by RobertL | Jan 6, 2018
Wedding Wire’s Sonny Ganguly is a widely acclaimed expert speaking on marketing and strategy.
At its core, advertising is the accepted method for reaching a mass audience with a sales pitch that explains 1) what is being offered, and 2) why the consumer should buy it. As most entrepreneurs get their training in salesmanship on the fly, they typically launch a new enterprise with business cards and brochures, and then add other forms of traditional and online advertising later on. Most small business operators have a good understanding of advertising, but they often undersize the bigger picture: Marketing.
Using traditional marketing and online exposure, Dennis Marentette was able to build a strong market brand. At PBX2018 Dennis will share what made him successful in difficult market.
If you take a retrospective look back (via You Tube) at how companies advertised in the ‘50s and ‘60s, you’ll find the approach, particularly on the local level, was more about product and price and less about benefits or building a “trusted relationship” with the customer. The goal of Marketing is precisely that: to attract new customers, build relationships and keep them coming back.
Coming from careers as Promoter, DJ and Digital Marketer, Jordan St. Jacques is uniquely qualified to discuss how photo booth operators can use digital tools & processes to leapfrog the competition and book more gigs.
Marketing Is A Four-Legged Beast
The first leg is PRODUCT. In the Photo Booth business, the product is the service of offering Photo Booths a various events. But it goes way beyond that. Photo Booth operators are an exceptionally creative group of business people. Using the basic ingredients of a camera, printer, computer(s), software, and touch screen, Photo Booth designers and manufacturers have created hundreds of unique ways for Photo Booth professionals to wow their customers. The Photo Booth Expo, held annually in Las Vegas, is the international showcase for the latest in Photo Booth technology. It is where Photo Booth operators from around the world gather to get the scoop on what’s new, and discover how they can best incorporate it into their business.
Justin Miler is one of the leading experts on marketing and sales management in the wedding, event, and entertainment industries.
The second leg of marketing is PRICE. How much you charge for your service is somewhat relative to the pricing structure of your competitors. As you evaluate the “going rates” for Photo Booths in your area, pay close attention to what each company offers. Your objective—assuming you are in this for the long haul—is to command the highest-price possible. To do that, you need to provide better service and quality than the others.
The third leg is an easy one. DISTRIBUTION. For businesses, figuring out how to deliver their product to the customer is the biggest challenge, but not with Photo Booths. You just load it in your car, truck and van and drive there. “Nuff said on that one.
At the end of the chain comes PROMOTION. With so much emphasis now placed on web-based advertising and content marketing, the challenge is staying current with the trends. To help Photo Booth operators sharpen their skills as promoters, the Photo Booth Expo presents an extensive track of seminars by skilled and experienced marketing professionals.
For the 2018 Photo Booth Expo in March (11-14), The Photo Booth Expo team has been working with the Photo Booth Association to create a program that focuses tightly on marketing concepts and ideas that small-business owners can take back and implement immediately. To learn more about who is speaking and the topics they are covering, visit https://photoboothexpo.com/seminar_presenters/
Don’t miss PHOTO BOOTH EXPO 2018 – get Your KEY PASS TODAY!
by RobertL | Jan 3, 2018
Why do so many new businesses fail in the first year? Often, it’s not because the owners lacked drive or ran out of funds, it’s because they simply found that running a business was much harder than they anticipated. They got discouraged and quit..
Owning your own business is a noble pursuit. Success as an entrepreneur goes way beyond just making a decent living. It about personal satisfaction in being able to do something you really love and are passionate about.
So how can you improve your chances of succeeding?
Even with the many thousands of “How-To” You Tube videos and online business courses, nothing beats being in the same place, at the same time, as others who share your passion for growing a business. When you are among a few thousand other like-minded individuals, amazing things start to happen. Your mind opens up, your world expands and ideas take flight. Attending a convention with your peers is an experience that simply can’t be duplicated online.
For Photo Booth owners, operators and suppliers, this once-a-year opportunity to network and connect is the Photo Booth Expo in Las Vegas. Touted as the “World’s Largest Gathering Of Photo Booth Operators, Manufacturers and Suppliers,” the Photo Booth Expo has become the Mecca for Photo Booth professionals.
