Expanded exhibits, motivational speakers, manufacturer workshops, and nail competitions were just some of the opportunities available at die NAILS SHOW East held at the Brunswick Hilton Hotel in New Jersey on April 21-22. The show started with a bang on Sunday morning when keynote speaker Leil Lowndes of Applause Ltd. inspired attendees to achieve excellence in client service while at the same time taking excellent care of themselves.

One of the highlights of the show was the newly formatted The NAIL Clinic, which features a nail professional performing a product demonstration for attendees to view in an amphitheater-style setting, Manufacturers who gave live demonstrations included Creative Nail Design Systems, Environmental Specialty Products, Estelina’s Slipaway, Galaxy Nail Products, Nails Direct, Notorious Nail Seminars, and Princess Nails International.

New to the show was the Product Spotlight area, where attendees could catch a beforehand glimpse of various products available at exhibitors’ booths, and the “Ask Us” Information Booth section, where authors, speakers, and nail industry experts were on hand to provide information on everything from insurance to the Internet. The industry experts who took part in the first-ever “Ask Us” Information Booth section were Loretta del Sosa of AIDS Education 2000, Mark Donovan of Annex Salon Consulting; Susan Goetzinger of the Foot Reflexology Awareness Association; Jeff Madden of the Jackson Hewitt Tax Service; Tanya Goolsby of the Nails Industry Association; Lisa Devenuto of Professional Beauty Temps; Marian Raney of Skin Inc. magazine; and Debbie Doerrlamm, founder of the first nail technician website.

More than 1,500 attendees had a chance to learn new business strategies at the “Nail Business Dynamics” workshops and to learn new techniques at the “Polishing Your Technique” workshops. A competition workshop given by Tom Bächik of EZ Flow Nail Products and NAILS National Tom competition director Sharon Parker showed prospective competitors what it takes to create prize-winning nails. Business workshops were given by Larry Bergere of A Perfect 10 Nail Salon; Paula Gilmore of Tips Nails Industry Solutions; Caroline Seidner of Lookin’ Good; Cyndy Drummey of NAILS Magazine; NIA education committee member Michele Loch of Terrific 10 Nail Salon; Christina Winch of Winch & Assoc.; and Loretta del Sosa.

Technique workshops were offered by Ray Schultze of Lasco Diamond Products; Sue Ellen Schultes of Notorious Nail Seminars; Susan Goetzinger; and Nadine Harbin of Creative Nail Design Systems. There was also a workshop on salon software systems given by Gino Sciorilli of Ocean Salon Automation.

A standard at every NAILS SHOW are the exciting nail competitions, and boy what a close call it was at this show, say judges Christine Derr, Cyndy Drummey, Lynne Gaflo, Kim Errera, Krise Hliboki, Jane Lax, Anita Lime-Sims, and Laurie Tedesco. To become a NAILS National Tour judge, prospective judges must first complete the Judges Network certification.

THE WINNERS OF THE NAIL COMPETITIONS WERE:

Professional Acrylic Tip & Overlay: first place, Sonia Glover, Myrtle Beach, SC; second place, Claudine Morgan, Fayetteville, NC; third place, Susan Gause, Surfside, SC; fourth place, Barbara Domenech, Elmont, NY.

Professional Sculptured Nail: first place, Claudine Morgan; second place, Tom Bachik, Tehachapi, CA; third place, Sonia Glover; fourth place, Victoria Sozio, Sewell, NJ.

Beginning Acrylic Tip & Overlay: first place, Rita Hordath, Allentown, PA; second place, Dana Boumpani, N. Plainfield, NJ; third place, Tracy Percival, Clifton, NJ; fourth place, Tina Goral, Walling- ton, NJ.

Flat Nail Art: first place, Jillian Nardini, Toms River, NJ; second place, Noriko Tanaka, Fort Lee, NJ; third place, Michelle Mankin, Glen Burnie, MD; fourth place, Jae Hee Lee, Brooklyn, NY.