EXHIBIT WITH US
Cities within driving distance of Gatlinburg, TN! click to enlarge
The Gallery & Mills Auditorium show floors (coming in 2025)
Mills Rooms 1 - 4 show floors (coming in 2025)
CLICK HERE for extra tables & A/V
LINK COMING in 2025 to pay for booth electricity
(Do NOT pay for WiFi)
MATERIAL HANDLING & OUTBOUND SHIPMENTS:
The GCC will only accept shipments arriving on: Thursday OR Friday before the show date:
- NO Saturday deliveries
- NO deliveries after 5:00pm (EST)
- The GCC will store these packages in a secure room FREE OF CHARGE.
- Shipments arriving outside of the allotted time frame may be refused & returned to your company at YOUR expense due to lack of available storage space.
Please mark your shipments as such:
Gatlinburg Convention Center Loading Dock
c/o Nail Tech Event of the Smokies
Vendor Company Name
Vendor Booth #
234 Airport Rd.
Gatlinburg, TN 37738
On Exhibitor move-in day the GCC will have your company's boxes sitting inside your booth space at no extra cost to you.
Outbound shipments: MUST BE PICKED UP NO LATER THAN TUESDAY AFTER THE SHOW.
- prior arrangements made with your carrier to pick up shipments on Monday or Tuesday at the latest.
- Boxes NOT picked up by the due date will be considered abandoned & may be donated to charity.
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CATERING & CONCESSIONS:
A concessions stand with hot & cold items, plus beverages will be set up in the Mills common area on Friday-Monday for your convenience as the GCC does not allow any outside food brought in (exact hours & food/drink TBD by the GCC).
To pre-order box lunches to be delivered to your Classroom or to your Booth during the show, please contact Jenn Carson in charge of the GCC catering firm at least 1 month before the show: [email protected] /(419) 932-1272. You are responsible for paying for your food/beverages.
During the show you are welcome to enjoy your lunch inside the Swag Swap Center (photo below) & network with nail techs instead of eating in your booth.
EDUCATORS TEACHING FRIDAY, SATURDAY & MONDAY WORKSHOPS:
- To rent A/V in advance for your classroom CLICK HERE. Classrooms #1, #2 & #10 do NOT have complimentary pull down screens. You are welcome to bring your own A/V & screen at no extra charge to you. All classrooms will be set up max classroom style. You will need to provide your own extension cords & table covers.
- We will be on site at 8:00am (EST) for you to set up your classrooms. See "Nail Classes/Workshops" page to know your assigned classroom number. No booth setup until 8:00am Saturday morning per our GCC contract.
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UNLOADING/LOADING - USE the DESIGNATED TURNING LANE (photos below) in front of the Mills Center. Look for the white stripe painted on the road with right turning lane arrow (DO NOT TURN DOWN TO THE LOADING DOCKS). Quickly unload up the concrete ramp, then immediately move your vehicle to paid parking lots across the street so the next company can unload/load.
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DO NOT PARK IN THE SEMI-CIRCLE TROLLEY TURNAROUND UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EVEN IF YOU SEE OTHERS DOING SO.
- The security guard will immediately make you move or be ticketed by the Gatlinburg City police. If the unloading/loading zone is full, just drive up the street & cruise by again to check for openings. There is nowhere else to park except the paid parking lots nearby unless you’re staying at the Gillette Motel across the street.
- Let your Workshop students know to enter the classrooms via the concrete ramp into the Craftsmen's Fair entrance at the Airport Rd doors located to the right of the Mills Center (look for our Workshop banner pointing the way; photo below). We do not have the Mills Center reserved on Fri. & Mon. so those exterior doors will be locked.
- Let the Craftsmen's Fair security guard know you're with the Nail Tech Event & need to enter your classroom so they'll let you pass through.
- Lunch break is Noon - 1:00pm & the concessions will be set up in the classrooms hallway. Hours of operation & food options TBD by the GCC on those lighter days when most of the attendees are not on site. On show day the concessions will be in the Mills Center common area & have a wider food selection due to more people on site.
- We must all be walking out of the GCC by 5:00pm per our contract, so pack up items as you're finished teaching them in order to meet this firm end time. Abuse of this end time WILL result in a $250 advance deposit for any future classroom reservations. This deposit will only be refunded if the Educator vacates the classroom before 5:00pm, otherwise it is forfeited without recourse.