How It Began
Photo Booth Expo Producer, Rob Savickis
“Just a decade ago, having a photo booth at a wedding reception was a novelty. Today it is hard to imagine a wedding without one,” says Rob Savickis, who has been in the event entertainment services industry for 30 years.
In 2015, Rob launched the first Photo Booth Expo which brought 1300 people to the South Point in Las Vegas. By year #2, the attendance had grown to over 2000. Bursting at the seams, the 2017 Photo Booth Expo moved to a larger exhibit space at the Westgate Resort (The same resort where Elvis Presley performed 837 consecutive sold-out shows) and was able to accommodate over 100 exhibitors and more than 3000 people from over 47 countries. This year, the event has again grown in size and for the first time will run for 4 days. Attendance is on track to top the 4000 mark.
The 2018 Photo Booth Expo will run March 11-14 at the Westgate. To register just go to PhotoBoothExpo.com and click “register.” You have the choice of a KEY PASS, which allows you to sit in on over 20 business-centric presentations by the most accomplished professionals in the Photo Booth profession. If time is tight, you can opt for an Exhibits Only pass. You’ll be able to check out the latest in Photo Booth hardware, software, consumables, props, backdrops and other items to support you business. But give yourself plenty of time —there’ll be a lot see.
LIMITED TIME MONEY SAVING SPECIAL OFFER:
Use code PBXSHOW2018 to reduce the price of a key pass from $249 to $179 (save $70)
or
Use code EXHIBITS2018 to reduce the price of an exhibits only pass from $50 to $20 (save $30)
by RobertL | Dec 29, 2017
Photo Booth Expo 2018 will feature over two dozen highly informative and entertaining presentations from top movers and shakers in the industry—there will be lots of useful nuggets and takeaways to improve your business.
Get an insight into the future of the photo booth business, plan to attend Brian Miller‘s presentation:
Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality: The Next Generation of Photo Booths
The photo booth industry is constantly expanding and evolving—much of this evolution is driven by technology. Growing with the trends is vital to gaining traction with high-end social and corporate clients. In this presentation, Photo Booth entrepreneur and LA Photo Party owner, Brian Miller, will take you into the very near future with an overview of VR, AR, and MR. He will explain how Virtual Realty, Augmented Reality, and Mixed Reality relate to the future of entertainment and Photo Booth specifically. You will leave with a full understanding of the technology needed to provide these services and the tools for selling this game-changing technology to your clients.
Clients For Life: The Lost Art Of Customer Service Presented by Chris Meyer
Repeat business is great – but Customer Loyalty is even more valuable. In this presentation by Chris Meyer, you’ll learn the difference between the two and how to service your clients so that they are Clients For Life. It all focuses on relationship development and showing you how to get to that enviable position where you no longer need to worry about selling based on price, fear, novelty, peer pressure, or any other sales manipulation.
Whether you are are just starting out or are a veteran of the business, if you want to stay on top of your game and to be competitive, you have to be at The Photo Booth Expo!
by RobertL | Dec 12, 2017
Carving out a profitable niche in the competitive entertainment/event services industry has never been more challenging. While friends and family often question the mental stability of those of us with chronic entrepreneur syndrome, we seldom care—we just go on doing what we do, and hoping it makes a difference.
Building a business takes patience, persistence and what often seems to be super-human effort. However, when you step back for a moment, it all breaks down to three things: 1) Doing more with less 2) Expanding your list of products and services 3) Maximizing your marketing efforts.
As simple as that sounds, unless you are a born natural business person, you can’t go it alone. You need help, and while there are plenty of books and videos available, nothing is more inspiring than being face to face with someone who has accomplished much and is eager to share. So, with that as the underlying theme, here’s a preview of the professional development seminars being offered to key pass holders at the upcoming Photo Booth Expo. Watch for more information as t becomes available—and if you haven’t yet purchased your key pass, do so today. The price will never be lower!
Don’t miss the Keynote on Monday March 12.
International best-selling author and award winning marketer, Steve Napolitan, works with entrepreneurs, C-level executives, coaches and consultants that are stuck in “spinning wheels” mode—working hard but getting nowhere. Steve has helped his clients reach millions in traffic, impressions and revenue. More importantly, he can show you how to turn this response into real business growth while regaining control of your life.
