization has grown so much I can’t list all my duties here. I believe it’s time to expand the permanent workforce of the APP, again. I am now surprised when someone calls in to ask about aftercare, as our education via social media has been so pronounced. People still call weekly asking “How do I become a Body Piercer?”

And just look at our Conference now: 60 speakers, 40 classes, and 95 class hours. It is now cool to volunteer (70 + people are now willing to give their time and effort).

So maybe Paul King was right when we talked the other day about the growth of the organization. I did push for the growth of this organization and our industry. I did find new outreach avenues and thought up new projects to do. I did figure out ways to enhance our presence and encourage us to move forward with better, more efficient methods both in and out of the office. I did dream of a day when we had committees to help foster new ideas and collaborations among our members and did get to see that come to full fruition. I did push to bring in new speakers/instructors so we could provide new topics and new life to core classes. I did foster new ways of using our Attendees to do the work of Conference – if someone is to benefit, let it be our Attendees and our Members rather than outside help. I did try to improve upon our technology as a way to minimize frustrations and delays at Conference. I did insist that the Board plan Conference earlier and set deadlines; knowing it helped to organize, streamline, and promote expansion and growth. I did compile statistics, spreadsheet after crazy spreadsheet – because it’s not enough to grow; you need to show how you got there. I thought that was part of my job.

How has the office changed in the last 12 years? Completely. It’s completely changed. The growth is what we ALL wanted for the APP and our Industry – and terrifying just the same. Change is beautiful and terrifying and part of life. Yes, Paul – I pushed for all of this growth – I pushed, and you pushed – and all of us pushed; in our ideas, and our thousands of nights in front of the computer, in our crazy meetings which involved love and death and food glorious food, in our articles and our voices; in our internet face-booking re-gram posty-posts; in our countless hours in front of classes and behind tables at conferences; in our gazillion emails, google docs, and spreadsheet upon spreadsheet; in our first drafts and our final drafts – we pushed and grew and changed this organization and our industry– it was after all, our job.

Point #69: In the Office

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Caitlin McDiarmid headshotBy Caitlin McDiarmid

There is a lot to report since our 2014 Conference has ended. Over the last few months, the Conference Committee has convened multiple times, via Skype, and the overall 2015 Conference proposal that was submitted to the Board of Directors has been accepted.  2014 was extremely successful, and both the Association and our industry continue to experience fast-paced growth. This means as we grow as an Association, many things need to change with our Conference to accommodate all of our attendees and keep the event moving in the right direction! We are very excited to share a few of the changes attendees and vendors can expect in 2015.

WHAT’S NEW FOR 2015?

  • The Al D. Scholarship application policies and procedures have been updated. Initial applications will be accepted December 1, 2014 through January 31, 2015.  Due to the overwhelming response to the scholarship there will now be a more stringent application process. Applicants can expect to have to answer questions in writing,  there will be a video/essay submission component, and they will be interviewed by multiple committee members. Click here for more details.
  • Attendee registration for this years Conference will stay open right up until Conference starts, though prices will increase approximately three weeks prior to Conference. (Exact date to be determined.)
  • Self-registration will be available onsite, attendees will be able to fill out their registration forms online, and simply  pay and pick up their badges at the Registration Desk.
  • Attendees can upload their documentation for proof of piercing and proof of industry affiliation during the Registration process. (However, if this is not done proof of affiliation will still be required on-site.)
  • All classes will now have a predetermined class size or limit. Attendees should register early to make sure they get exactly the classes they want.
  • Attendees will now have to sign up for any classes they want to take in advance of attendance. This includes full Conference pass holders.
  • Partial Conference attendees will now have access to the workshop courses. (You asked for it, and your access is now granted!)
  • CPR and First Aid courses will no longer be offered at Conference. Dwindling class numbers and increased access to these courses in most communities, along with the desire to provide more hours of unique education at our Conference all contributed to the committee to make this change.
  • Only full Conference pass holders can utilize the “No-Show Passes.” These passes will be available for all classes and can be used to gain access to a class which was closed/full but registered attendees fail to attend (i.e., “no-show”).
  • Classroom check-in procedures are currently being reviewed, and we hope to implement even more technology to assist in quicker more accurate load-ins. We will keep you posted!
  • Social Wall – see your photos post in real time!
  • The APP will have a Conference app (through your digital app store)  available approximately 30-60 days before the Conference. This will be a digitally enhanced version of our Conference program!
    • View your schedule and set alarms & reminders
    • View class descriptions and Speaker information
    • Provide class and Speaker feedback
    • Get detailed information on Vendors and Sponsors
    • Find interactive Event Maps: Expo Floor, Conference Area, Las Vegas
    • Build your network: This feature will allow you to scan your fellow attendees’ and vendors’ badges and directly capture their contact info!
    • Enable you to post directly to your Social Media accounts.
  • We will be offering new classes in*: Lapidary Anthropology, Jewelry Display, Industry Careers for the Non-Piercers, Portfolios, Jewelry Polishing & Care, Apprentices, Ethics, Studio Analysis, and more!
  • The Conference Committee and others are also working on some special projects “outside of” Conference events, such as an archival exhibition, special merchandise and giveaways—all in celebration of our 20th Conference!

*subject to change due to instructor availability

We look forward to seeing all of you at Conference this year. We have a lot to celebrate with our 20th Anniversary. (add)