Photo Booth Expo Prepares To Celebrate 5 Years With A Return To South Point

Dates: February 24-27
Location: South Point, Las Vegas
Website: photoboothexpo.com

How did the Photo Booth Expo come to be?

PhotoBoothExpo Show Producer, Rob Savickis, of Niagara Falls, NY, has been involved in the event/trade show industry for over 25 years. Rob was also among the first to find success renting out Photo Booths for parties, receptions and corporate events. As a pioneer in the industry, he was encouraged by his suppliers to create the first ever U.S. trade show for Photo Booth professionals. After extensive market research, due diligence and planning, he was ready to take the plunge. Having been involved with numerous trade other shows, he was confident that Las Vegas would attract people from all over the world—making his the first International Photo Booth Expo.

When the doors opened for the inaugural event at South Point in the spring of 2015, over 1200 Photo Booth professionals flooded the show floor. By year two, attendance had grown to over 2000. For the 2017 show, attendance topped 2500 and the most recent show (March, 2018) recorded over 4000 Photo Booth Phanatics from over 53 countries.

Who comes to the PhotoBoothExpo?

According to Rob Savickis, “Primarily, it’s entrepreneurs with established photo booth businesses—but also people looking to get into the business. Many are DJs and Photographers who already have ties to the special events. Others are manufacturers and distributors looking for an effective way to reach core buyers in the professional PhotoBooth market.”

Speaking of which, in addition to the phenomenal growth in attendance, the exhibition floor has also exploded—from 137 booth spaces the first year, to over 360 spaces (140+ exhibitors) at the most recent event.

So what is it that is driving this growth?

“Photo Booths are the new entertainment of the 21st century,” says Savickis, “They combine technological advancements with entertainment and props—they are just plain fun. Recent reports suggest that more than half of all weddings now have a photo booth or some type of self-photo station—Photo booths are also very popular at corporate events. Booths with attendants are big at weddings and corporate events while unmanned booths that are coin operated or free for promotional reasons, are popular at amusement parks, casinos and shopping malls.

The big question for anyone hoping to profit from Photo booth phenomenon is “What does it cost and how much can I make?” Savickis estimates the start up costs to be anywhere between $4,000 and $20,000. As far as the ROI, just like any business the sky is the limit but the market is becoming more and more competitive—Savickis cautions anyone coming into the business that they must have strong knowledge of the product and marketing. To help those new to the business have the greatest chance of success, Savickis places a huge emphasis on business education at the Photo Booth Expo. “Every region is different,” he says, “And because the Photo Booth Expo is International, most every region and culture in represented. Many many people are making very good livings with photo booths, but as with any business there are never any guarantees.”

The 2019 Photo Booth Expo will present over 30 business based seminars presented by top industry leaders. Considering all that the Photo Booth Expo has to offer, it’s a real bargain at just $249 for a key pass—which includes all show sponsored seminars (3rd parties will be offering further independent education for additional cost), show parties and the admittance to the extensive show floor.