Prince William Professional Photographers | PWPPA - VA / DC

February 1, 2012 7:00 PM - 25 attended

PWPPA: Wedding / Marketing for Photographers! Marc McIntosh, BridalShowcase.com

This location is shown only to members

Dinner w/Speaker: 4:45pm

Meet & Greet / Registration / Room Setup: 6:15pm
Meeting Start: 7:00pm
Lecture Duration (approx): 2 hours
End (approx): 9:30pm
RSVP Required!

Title: Photography Marketing Boot Camp / Workshop! - Marc McIntosh, CEO & Producer, www.BridalShowcase.com

It's a new year and we need new sales. Marc McIntosh knows the secret to extreme marketing! I spoke with Marc yesterday (1/23/2012). He has important new and emergency marketing tips for you to thrive in today's economy and its new market challenges.

Major companies know these secrets -- do you? Is your photography business relevant to today's client? Marc knows the metropolitan VA/DC/MD market (and others around the country) and speaks with numerous pro-photographers, vendors, and your clients! He knows who's succeeding and who is not. He's going to share the latest!!

If you've seen Marc speak before, this lecture goes a new mile around the camp track and lifts you out of the mud! Let Marc's energetic workshop focus you to success with this new information!

The MYTHS of Selling to Brides

You hear lots of marketing advice in the industry press and from self-proclaimed wedding marketing "experts". Everyone who sells advertising paints a rosy picture of the bridal market. How do you cut through the clutter to find out what REALLY matters to the bride-to-be? In this no-nonsense presentation, you will learn why selling to a bride is different than selling to any other type of customer, and discover what works and what doesn't when selling to today's bride. Find how to better target the bride and maximize the effectiveness of your advertising dollars. What you thought was working just might be missing the mark and costing you business.

Marc McIntosh has worked with hundreds of photographers over his 18 years in the bridal show and wedding marketing business. In this presentation, he will share is insights as to what works and what doesn't when selling photography services to the bride.

BIO:

Marc McIntosh, CEO of Showcase Events, has produced bridal shows for more than 17 years. He currently produces shows in Baltimore, Richmond, Houston and the Washington D.C. metro area, including several of the largest and most attended bridal shows in the country. Marc has produced more than 200 shows in major convention centers, arenas and hotels, and currently produces 11 shows each year. Showcase Events is recognized as one of the largest and most successful bridal show production companies in the industry.

Marc is a graduate of George Mason University with a degree in Business Management. He has been a guest lecturer at George Mason, teaching about marketing to the wedding market. Each year, he presents numerous marketing seminars where he helps hundreds of wedding businesses improve their marketing skills. He has been a presenter at Wedding MBA, the country's largest convention of wedding professionals.

Marc is a hands-on producer who believes in treating his exhibitors as partners, providing them with outstanding customer service and helping them become successful marketers. Marc brings a unique perspective to the industry, having exhibited in dozens of bridal shows prior to producing them. Marc is a charter member of Bridal Show Producers International, the industry trade association, where he served on the board of directors for 10 years. In 2003, Marc received the BSPI Director's Cup, the industry's top honor. He is also founder of the Bridal Show Near You network, an marketing co-op of major show producers throughout the country. He is a member of the National Association of Consumer Shows, the Professional Show Managers Association, the Association of Wedding Professionals and the National Association of Catering Executives, where he received the 2006 Member of the Year award.

MAP

Ask at the front desk for PWPPA (Harbor Room). Check the MAP below. MapQuest and Google do not find the correct building!!

PWPPA VA/DC Woodbridge, VA - Regular Monthly Photography Meeting
For more information on PWPPA and joining, please see our About Page .

Pedro Alicea
I will have to pay on Tuesday when I get paid. I had taxes to take care of this month. Hopefully there is a spot for me and I will pay the full 6 months.

Posted January 25 at 3:01 PM
Philip Brasch
That's fine Pedro. Great to have you back! The competition was awesome!!

