“Should I Go To a Photo Tradeshow?” I’ve written about going to a photo tradeshow / convention in the past, namely here. But today I want to share the three biggest reasons going to a photo convention can help your business as a photographer.

“Should I Go To a Photo Tradeshow?”

Reason #1: You get to be with likeminded people who do your same/similar job. When I starting coming to shows around 2009, I met my best friend, JP. Since then, we’ve been to a dozen or more conventions together, eaten at some of the best restaurants in the country, and have grown both our businesses tremendously by constantly bouncing ideas off each other. We became so close that JP was my best man when Tyler and I got married in Vegas. Not only is he in the same industry, he is also a luxury wedding photographer, so we have similar clientele.

Reason #2: You get to learn from the best in the photo industry. The image above was a quick shot I captured at the Canon booth at Imaging USA. There was a demonstrator there sharing how he approaches shoots, which could be very valuable information for new photographers and veterans alike. You can also take platform classes for more detail about photography, marketing, sales, etc. While it costs a little bit of money, you can justify it by booking just a single wedding or a couple portrait sessions. Seems like a no brainer, right?

Reason #3: You get to see (and touch) all the product possibilities you can start offering your clients. At the tradeshow, all the best labs, album companies, software companies, etc, are there. You can touch, see, even smell the products that will delight your clients. While I’m a lifelong Miller’s Professional Imaging customer, I found other business solutions at tradeshows (like Zenfolio, 17hats, etc).

In conclusion, yes. You should go to a photo tradeshow if you are a full-time or part-time photographer. Besides getting to write off the travel while getting inspired for the upcoming wedding and portrait season, you get to network with out photographers. Who knows, you might even meet your next best friend!

Talk to you soon,
Dale