NOT going to Phoenix!!

[Todd_Reichman]

For the second year in a row we can't go to IUSA. Once again our local wedding show (the one where we book 25-40% of our business) is happening over the same weekend!?!?!? This is so disappointing. We started our careers at Imaging USA, attending for the first time before we even owned a camera. It was like going back to our roots every year and understanding how far we'd come and how far we had to go.

It seemed like in year's past IUSA was later in January. Oh well. Unfortunately that means WPPI is getting my convention money this year. Its a bummer, WPPI is a great convention (and WAY more wedding oriented) but I like for my money to go to supporting PPA.

Now I have to suffer through another January knowing that everyone else is having the fun and all my OurPPA cohorts will be living it up and having great stories to tell while I'll be back home.

Curses, foiled again!!!

- trr

[Angela_Lawson]

Your not the only one! Last year was my first convention, and I sooo wanted to go this year, but I can't either.

Angela

[Ashley_Short]

Aww... you guys will be missed! I always wondered about that, too... a lot of bridal shows happen that time of year. We miss out on one of our area's biggest ones, but I think it's worth it. There are other shows we can go to to, I guess!

[JE_Hedges_Photography]

Got a call just today from the organizer of our area's largest bridal show that the show has been moved to the weekend she knows I'll be in AZ. Happend to me this past year too. The show was on the same weekend as Imaging. The show is HUGE and I refuse to miss it.... BUT WAIT... I know how life/business changing IUSA is and I wouldn't miss it either! So... I have my Assistant (who is my brother AND a past wedding client) and my Marketing Manager (who is a past wedding client) run my bridal show booth while I'm getting my education at IUSA.

Todd... your past clients are the best folks to talk about how great you are and the best folks to run a booth. Each year I'll call some of my favorite brides and invite them to the bridal show to help run our booth too. They get a free t-shirt and I provide them with a small simple slideshow of their wedding. They love bragging to potential brides about their wedding and it doesn't hurt to have sample pics of them posted on the walls of your booth. PLUS... the potential brides walking in the door are usually aquaintenances or school chums of my past brides and that is an instant... "Well if you trusted them and loved your images... then I got to hire them too".

Soo... call up some past clients... give them a crash course on the top frequently asked questions... put them in charge of your bridal show booth... and GET YOUR BUTT TO IUSA!

[Kristi_Johansen]

I am torn... I could go, but doubt I will.

[Heather_L._Smith]

Why not fly in after the show on Sunday night? You'll have a full day of programming on Monday and Tuesday, plus the banquet... oh, and all the cool people to hang out with.

Come on, Todd... you're a creative guy... think outside the bridal show booth

[Charity_Reed]

Todd you should post the picture of your bridal show booth so everyone can see how much you and Jaime put into it. Then they would understand why you can't have past clients and your office manager man the booth for you.

It is something to see. Makes my booth seem pathetic. Now my wheels are turning, what can I do to make mine better and stand apart from the crowd.

C

[Todd_Reichman]

Funny that this thread has come back up, because we just bought our tickets to fly in for Monday and Tuesday. We figured out that we could make it there for a few days and still manage our calls and contacts from the show while we're gone, so we went ahead and made it work.

There's no way we could let someone else man our booth - I mean it is a business built just on the two of us ! We need to make that personal connection to effectively market our weddings at the shows. Having said that, we're very excited to be going to IUSA and meeting the folks I've been talking to for so long - we ddn't get to make it last year and we felt pretty left out.

- trr

[Ashley_Short]

Todd, that's great! I'm glad you'll be able to make it! Hope we'll get a chance to meet at the party.

~Ashley

[Todd_Reichman]

Which party?

- trr