- If you're also holding a Saturday Workshop in your same classroom, please let us know when you're finished on Friday so we can lock your classroom door to securely store your supplies overnight.
- If you're holding a Monday Workshop, you may set up your classroom during the Exhibitor move-out process from 5:00-7:00pm on Sunday (or at 8:00am Monday). Use one of the 4 wheel dollies to transport your supplies from the show floor to your classroom & then return it to the Mills lobby for others to use BEFORE for you begin setting up. Please let us know when you've finished so we can lock your classroom door overnight.
SATURDAY EXHIBITOR MOVE-IN:
Starting no earlier than 8:00am & ending promptly at 5:00pm (EST). NO EXCEPTIONS. At 4:05pm any booth not in progress of being set up will be considered abandoned & dismantled unless unless we speak in advance.
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Enter the GCC doors via the concrete ramp to the Mills Center on Airport Rd. across from the Gillette Motel.
The exterior GCC doors will be locked until we arrive at 8:00am (rain or shine, so plan accordingly). A security guard must be present for all move-in/out times & no other move-in/out times/days can be accommodated per our GCC contract.
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USE the DESIGNATED TURNING LANE (photo below) in front of the Mills Center for unloading/loading. Look for the white stripe painted on the road with turning lane arrow pointing right towards the lower loading docks (DO NOT GO DOWN TO THE LOADING DOCKS). Quickly unload up the concrete ramp, then immediately move your vehicle to paid parking lots across the street.
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DO NOT PARK IN THE SEMI-CIRCLE TROLLEY TURNAROUND DRIVE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EVEN IF YOU SEE OTHERS DOING SO. The security guard will immediately make you move or be ticketed by the Gatlinburg City police.
If the unloading/loading zone is full, just drive up the street & cruise by again to check for openings. There is nowhere else to park except the paid parking lots nearby unless you’re staying at the Gillette Motel across the street.
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Inside the Mills Center will be 10 complimentary four wheel dollies for you to share for transporting your supplies to your booth, but you are welcome to bring your own so you won't have to wait. When finished unloading the dollies at your booth, return them immediately to the lobby for others to share. You are responsible for not injuring yourself or others with the dollies.
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See our Event Team at the Registration window to receive your Educator wristbands for the exact number of legit Educators working inside your booth (4 per each booth; there's a $75 charge via our secure Square store for any extra educators).
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Wear your Educator wristband to the show the next day to get into the GCC & do not lose it or it will cost you $75 cash only for a replacement. Anyone working or volunteering inside a booth are not eligible for swag nor prizes & should not buy an attendees ticket. Contact me immediately if a ticket has already been purchased.
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The enlarged show floor plans to find your booth locations will be on 2 easels just before entering the interior Mills Auditorium doors. Take a photo for reference since we save trees by not printing brochures that just get thrown into the trash.
SUNDAY SHOW DAY:
Arrive between than 8:00am - 8:30am to make sure your sales device is connected to the Wifi & working properly, plus put final touches on your booth. There will be a crowd of techs gathering, so show your Educator wristband to the security guard & our Event helper to be let into the GCC.
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At 8:30am the VIP techs will enter the GCC lobby & 9:00am entrance to the show floor. The General Admission attendees enter the GCC lobby at 9:30am followed by the show floor at 10:00am sharp.
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The higher your booth sales are means it's more likely your company will return again next year & select you to represent them. While educating & demoing your mad nail skills is impressive, always keep in mind with every attendee: your company has products to solve their nail problems. As soon as they sit down for a demo, find out what their nail problems are & teach the product that will fix it which will result in higher sales.
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Use this opportunity to create video content & LIVE streams on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook & YouTube from your booth. Interview nail techs on camera & show interest in them, along with videoing your demos & nail products. These long videos can be chopped up into enough shorter reels for content lasting all year (don't forget to create video content while you're out enjoying Gatlinburg, too).
SUNDAY EXHIBITOR MOVE-OUT:
- Demo's should be winding down at 4:30pm & light packing can inside your booth can begin as we start drawing for the Grand Prize in order to concentrate on making FINAL SALES which is your company's main goal (less stuff to pack up/ship back). NO dollies allowed onto the show floor until it closes at 5:00pm to avoid tripping liabilities.
