Anticipation...

All the information you need to get the most out of this year's ImagingUSA convention is on their website. Just click on the banner.

     
I've written a lot about this over the years, but it's such a fun topic to write about. My hope is that it influences a few more of you to make the effort and get to the next convention, if you're not here in Phoenix.

Every year I write dozens of posts that tie into one of the most important concepts in this industry, being involved. While you can slowly and painfully build a business in a vacuum, why would you want to? For me there's nothing that energizes me more than a good convention and the anticipation I'm feeling this morning is incredible.

A great convention isn't just about technology and what I hope to learn over the next few days, it's about catching up to friends I haven't seen in a few months. It's about the fun of actually meeting friends I only know from social media, online or maybe over the phone. With each "new" friend comes another step forward in all of our efforts to make the industry stronger, learn from each other and raise the bar on the quality of our businesses.

A great convention is like an energy field in a sci-fi movie. Put a few thousand people in a building, all with varying levels of passion for different aspects of imaging, and there are few things more exciting. And for some of you new photographers who have yet to attend your first convention...just remember the way I just described it and you'll see what I mean when you make it to your first event.

For those of you in the US and a few from overseas who come to at least one convention in this country each year, if you're not here in Phoenix, don't worry about it. Just make it a point to get to the next big convention, WPPI in March. And if that's not in your plans, then check out your state convention, which you should always be attending, regardless.

As I've written before, you can stand on the sidelines and watch the parade go by or you can make it a point to be in the parade! There's nothing like a great convention to get your creative juices flowing and instill an incredible amount of pride at the career path we've all chosen!

See you at IUSA!