ABOUT US
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My idea started in 2007 to bring affordable nail education to our overlooked area of the South & the resort town of Gatlinburg, TN was chosen since it's within driving distance of 22 surrounding states.
Gatlinburg is a fun family vacation destination within a day’s drive for over 50% of the entire USA population living east of the Mississippi.
11 to 14+ MILLION people a year visit Gatlinburg & the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which unlike other large National Parks is still FREE to explore!
Our humble beginnings started in 2008 as a small nail tech networking event held in a hotel ballroom.
We met our goal of 50 nail techs attending & 6 educators demoing on tables with nail icon Vicki Peters as the guest speaker.
Within 3 years we grew to be the largest nail tech networking event in the USA!
In 2010 we developed the concept of holding Monday Workshops the day after the show, with Saturday Workshops added the following year due to high demand.
After outgrowing 2 hotel venues in 4 years, we moved into the Gatlinburg Convention Center as a licensed LLC trade show in 2012.
We are the only USA Nail Show that's solely open to licensed nail techs & is NOT open to the general public, "influencers" nor other non-licensed nail lovers.
Feedback from the majority of our licensed attendees is that they do not want "companion tickets" to be sold due to unnecessary extra bodies clogging the aisles, plus taking up space at the booths & in classes where nail techs need to be.
Thanks to the great word of mouth referrals from nail techs, educators & company owners alike, we have grown to 500 - 700+ attending nail techs & 200+ educators in 69 nail booths all demoing & selling wholesale hand, foot & boutique salon products.
There's a lot happening on the 3 show floors, with the main floor being the gorgeous timber framed "Mills Auditorium" which holds 51 booths. "The Gallery" where everyone first enters hosts 6 distinguished booths.
The "Mills Rooms 1 & 2" accommodates 12 booths featuring 12 foot ceilings, plus brighter recessed lighting, along with the hall with a complimentary charging area & 2 comfy seats which connects all 3 show floors, along with the "Mills Rooms 3 & 4" for the Swag Swap Center!
For 2019 we created the Friday "Extended Workshops" to provide techs the opportunity to EXTEND their show weekend for an extra day of hands-on education to further their nail career.
ALL Extended Workshops are held onsite at the GCC (no offsite classes permitted the week before, during or after). This is a great educational opportunity for nail techs who bring their families for several days to enjoy a tax write-off vacation since their families can enjoy Gatlinburg while the techs are in Workshops!
"THE EVENT TEAM" is comprised of friends & family using their own vacation time volunteering to help run this grassroots show on a shoestring budget while operating with NO DEBT (L to R: Marisa, her sister Marty & Billie).
Learning as we went, each year I cash-flowed expenses by rolling over profits saved from prior years to insure show stability. After 38yrs, I only do nails part time in my private studio while I work daily online to grow the Smokies Nail Show.
For 2022 the GCC built the Ballroom space known as the "Mills Rooms 1 & 2" (parallel to the Mills Auditorium main show floor) which allowed 12 more Booths for new companies, PLUS the "Sponsors Hall" for our distinguished Sponsors that connects all 3 show floors.
NEW for 2023 was the "Swag Swap Center" inside the Mills Rooms 3 & 4 created for techs to trade swag, network with each other, exchange nail education tips & tricks, plus sit to rest their tired feet. It was a BIG hit!
Behind the scenes there's a MASSIVE amount of work that you don't see & I thank you for all your continued support.
We are proof that anything's possible when the nail community pulls together for the good of us all & you're welcome to join us on our journey to create "nail tech pride".... one tech at a time!
XOXOXO
Jill Wright, Event Coordinator & Nail Tech
MEDIA
Unfound Beauty, Aug. 2023
"The Nail Tech Event of the Smokies Celebrated Success in Gatlinburg, TN – Industry News"