The 12th Nail Tech Event of the Smokies took place June 28-July 1 in the resort town of Gatlinburg, Tenn., and saw a record number of attendees, manufacturers, and educators — many of whom brought along their families to enjoy the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

Sunday’s show featured many returning companies, such as Light Elegance, Gelish, LCN, CND, ProFiles, Designed by Tony Ly, and  grand-prize sponsor AII Beauty, via their Tennessee distributor AML Distribution. Thirteen companies were new to the show, including YouTube’s The Meticulous Manicurist, Imperial Feet, Ugly Duckling Nails, Xtens, Fuzion, Emchi, Baby Foot, Creative Ballance, Centre for Beauty, Johens, and The Nail Art Connection by Tess Walters.

Also new this year were a VIP ticket package and extended workshops held on Friday, in addition to the traditional Saturday and Monday hands-on workshops (29 in all!). The Event Gala dinner and cocktails celebration hosted by Precision Nails owner Jaime Schrabeck kicked off Saturday evening with 250 guests enjoying each other’s company, plus sampling sponsors’ products via Event Gala Swag Bags.

Color Up Therapeutics also made a big splash with their CBD mani/pedi products, says event organizer Jill Wright, while pro football player Eric Berry, owner of the newly debuted Medusa Nails, kept a low profile to allow Medusa’s products to shine. “Not being recognized was kind of hard in this part of the South, thanks to Eric’s days of playing college football for the Tennessee Volunteers,” says Wright.

Many adventurous techs braved the new SkyBridge, the longest pedestrian suspension bridge in North America that features glass floor panels in the middle of the 680-foot span, plus panoramic views of downtown Gatlinburg and the breathtaking Smoky Mountains.

Next year’s event is scheduled for July 10-13, 2020, with tickets going on sale January 1. For more information on the show, go to www.nailtechevent.com. For Gala tickets, go to www.theeventgala.com.