Posted January 26 at 1:29 AM
Sally Wood
Enjoying the presentation............. lots of good general marketing info!!

Posted February 1 at 9:10 PM
Philip Brasch
I enjoyed meeting all our new members, guests, and seeing friends return. Thank you to Michael George and Mark Gilvey for helping me get our first Constant Contact email marketing campaign out! I've had numerous positive comments on our banner. *Every* month PWPPA delivers more and grows its membership! Please make sure you *REVIEW* the meeting with your best comments! See you next time... Best! Philip

Posted February 3 at 6:14 AM
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25 attended

5.0013 (13 ratings)

Event Host

Philip Brasch
President and Founder, Organizer

+6 guests

Perfect! A warm welcome to all the new members! And, a big thank you to Marc McIntosh for such a well-articulated and researched program. Just one idea of Marc's, well-executed, can bring new sales. If you're a PWPPA member and want to try, please contact me. Best! Philip Brasch, President
Event Host

Sally Wood
Vice President, Assistant Organizer

Thanks Marc,,, very interesting and entertaining.... great marketing do's and don'ts!!! Great to see all the new faces!!
Event Host

Sherrie Hartzell
VP Public Relations (VPPR)
Wendy C. Fike
Gold Member

Marc was informative and made for an interesting presentation.
Sandra Lanier
Gold Member

Very entertaining and informative!
Matthew Asai
Advisory Board Chairperson

Marc provided some great marketing tips. While predominantly geared to wedding photography, many of the tips apply to all types of photography businesses.
Joe Cruz
Treasurer

Marc had some great tips for marketing our photography businesses. He emphasized that marketing and advertising are very important and not an area to cut. If people don't know you're out there, how do you expect to get any business. Thanks Marc and thank you Phillip for scoring Marc for this extra meeting.
Kathy Strauss
Gold Member

good refresher on the information! marketing 101.... (now to create & do some of the stuff he recommended)
Michael Pucciarelli
Gold Member

This lecture was very helpful. I learned so much valuable information. Marc was very informative. He gave useful information. I would like to hear more lecture or seminars from this speaker.
Sandy Bauerle
Secretary

Great speaker with al lot of good ideas.
Don Flory
Charter Member - Gold

Good marketing info, and not just for wedding photographers. Don
Lawrence Smith
Gold Member

Enjoyed my first meeting with the group. Marc gave an excellent presentation and the attendees walked away with some real tips to increasing their business. Well done!
Mike George
Gold Member

This meeting was awesome, Marc McIntosh is a leading expert in the wedding industry. There was so much to learn about marketing to Brides. You can even take the stuff learned here and apply it to other photography markets as well. It seems like every PWPPA meeting just gets better. Well done Marc McIntosh and PWPPA.
Chris Stump

Marc was knowledgeable, personable, and helpful. His presentation was well crafted and moved along at a comfortable pace. I'd be very comfortable renting space at one of his bridal shows, as he clearly cares about his business and customers.
Betty Morales
Gold Member
sharon de Leon
Gold Member
Ally Thorne Brown
Gold Member
Marel Mallari
Charter Member - Gold
Kathy Mosier
Charter Member Gold

Woodbridge, VA

Founded Aug 21, 2010

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Prince William Professional Photographers Association | PWPPA | VA DC

Welcome and congratulations on visiting the newest and only pro-path to professional photography group located in Northern VA focused on wedding, studio portait, fine art, and commercial photography! Are you interested in the art and business of photography? In other words, we focus on the type of photography that will excel your work and if you wish, produce you an income. PWPPA's meeting attendance and Gold Membership has continued to rise and averages from 40 to 45 attendees per monthly meeting! PWPPA's consistent monthly speaker lineup is unmatched and without question, PWPPA has hosted the best, award-winning, professional photographers in the MD, DC, and VA area (see details below)! We are the most highly rated photography group located on Meetup in the Metro DC area -- just check all our ratings and member-written reviews under the Past tab. Meetup is a great tool but we are a professional, non-profit, educational and business association that gives ongoing benefits to our members.

