WPPI 2015

Although I've been to many bridal shows in my position at Dean Michaels Studio, I can definitely say my eyes have been opened after being able to visit this year's Wedding & Portrait Photography Conference and Expo at the MGM Grand Las Vegas. As someone with a photography background, knowledge of the wedding industry and the social media practices of said industry, I was amazed at the ingenuity and marketing approaches at an event this large.

The main difference I found was in the style of shooting in regards to east coast, central U.S., and west coast wedding photography. Here on the east coast (New Jersey/New York, in particular), a lot of our brides are looking for a photojournalistic approach, with the album designs leaning towards complicated, overlapping designs with streamlined covers. In contrast, many of the vendors appearing at WPPI were west coast based, with simplified designs featuring images that were a mix of rustic/d.i.y. style wedding photography.

The one thing I absolutely loved was the booth design for all of the different vendors. It was a very busy space, and although there was definitely a difference between the companies who shelled out the big bucks for a larger booth space or even multiple spaces, I found myself drawn to several independent providers whose booth designs drew my eye (for the record, I was also turned off by some of those aforementioned heavy-hitters due to their lack of booth design). This meant that even if I ended up not liking the product, I visited the space, which for me at least meant their visual marketing was successful.

The highlight of the trip? Being in Las Vegas, of course. For my first trip to the west coast, definitely a great place to visit - be sure to check my travel blog (posts 1 | 2 | 3) for a more detailed look!