APP 2025 Conference Recap

I attended my first APP Conference in 1998, and it was such an extraordinary experience that I haven’t missed one since. It’s my favorite time to hug the shit out of so many people I’ve grown to love over the years, swap ideas and inspiration, and be part of both learning and teaching at the best educational event this industry has to offer. Here are just a few of my highlights from the 2025 conference.

I started the week off strong with a Sunday night docent tour of this year’s body piercing archive exhibit, The Legacy of The Gauntlet. It’s an understatement to say that I could listen to Paul King talk all day (and all night) about the history of modern piercing (or pretty much anything - the man’s historical knowledge and storytelling are nothing short of epic) and it was such a treat to hear industry icons Jim and Drew Ward, Mic Rawls, and former Gauntlet employees share their fun facts and stories.

Monday marks the first official day of classes, and every year it’s sooo hard to choose which to take because there are so many great offerings happening AT THE SAME TIME. To start, I went with “Exploring the Diversity of Body Art Regulations”. I’m a member of the Rule Change Committee for body art laws in New Mexico, so it feels important to have some context to speak to one of our most frequently asked questions - why are the laws in New Mexico not the same as the laws in its neighboring states? It will likely be many years before there’s any kind of uniform regulation for our industry, but it’s nice to see progress being made in support of keeping our clients safe.

That afternoon I got to speak alongside Pablo Perelmuter and Suzanne Hallett, two presenters I greatly admire, on “Uses of AI in the Piercing Studio”. No, AI is not writing this blog post. Yes, I might ask ChatGPT to proof it before I send it out. No, I will not take all of its advice and edit out every grammar error. Perfection is boring, amiright?

Monday evening is usually “Opening Party” night, but this year the APP introduced a new series of events like Bingo, Movie Night, and POSTER SESSIONS - said with loud enthusiasm because I had my very own poster on Recordkeeping and in preparation my team so graciously posed for photos to make it not only informative, but a little silly and fun. I know it sounds like a boring topic, but c’mon, record keeping can SAVE YOUR ASSets (cringe but true). I was lucky enough to be positioned next to Joelton with his giant suds gun for the “Bubbles and Bling” poster, and other industry experts whose research keeps us moving forward.

Tuesday is always a favorite day, as it’s the first day of the VENDOR EXPO! This is where we get to see new designs from vendors we know and love, and be introduced to some who may be brand new or just exhibiting to the APP attendees for the first time. It’s a giant room filled with inspiration and innovation in jewelry design, and it’s hard to know what to look at first. Luckily, there were a lot of us representing Evolution at conference this year, so we could divide and conquer. And conquer we did- we have so many never-seen-before designs in the studio that you won’t want to sleep on - so get in quick!

It’s also the day I presented “Gems with Benefits” with April Thomas of Born This Way Body Arts as a co-presenter. This wasn’t something that was originally planned, another class on gemstones had been scheduled but sadly the original presenters had to back out. I just happened to be at a Boss Retreat with April when I heard a replacement class was needed and I knew she’d be a solid resource for this type of information - April herself is a gem. Side note - if you’re wondering what a “Boss Retreat” is, message me and I’ll tell you all about it and encourage you to create your own. It’s so fucking valuable to get together with peers in a relaxed environment (ahem, not Las Vegas - though I will never miss a conference in Las Vegas - not the same) and share wisdom and support.

Tuesday night I had the pleasure of taking the team out for a quintessential Las Vegas Experience - dinner at Barry’s Downtown Prime. All I can say is YUM, and why can’t all restaurants have a little campfire at your table so you can make s’mores for dessert?

By Wednesday the Vegas sensory overload is starting to wear some of us (err, at least me) all down a bit, but the excitement for the day keeps us running on sheer adrenaline. I love me some history classes, and if you know me at all you know that I freaking love photography and have been a shutterbug since I was old enough to hold a camera. “An Intimate History of The Gauntlet Through the Lens of Drew Ward” checked off all the boxes in a history buff/photography enthusiast’s class wishlist. And if that wasn’t enough, classes like “Pain Rituals of the Indian Subcontinent” “Focusing on Building a Solid Infrastructure,” and Jen Brockman’s class on leadership and boundaries all got rave reviews from my team.

Thursday I got to present again, this time on “Building Front of House” with the brilliant Alexandra Trimble of Black Hole Reno. I have been a long time admirer of the business acumen of Black Hole’s owner, Angela Watson, and I gotta say Angela hit the Nevada Jackpot with hiring Alex as a manager for her studio. Alex was a first-time presenter but more organized and prepared than many seasoned professionals (myself included). She co-presented a class on Customer Service later that day that was also outstanding. It’s been so great to see the list of class offerings for industry professionals beyond just piercers, like our management teams and jewelry pros. “Piercer” isn’t the only career to be had in a piercing studio these days, and I’m here for it!

Another highlight for me this year was Bethrah Szumksi’s class on Managing Anxiety in the Piercing Room. This past year I participated in a 6 month advanced training for coaches on Nervous System Resilience, and Bethrah managed to sum up many of the most important concepts beautifully into an hour long class. Her calm, paced delivery exemplified everything she said. If you’re wanting the key takeaway in a nutshell, resilience doesn’t magically happen with a few deep breaths in a moment of stress - though breathwork can certainly help. It is built with small shifts and dedicated practice in and out of the studio so the tools are at the ready when you need them. I also love teaching on this topic, it’s truly relevant to people working in any position in the studio.

On the night of the closing party, I had the pleasure of dining with (left to right below) Alex, Erika, Bethrah, Yorba, Angela, Lani, Lysa, and Danna, it’s a solid “fuck yeah” experience to be in the company of these baddies. How did I get so lucky to be a part of this amazing community? Dancing with my team at the closing party was the icing on the cake.

The closing party isn’t the end, though! There are always some of the best classes saved for the last day, and this year was no exception. Modern Marketing for the Modern Studio with April Thomas and John Balk did not disappoint - and I am not ashamed to say I’m a snobby mthrfckr with strong opinions and I don’t take marketing advice from just anyone. I can’t wait to take what they offered and start incorporating more video for storytelling at Evolution. Stay tuned by following @evolutionpiercing on Instagram!

Ok, I’ll wrap it up with that. I’m sure I forgot some important happenings, so please message me and tell me what I missed or what you liked the most. And if you took any selfies of us or photos of any of my classes I’d love to see those, too! Email hello@crystalsims.com or dm or tag me @crystalsims on Insta.