New and Old Friendships - Another Reason to Attend EVERY Convention!

It's been two weeks since I was at PPE in New York and I'm still going through my notes from various meetings during the show. At the same time, I'm still energized as a result of the various conversations that took place with so many different people. It's "Networking Energy" and the number one reason it's so important to get out of your studio/office/home and spend time with people in this industry. Even something as simple as just having lunch or dinner with friends has the potential to be inspirational.

Bryan Caporicci, Kayce Baker, Skip Cohen, Bob Rose, Paul Fishkin, Matthew Jordan Smith, Rob Nowell

Okay, so it's a grab shot "selfie" while out to dinner with friends at PPE. It'll never win any awards for composition, exposure or creativity, but it's perfect to make a point about why everyone needs to go to every possible convention. Inspiration comes from a lot of different sources - for me the greatest source comes from hanging out with people who love what they're doing - and the crew above is a prime example.

They're a mix of skills, time in the industry and photographic specialties, but the common denominator is the passion we all have for imaging and the friendships. We managed to all get out to dinner one night, while at the convention. The evening became one of the funniest I've ever had, but in between the laughs there were discussions about so many of the different challenges we're all facing, some personal, others dealing with technology, the economy - anything was fair game as a topic.

Plus, an evening like this becomes a building block for new friendships and a confirmation of old ones that simply never die. Great friendships are, as sappy as this sounds, comfort food for the soul. I'm still laughing over things we talked about over dinner and smiling because I feel so lucky to be a part of this industry and have friends like this.

In less than two months we're going to officially hit trade show season and for the first four months of 2015 you're going to have one opportunity after another to spend time with new friends and old. Don't waste these amazing opportunities on excuses over why you can't take the time off or afford to attend. 

The truth is, with every convention, be it a national show or a local/state event, you can't afford NOT to be there!