A Look Back on 2011: Lessons Learned From the Trenches

January 18th, 2012 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The overall morale in 2011 was higher than it has been for the past three years.  There was hopefulness in the air.  Here at 5^th Avenue Digital, we saw:

•    Companies having summer outings and holiday parties for the first time in years.

•      Advertisers spending marketing dollars on events with consumer interaction and (thankfully) photo capture, for   mementos or social media benefit.

•     The return of corporate incentive trips and large company celebrations.

•      Companies putting money back into their image and deciding to update their employee’s headshots.

•      Business surging once again for the venues and planners we work with.

It seems like everyone is starting to see the economic woes dissipate. The many jobs we were lucky enough to be part of this past year indicate we are on our way, after two years of corporate celebrations being relegated to the back burner.

I’ve worked hard to assemble a team of super-talented photographers, who have captured not only incredible corporate images this year but have also taken our 5^th Avenue Social division to new heights.  We have partnered with a dynamic group of planners and venues and are very excited to share our new portfolios that feature images from their clients’ events.  I am already anticipating the new images we’ll be seeing in the coming months.

 

One of my proudest accomplishments in 2011 is the newest model of the YouBooth photo booth.  The collaborations with our clients have allowed us to introduce the newest technology crazes to their events.  The YouBooth has a new exterior design, plus the most exciting new feature: a social media application that allows guests to upload their photos directly to Twitter, Facebook or email.

This year the YouBooth was proudly used at pop-up store events, holiday parties, mitzvahs, weddings – any occasion where fun was required.  What we love the most is finding creative solutions that maximize each client’s use of the booth.  I owe a special shout-out to my producer, Rylan Crooks, for always finding ways to execute our clients’ unending ideas of how they envision using the YouBooth.

Building a strong business in this economic time is certainly a challenge.  We have watched many of our partners in event planning scale down the past few years, and it’s so comforting to watch them scale back up.  We are very grateful for their trust in us and we treasure these partnerships.

I am also very grateful to my 5^th Avenue Digital team: the amazing group inside the office, Beth, Rylan and Tim, and the photographers, videographers and designers that make our clients their number one priority.  Teamwork and partnerships have been the overall theme in 2011.  Knowing that you have the right people in the ship makes being the captain a joy.  I am grateful every day that I get to work with the team I have, and I would not have been able to double our business this year if it hadn’t been for them.  There have been some rough waters in terms of owning a photography business over the past three years, but it looks like smoother sailing ahead.

Thank you all who have contributed to an amazing 2011.  We will be sharing some of our favorite photographic moments in galleries over the next few weeks.  Here are a few more of my favorites.

The Fun (and Art) of Marketing YouBooth photobooth at Trade Shows

October 26th, 2011 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

Having been in the event industry for over 20 years, naturally I’ve become adept at working trade shows and other industry events.  I like them because they offer opportunities to mingle with some of the movers and shakers in both the social and corporate events industry.  This week was one of the most fulfilling for my little networking self.

The YouBooth photobooth was a huge hit at The Knot gala, the first event I attended in my marathon week of networking events.  We brought in our YouBooth “photobooth” to give everyone there a chance to see it in action.  Carley and her dynamo team at The Knot were lovely to work with and many industry friends stopped by to check out the photobooth. Read the rest of this entry »

Bring the Branding Home with a Branded Photograph

November 10th, 2010 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

When you (or your client) are sponsoring an event, you want to come up with as many ways as possible to connect your logo and marketing message to the event.  Signage is the first and most common tactic that brands the event as yours.  The problem is, in these times of marketing over-saturation, a sign rarely breaks through the visual clutter.  Most signage is barely noticed, and if it is, it’s forgotten a second later.  What’s the point in spending hundreds of event budget dollars on a branding message that has no impact?
A more effective use of those hard-won event budget allocations is to put those dollars toward something people will notice and remember.  Better to invest in branding efforts that really make an impact, putting your name and logo in front of your target audience and driving your event message home.  And that’s exactly what you get with YouBooth, our new digital photo booth.

Unlike other digital photo booths, YouBooth comes with all the workings inside.  Its sleek, aesthetic design allows it to be seamlessly integrated into any event décor.  With our digital photo booth, your event guests have a blast taking fun photos of themselves, which we brand with your company name, logo or message.   The YouBooth photo booth is an entertainment element as well as a marketing tool.

The photos print in seconds, giving each guest at least one fun picture to take home after the event.   And when they take their photos home, they’re taking your branding home as well.   In most cases, that photo from our digital photo booth will be placed in the frame of a mirror or stuck on the refrigerator for weeks or even months.  Your branding message will be seen again and again, by the recipient — and probably his friends and family too.

Multiply that one recipient by dozens … and those impressions by dozens more … now that’s IMPACT!

Tips for Maximizing Photo Booth Fun

July 27th, 2010 by Beth Baynum | Share Blog

Now that we’ve gotten our YouBooth photo booth out into the world, and we’re seeing it used for all types of events, we’re discovering new ways to maximize its effectiveness.   Like you’ll find at any party, most people need to get warmed up a bit before they start really having fun with the photo booth.  And as any good host knows, there are a number of methods and things you can use – aside from alcohol! – to get things rolling. Read the rest of this entry »

COPE Event Planners Remain Optimistic about Economic Recovery

July 15th, 2010 by Elizabeth Beskin | Share Blog

While the state of the economy is still a concern for all sectors of business, event planners have reported to us that they see glimmers of hope for the year ahead.  We had a chance to speak with a number of planners at an event hosted by the Council of Protocol Executives (COPE) at Bridgewaters, and found optimism – though guarded in some sectors – prevails among most.

When asked about holiday parties, one planner confirmed that her firm (a large technological services company) would be holding holiday parties in their various offices around the country, and that budgets for them had grown from last year.  Planners in the financial sector echoed this optimistic view.  And while other industry sectors took a more cautious view, the overall mood indicated promise for a more robust economic future.

This upbeat mood is certainly reflected in the photos we captured with our YouBoothphoto booth.  COPE graciously allowed us to showcase the YouBooth photo booth at the event, held in the stunning, panoramic Bridgewaters space with superb food by the Glazier Group chefs.  As usual, people had a blast mugging in front of the YouBooth camera and taking fun pictures with their friends.  Just take a look at the smiling faces below – you’ll start to feel optimistic about the future, too!