A 13+ Year Trip in the Time Machine - Photo Plus Expo 2010

by Skip Cohen

​The fun of Throwback Thursday is in the memories that old photographs and videos bring back. I was a year and a half into my new career at the time of this short interview. I left WPPI in April of 2009 to start my own company. At the time I was writing for Resource Magazine, Scott Bourne and I had a podcast, our book Going Pro had been published, and we were about to launch our second Skip's Summer School.

The links on the video are no longer active. Marketing Essentials (MEI500.com), while it's still the legal business entity for everything I do, SkipCohenUniversity.com became the website destination. PMA, mentioned in the video, went through some serious management changes and eventually closed. And Skip's Summer School continued for four more years, finishing in Chicago. Even PPE changed and became Create NYC, which is not being staged currently, but instead, WPPI, owned by the same parent company, has ramped up and is in Las Vegas, March 3-7 this year.

While a lot of things have changed over the last 13+ years, so much has stayed the same. Diversity in your skill set is still a key to success. There's still a feeding frenzy over education and new technology. Attending every convention/conference you can is still vital to your growth. And while my hair got a lot grayer - my love for the industry has never slowed down.

The video interview is only four minutes long, but some of the fun comes with the cuts RETV put in showing speakers and exhibitors. If you were at PPE in 2010, you'll spot some familiar faces, maybe even your own.

2010 Events-PhotoPlus Expo-Interview with Skip Cohen from Apothecary Productions on Vimeo.

​PhotoPlus Expo was the largest photography-based convention in the US back then. And while many conventions have gotten smaller over the years, the benefits of attending don't change. WithIUSA kicking off this weekend, WPPI in early March, ClickCon in late July, and so many state and regional conferences, artists have so many opportunities to grow their skills...and network. A great conference is about networking, education, and recharging your battery.

You should be attending every conference you possibly can throughout the year. And when it comes to classes/programs to attend, remember - Growth only happens outside your comfort zone!

Happy Throwback Thursday!