- The move-out process begins at 5:00pm when attendees are off the show floor & ends at 7:00pm (EST).
- Thru the 2 side emergency exits in the Mills Auditorium are where the 10 four-wheel dollies will be waiting inside the access corridor. Please take turns & immediately return them to the lobby for others to utilize.
- If you wish to move-out faster without any waiting, please bring your own dollies.
- For safety & liability reasons, keep all boxes/pallets inside YOUR booths until the last attendee exits the show floor.
AT END OF SHOW ALL EDUCATORS MUST HAVE:
- every box taped shut & pallets shrink wrapped (bring your own tape & shrink wrap). Leave these inside your booth for the GCC maintenance team to transport down to the loading docks for your pre-scheduled pickup.
- pre-printed return shipping labels & bill of lading applied to all boxes or pallet. “Bill of Lading” actual form MUST be on the outside of the package for your carrier to pick it up. It cannot be a hand written label & must be the pre-printed actual form.
- prior arrangements made with your carrier to pick up shipments on Monday or Tuesday at the latest. Boxes NOT picked up by due date will be considered abandoned & may be donated to charity.
We CANNOT print labels, supply shrink wrap or tape, nor make shipping arrangements for you, so please do this in advance & arrive prepared.
GENERAL OPERATING PROCEDURES TO FOLLOW:
- Do not park to unload/load in the semi-circle trolley drive for any reason. Paid parking lots are across the street & beside the GCC ($20 per day average).
- Absolutely NO children on the show floors at any time nor in classrooms due to liability issues (this includes babies being carried or in a stroller; please make other childcare arrangements in advance).
- Heat tape & double face tape may not be used on the carpet.
- Do not staple, nail, tape, spray, hang or attach anything to walls, ceilings, fixtures or floors.
- Signs may be hung on the back drape using fishing string, 'S' hooks, or other non-damaging materials which you will need to bring with you.
- No helium tanks or gallons are permitted.
- No balloons, candles nor open flames of any sort.
- No glitter or confetti is permitted to be scattered about. *The GCC is permitting carpet protectant tape around the demo area with approval to cautiously use nail glitter. Carpet tape CANNOT be removed nor rearranged if it's been applied.
- Banners, overhead signs, & special decorations may NOT be hung except in booths. Everything must stay within the footprint of your booth.
- You may bring your own tables/shelving as long as it fits inside the footprint of your booth space.
- Planters & furniture in public areas may not be removed or repositioned.
- No smoking nor vaping inside. Smoking areas are designated outside usually near the entrances.
- Absolutely NO changes can be made to the final Fire Marshall approved floor plan within 10 days prior to move-in.
- No aisles may be blocked for any reason.
- The GCC does not permit any outside food to be brought into the facility.
- NO MUSIC on the show floor (loud nor otherwise to be courteous & respectful of everyone else's musical tastes).
- NO TWO VENDORS MAY SELL THE SAME BRAND WITHOUT EACH CONSENTING IN ADVANCE.
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TO REACH ME IN A HURRY ON SHOW WEEKEND:
Texting is the fastest way followed by calling. If you do not have my personal cell number, that means I probably don't have yours either.
DM me via FB Messenger so we can exchange numbers in advance.
The Smokies Nail Show is the only professional nail show in the USA that's held strictly for licensed beauty pro's, salon/spa owners, beauty school students & their instructors (not open to nail lovers, influencers, nor the general public).
This means no wasted time, effort or money on your part spent on attendees who are unlikely to place future orders since nails is not their main business.
We have 16+ years of experience growing our nails-only show thanks to our year-long promotional efforts & exceptional word of mouth referrals from nail techs, educators & company owners alike.
To participate all companies must sell hand, foot or boutique salon products at discounted prices to licensed beauty pros & absolutely no MLM's where the recruitment of others is a factor.
Please email your web address to: [email protected]
Generate LEADS & SALES in one day!
Our attendees DRIVE to Gatlinburg, TN from these surrounding states:
KY, NC, SC, VA, WVA, OH, IN, AR, AL, MS, GA, LA, FL, IL, IA, MI, PA, NY, MO, OK, WI, TX, ID, KS, NE & TN.
Driving instead of flying affords techs more money to purchase products in bulk, plus the trunk space to haul it all home!