The Beauty of Small Conferences!

by Skip Cohen

I'm turning back the clock to 2011 with a big thanks to Samantha Photography for sharing this image way back when. It was Skip's Summer School in Las Vegas, and one evening we did a panel discussion, and it couldn't have been more informal. Attendees sat on the floor and just fired questions to whoever was available, which at the time was most of our speakers. There were no guidelines and no topic was off-limits.

Left to right, Clay Blackmore, Tony Corbell, me, and my wife, Sheila. And I think that's Steve Wright, one of the attendees on the floor. What makes me smile about this image are the friendships that came out of these programs, because it was small. We ran the series for five summers with an average of three hundred attendees each time.

With ClickCon kicking off next week, it's an opportunity to return to a smaller conference where you're able to build a network of vendors, associates, and friends. Everyone gets to know each other much differently than at a larger convention. But, I also feel like it's a sign of the times, even with the challenges of the pandemic. Smaller conferences are definitely going to become the norm.

So, have some fun and take a look in your rearview mirror. Go back to past conventions, and then follow the journey you've taken with so many of your friends and the photographers who are part of your world today.

And, if you're in the Chicago area, wander over to the Palmer House starting Monday night. ClickCon is going to be a kick.

​Happy Throwback Thursday!