Workflows to Work Less
There are only 24 hours in a day, and you need time to do more than just work your business. In this presentation Catalina Bloch says that the key to making more while working less is streamlining your workflow, automating certain tasks while delegating others. In this seminar, Catalina will share her strategies for recovering your nights and weekends, all while making, even more, money than before.
Building A “Digital Sales Funnel”
It’s no secret that the way to book more business is through improving your digital outreach—but that’s easier said than done. In this advanced digital-marketing session, Jordan St. Jacques of Canada’s Digitera Interactive will show you how to substantially increase the traffic to your online platforms. You’ll also learn how to use advanced tools in your digital campaigns to generate leads, and close more clients.
5 Steps To Start Target Marketing Like A Pro
For marketing to be effective you need to know who you’re talking to, what to say and how to reach them. While you may think your photo booth is perfect for everyone, Justin Jowett says that is not the case and will show you why that’s a actually a good thing.
Advanced Digital Marketing Strategies
Continuing on the theme of digital and online marketing, Justin Miller will be taking it to the next level with strategies for getting more leads, driving e sales, and how to more effectively manage your lead flow process with behavior based marketing. Examples will include the effective use of email marketing, sms messaging, and chat bots.
Light Painting
On the performance side, Chris Breeze, a legend in the Photo Booth community, will be giving a presentation on light painting. Chris will also be running premium workshops on photo booth shooting and on multi-camera rigs (details forthcoming)
Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality: The Next Generation of Photo Booths
The photo booth industry is expanding every year and so is the technology. Photo booth entrepreneur and LA Photo Party owner, Brian Miller, will be talking about how growing with these trends is vital to gaining traction with high-end social and corporate clients. Expect to come away knowing a whole lot more about VR, AR, and MR, what they tell us about the future of entertainment, how they relate to Photo Booths, what technology you need to provide these services and how to sell them to your clients.
And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more topics still to announced so start shopping for flights and get your key pass now. Photo Booth Expo 2018 promises to be the best event ever for Photo Booth owners, operators, manufacturers and suppliers.
JUST ADDED: “Win More Millennial Business” – Ross Holman, Check Cherry
Seminar Schedule:
Sunday March 11, Noon-6PM • Monday March 12, 9-5 • Tuesday March 13, 9-11 • Wednesday March 14, 9-11.
Exhibit Hall:
Monday March 12, 5-8 • Tuesday March 13, 11-5 • Wednesday March 14, 11-3.
by RobertL | Dec 9, 2017
PBX Sponsor Profile:
School Photographers Association of California began in 1956 with a group of school photographers from Southern California that would run off to Las Vegas to get together. Just think of these SPAC pioneers as the Rat Pack of School Photographers. In 1961 the School Photographers Association of California Inc. came into being with Louis Bartolo as President and Virginia Ferguson as Secretary.
Calvin Harrell
The yearly meeting continued unabated until the mid 70’s when the members started programming an actual conference with educational speakers and all. 2018 SPAC Conference
Things got crazy in the 80’s when Gary Kranz added a trade show and by the early 90’s the darn thing got so respectable photographers from around the US started showing up for the educational opportunities and to get one on one time with vendors and photo labs. It became the in place to get the inside secrets of the School Photography industry. The crazy Las Vegas night life was taking a back seat. During the early 2000’s the photographers a little lazy and turned the conference over to vendors to run the association with poor results. By the end of the decade attendance was a fraction of what it was. SPAC board twisted the arms of Calvin Harrell and Marty Brown to join the board and give the control back to school photographers. With the help and support of our member photographers who are willing to give of their time and talent SPAC has become the leading independent school photographers association in the world. In the last 4 years we have tripled attendance, doubled the number of vendors. Last year, adding a second Trade Show room and record setting attendance AGAIN!
Heck, we even added a SPAC University that helps new photographers learn the necessary skills that it takes to excel in the world of volume photography.
SPAC now presents the largest independent school and sports photographers conference and trade show in the world. With photographers from 7 different countries and over 35 of our states the party has only gotten bigger.
This year we are on track to have our largest attendance ever, with expanded trade show time, Pre-Conference Sessions geared to “New to business” or “New to SPAC” photographers! The Educational line up this year will exceed any expectation!
