We are SO excited for WPPI next week (well, Ashley & Julie are... Kate ended up bailing because of mom reasons) and we're brainstorming ways to get the most out of it! We're excited to hopefully meet some listeners, and there are some very cool PhotoSpark plans in the works! We thought this would be a perfect time to have Anne Simone & Kayla Harrison on the podcast! These two work for Shoot Proof; Anne is a content developer & Kayla is a community builder, and they recently collaborated on an awesome blog post all about getting the most out of photography trade shows and conventions. We chatted even more in-depth with them on the show... check out our three favorite tips below! Key Takeaways:

1. Figure out your priorities. When thinking about photography trade shows and conventions, it's easy to get overwhelmed with all the things to do, people to see, and fun stuff to buy. Take the time to put together a top three list. You can actually do a lot of these (top three products to purchase, top three classes to attend, top three people to meet, etc) but start with one. What are the THREE things you most want to get out of the convention. Think about purchases, speakers, and experiences. Once you have your top three list figured out, you can fill in the rest of your time & feel comfortable knowing that your three biggest priorities will be met. This will help you relax once you're there & have fun too!
2. Prep yourself before you go. While it's pretty obvious that you'll want to look at the class list before you go and decide exactly what classes and lectures you want to attend, not everyone does the same for the trade show! The WPPI trade show is HUGE and it's easy to get distracted from your main goals and/or totally lost! It's a great idea to do some research on what vendors will be present beforehand, and once you get there, Kayla & Anne suggest doing a complete walk of the floor before committing to anything. This way you know all the deals that exist & you're able to make the right decisions for your business. Before you even GET to WPPI, it's a good idea to have a list of priorities. What exactly do you NEED for your business? Once that's purchased, you can move on to things you might WANT and fun gadgets/gear that you have money left for.
3. Step out of your comfort zone. Something we chatted about a little before the show is how easy it is to go to WPPI and only talk/hang out with the photographer friends you already know. While this is fun, it isn't the best way to take advantage of your time there. We suggest setting up lots of dinners, coffee dates, happy hour dates, etc with people you don't already know & can form new connections with! Apart from the networking aspect, WPPI has a LOT of other opportunities for connections with new people! Photo Walks are a great way to shoot new material, practice techniques, and learn from the best. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you can learn new skills and meet new people that you might be able to do business with or get business from in the future!

Tune in to our episode to hear even more tips on how to get the most out of photography trade shows and conventions! It was a pleasure chatting with Anne & Kayla and we hope you liked it! Hit us up on Facebook and let us know if you're going to WPPI! Looking forward to meeting some of you there! Relavent Links:

• The Truth About Success & Savings At Photography Trade Shows
• shootproof.com
• blog.shootproof.com
• instagram.com/shootproof
• facebook.com/shootproof
• WPPI 2017

Download from iTunes Here Download from iTunes Here