times online, reuniting with my apprentices
who have moved away, talking and debating
with your colleagues...the whole thing has
an aura of magic about it. I cannot wait for
next year!
Jesse Villemaire
(APP Instructor)
says about the 2015 APP Conference:
This year, I had the privilege to teach the
Safe Practices in the Sterilization Room with
co-instructors John Joyce and Johnny Velez.
This class usually runs back-to-back with
the Safe Practices in the Piercing Room,
instructed by Ryan Ouellette. We’ve been fortunate enough to be invited back each year
to provide these important classes to those
within the piercing community.
Each year, many piercers from around the
world gather in Las Vegas to attend the
largest piercing conference of its kind! As
the body art industry continues to grow at
an alarming rate, I believe it’s important
for organizations such as the Association
of Professional Piercers to bring us all
together, sharing knowledge, and wisdom to
those who seek further guidance within our
careers. It’s refreshing to see so many newcomers each year and many often returning
for years afterwards. On the flipside, we’ll see
piercers that have been practicing their craft
for over 20 years and they still wish to attend
classes, continuing to grow and helping pass
on the correct information to the next generation of professional piercers.
One of the highlights at the conference is the
overwhelming amount of quality body jewelry
companies from around the world. Many
showing off their newest creations often
unveiled for the first at the jewelry expo.
Some companies are common household
names around our studios as they continue
to “wow” us with their innovations, quality,
and customer service. The APP hosts a
yearly raffle and many of these manufactures
donate thousands of dollars for prizes to be
awarded to some lucky attendees. This year’s
raffle really stands out for being over the top!
Anatometal turned up the heat when they
awarded $12,000 ($1,000.00 per month for
1 year) worth of body jewelry to one lucky
person! As if that wasn’t good enough, they
stepped up to the microphone and asked
them to draw four more names. The whole
room went silent; everyone had goose
bumps, wondering what the prize would be
for these other four tickets?
“You each win $12,000 in body jewelry as
well!” The room went crazy, instant standing
ovation and cheering louder than the sound
of all the slot machines in Vegas!
Twenty years the APP has been in existence.
It’s an overwhelming experience and I look
forward to it each year. Reuniting with our
yearly friends, sharing stories, absorbing
new information, learning new techniques,
and surrounded by the greatest body jewelry
in the world!
It’s a shame it’s only a week long, yet many
of us couldn’t last any longer in Vegas!
Jesse Villemaire | ThriveStudios.ca | ProgressiveMentorship.com | [email protected]
For more information and updates on the
APP, visit:
www.SafePiercing.org
www.Facebook.com/APPSafePiercing
Instagram: @safepiercing
Twitter: @APPsafepiercing
Opening night pool party at Bally’s with
piercers Chris Jennell, Dana Dinius & Sean
Dowdell
14
InkSpiredMagazine.com