Lessons Learned at This Year’s WPO Conference

April 27th, 2010 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

Once a year I have the privilege of going to the Women Presidents Organization’s annual conference, and it’s usually one of the highlights of my year.  This year’s conference in Ft. Lauderdale was no exception.

It’s not just the keynote speakers and the workshops that make the experience so valuable; it is mostly being a part of the collective energy of 500 smart, successful, honest, hardworking and philanthropic women.   Each woman there has dealt with struggles and successes, and they have such incredible compassion and warmth, I am always astonished at the almost superhuman quality I feel when I return.  Like nothing is impossible!

Here are a few of the pearls I took away from some of the sessions:
Read the rest of this entry »

Results from the Ultimate Engagement

April 8th, 2010 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

On March 14th, I co-produced an event called the Ultimate Engagement, at Manhattan’s Gotham Hall.  Frequent readers of this blog will know that I created this bridal event with my industry colleague, Maya Kalman, as a way for us to showcase our wedding businesses in a more personalized and targeted format.

Our concept was to give brides a chance to have one-on-one appointments with the masters of the wedding industry.  We put together an impressive group of wedding purveyors, presented in a luxurious venue, along with champagne and hors d’ouevres, informative sessions by wedding industry experts, and trunk shows with high end designers.  It was truly a bridal event like no other.

And I’m happy to report the concept worked!

In addition to being a sponsor of the event, 5th Avenue Digital provided photography coverage – you’ll find a link to the photos below.  We also provided an opportunity to try our new photobooth, complete with bouquet props, courtesy of Diana Gould.  (You can see these photos in our online link as well.)   Plus, we gave brides a chance to meet and see work from two of our top photographers, Julie Skarrett and Robert Evans.

Read the rest of this entry »

A New Year for 5th Avenue Digital

March 1st, 2010 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

This year marks a new path for us.  Last year was more about…what do we want to be when we grow up?  We did a lot of soul searching, deciding where we fit as a stand-alone company.  In 2010 we are acting on what we learned and rolling out our plans.

This is our first newsletter letting you know all that we’re doing at 5^th Avenue Digital and our sister companies.  Please let us know what you think!  We are always looking for new ideas and ways to improve, and we welcome your input.

5^th Avenue Digital started as an innovator in digital technology, at a time when the world was still using film.  We have taken that spirit of innovation and brought it into our mission, addressing our clients’ changing needs for our products and our services.  This month we are launching our deconstructed photo booth. Read the rest of this entry »

How the Ultimate Engagement Came to be

March 1st, 2010 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

As an entrepreneur who’s been involved in the wedding industry for over the past 20 years, I’ve never known a more interesting time to come up with a new idea.

Because nothing is the same as it was ten years ago…

Ever since the internet came to be, information is on overload.  There is so much easy access to information from blogs, wedding websites and directories of vendors, most consumers find the choices overwhelming.

I started my career in the photography industry, where brides first started to purchase their wedding services online.  I saw photographers shoot one wedding with their inexpensive cameras, create quickie websites and – voila! – they suddenly became experienced wedding photographers.  Most people couldn’t detect these photographers’ lack of real experience or artistry from their websites.

As an entrepreneur, I noticed that these brides still wanted heirloom albums.  I created Album Boutique to fill that hole in the market and give all brides a chance get a high quality bound album for a reasonable price. Read the rest of this entry »

Gravity Summit-Brand Marketing using Social Media

December 14th, 2009 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

A few months ago, a new social media friend and business associate asked if I was coming to Boston to go to Gravity Summit, her favorite with social media event of the year,because it focused on brand marketing.  I was unable to make the trip, having just got back home to New York from my first session at Harvard.   Luckily, the event was streamed live on CNN.Live. 

I was glued to my computer far longer than I had time for, as I grasped as much as I could from the masters in this new world of  brand marketing and advertising.  Included were social media branding superstars such as Gary Vaynerchuk, Ramon DeLeon and MC Hammer.  I learned so much from this presentation, that when I recently learned the Gravity Summit was coming to New York City, I was quick to sign up.

The day was packed-full of speakers who look at social media from the perspective of  brand Marketing and advertising.  They examined how people are using social media campaigns to change their businesses, and more importantly, how they are able to track those changes. Read the rest of this entry »

Reflections on Harvard Business School and my Event Photography Business

December 9th, 2009 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

I have been asked many times to discuss the value I have received going through this intense program to receive a Harvard Business School education at this stage in my life and career. It’s a three year program for entrepreneurs who work inside their businesses and meet the business criteria requirements.

Read the rest of this entry »

The Business behind the Artistry

December 5th, 2009 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

There will be a time in my life when I will want to remember the past two months.  The   learning was huge, quick and so important for the next chapters of my life, business and personal.  So, I decided to take some time to reflect on these experiences and how they will help shape 2010. Read the rest of this entry »

How Major Corporations Use Branded Photography for Marketing

November 19th, 2009 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

Today’s consumers are inundated with media messages.  We get bombarded from all sides with advertising, so much that we end up tuning out most of it.  This fact isn’t lost on corporations.  They are hungry for new ways to more directly connect with their customers.

These companies are learning that branded photography is an ideal way to create a personal, one-on-one connection with their customers.  And because the connection is created with a photograph, it’s personal, tangible and lasting.

So who’s doing this, and how?  Here’s a round-up of some recent events we’ve produced using branded photography for large corporations.

Read the rest of this entry »

Twitter Lists: Value for You and Value for Your Followers

November 10th, 2009 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

Twitter recently introduced a new feature simply called Twitter Lists. This new feature isn’t available to everyone –yet.  Twitter Lists are such a useful feature that I am finding that I am spending more time on the Twitter site instead of using TweetDeck.

Here’s how Twitter Lists work: Read the rest of this entry »

Green Screen Photo Greatness

October 29th, 2009 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

Lately, green screen photography has become more in-demand for events.  In taking on these projects we’ve found new ways to use green screen technology that yields big benefits for our clients.  Here’s a run-down of some of these innovations that may spark ideas for your events.

For St. Joseph’s Hospital gala at the Museum of Natural History, they wanted to break away from the usual “stand and smile” portrait photo, and offer something a little different.  Playing off the location, we created a green screen photography background using a photo of one of the dioramas at the museum. Read the rest of this entry »