Why I want to attend WPPI

A post was recently made by a buddy of mine Lawrence Chan of Tofurious asking people why they want to attend WPPI (Wedding Portrait Photographers International). This was a contest he is putting together to give away 10 free passes to WPPI that he received for being a vendor.  For those of you, who do not know Lawrence, he is a very knowledgeable individual on anything photography, SEO and marketing. Definitely check him out!

WPPI is one of THE BIGGEST conventions around for photographers, where vendors come from all areas gather in one place to display their latest and greatest products for photographers.

Since I have NEVER gone to WPPI, his post really got me thinking.. So, why would I want to attend WPPI for the first time? Aside from the parties, here are my reasons:

• KNOWLEDGE and LEARNING: One of the biggest reasons for me to attend WPPI is to learn from all the great wedding/portrait photographers around. This convention seems to gather the best and most knowledgeable photographers to openly share (within the different panels) the information that helped their businesses grow through the years. This information is invaluable in itself.
• NETWORK: Networking with other photographers to meet and really getting to know people. This is a great opportunity to talk and hang out with my peers.
• NEW GOODIES: To see all the latest and greatest products, either software or hardware, camera bodies and lenses, wedding albums and other products to help enhance my photography.
• ENHANCING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: I also get an opportunity to see the latest products from vendors that I can provide to my customers to help enrich their experience when we work together. Providing something that other photographers do not, could help separate me from the pack and seeing other products that are presented at WPPI could do just that..

The funny thing is, every photographer I ask, “Is WPPI worth going to in Vegas?“, everybody replies emphatically, with a “Hell yes!“.. So I guess, it must be worth it..

Thank you!

Michael (mboardman@visualexposure.com)