Mission Statement, Member Benefits & Objectives, and Member's Promise

The 3 pillars of our organizational foundation: our Mission Statement, Member Benefits & Objectives, and Member's Promise are all viewable at http://www.meetup.com/Prince-William-Professional-Photographers-VA-DC/about/. You can also find a professional photographer by considering the portion of our Meetup members with titles following their names (i.e. Board Member, Gold Member, or Charter Member). These invested members receive support, benefits, and additional training. We meet in Woodbridge, VA and welcome professional and aspiring professional photographers as well as serious and avid enthusiasts. Almost one year since our founding, we still produce a 5-star rating at every event!

Four of Our Monthly Speakers Have Won Maryland Photographer of the Year Awards
by Category and Overall!

Jeff Lubin, James Roy, Anthony Marill (all hold PPA Master & Craftsman degrees), and Bert Pasquale have all taken top honors in Maryland's Photographer of the Year Awards at the Maryland Professional Photographers Association (MDPPA). James was PWPPA's speaker in August of last year and January of this year, 2011. Tony spoke at the Prince William Professional Photographers Association for October's meeting, 2010.

Thank you to both Tony and James for your excellent programs and congratulations on your wins!!

We are a group for progressive photographers in the Northern Virginia and the Washington DC Metropolitan area. We formed in order to allow our Prince William County, Southern Fairfax County, and Stafford County Virginia photographer members to meet in a more geographically convenient location. We meet in Woodbridge, VA, closer to home and without all the traffic. Please join us whether you are an avid/serious enthusiast, aspiring professional, or a professional. We would love to meetup with you!

Today, interest in the art and business of photography surges due to the accessibility of digital cameras. Our organization is established as a photography mentoring group to advance the education and professional development of photographers, aspiring photographers, and serious enthusiasts. We produce educational programs and a track for photographers to become professional photographers who offer their services for a fee. We offer the professional photographer additional technical and business training through our speakers and programs. In addition, our Master Photographers and Certified Professional Photographers help prepare other members to also become Certified Professional Photographers.

We are registered with the Northern Virginia Alliance of Camera Clubs http://www.nvacc.org/ and will qualify for PPA affiliation www.ppa.com this year. These two highly-regarded organizations, both local and international, insure that we are always tapping into a highly rated pull of speakers and judges. NVACC also publishes our events in a monthly calendar for the wider Northern Virginia region.

And, we're going big! Our Meetup room has a capacity for over 100 members, padded ergonomic chairs, tables, white boards, and a drop-down 100" projection screen. The screen is huge! Please invite your Facebook photographer friends.

At this time, your first meeting is credited to joining (if done within 30 days). Until recently, I personally managed all operations and covered the operating costs such as the Meetup site and speaker reimbursement. Sally was with me from the start and offers years of management experience. Along with a highly qualified Steering Committee and an elected board of directors, we are geared for long-term growth. There are startup and operating costs that require a modest membership fee. Professional workshops and seminars (as offered in return for our speakers' donation of their time, expertise and preparation) may require an additional investment.

Best!

Philip Brasch, President & Founder
www.pwppa.com

:: Welcome, to our Manassas and Fredericksburg visitors! ::

Pre-Join Checklist:

You can volunteer to the Steering Committee by contacting me.
Please read our Policy on Posts and Spam at http://files.meetup.com/1694471/Policy%20on%20Posts%20and%20Spam.doc and Netiquette posted in our Files section under the More tab.
Please provide a photo of yourself when you join so that we know who you are when you join us for our events!
Since we are a group of professionals, not a club, and to be fair to every photographer / business-owner in PWPPA, we require that you enter your real FIRST and LAST name on our Meetup -- not a business name or third party advertiser (i.e. "ABC PhotoTools"). We also need your name to verify your RSVP and registration at our events. This requirement also reduces unwanted and off-topic spam to our membership.