About The Event

SPAC now presents the largest independent school and sport photographers conference and trade show in the world. Last year 7 countries were represented!

This year we are on track to have our largest attendance ever, with continued top notch education! An even bigger trade show with the best companies in the industry to enrich your business. And as always, the most engaging social opportunities with the best food, from the Kick Off Social to Bowling!

Back again, 3 Pre-Conference Tracks to Jump Start your education! There is an additional cost for Pre-Conference and not sold independently.

Look for our Frequently Asked Questions, and learn more about SPAC below. Still have questions? Feel free to send us a message!

WHERE

South Point Hotel & Casino Conference Center
Las Vegas, Nevada

WHEN

Wednesday to Saturday
January 23 to 26, 2019

Book Now

Book your discounted room here


Conference Schedule

**Working Draft. Final Schedule in December**
***Pre-Conference requires additional registration, not sold seperately**
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  • Pre-Conference - SPAC University Jump Start

    January 23, 2019 8am-4:30pm

  • Day 1

    January 23, 2019 (Wednesday)

  • Day 2

    January 24, 2019 (Thursday)

  • Day 3

    January 25, 2019 (Friday)

  • Day 4

    January 26, 2019 (Saturday)

  • School Photography 101: The Quick-Start program for “Newbies” Presented by Chris Wunder, Cr. Photog. ASP. CEO, PortraitEFX, Inc. Sponsored by Marathon Press This popular full day workshop will teach you all the basics to “quick-start” an underclass (K-11) School Photography business; part-time, full-time or to supplement your current Studio income. In the first half-day, you’ll learn how to prospect for and win School photography contracts using a proven sales and marketing system. You’ll learn what schools will expect from you, what to offer and what to charge, how to handle requests for “Rebates” and “Commissions” and how to negotiate the best deal for you. We’ll share many “secrets” of the School picture business that will allow you to compete effectively with anyone; even the BIG companies for local contracts. The second half of the program will cover basic school “picture day” logistics; scheduling, staffing, equipment needs and portrait techniques including lighting and “speed posing skills.” We’ll set up a complete portable studio demo; step-by-step so you can see how it comes together in real time. We’ll de-mystify automated capture and high-speed workflow including barcoding of student images for reliable identification and order processing. We’ll also teach “best practices” in photographing with green-screen and other background-replacement technologies. Finally, we’ll show how automated software will allow you to accurately identify and process hundreds of Student Portrait images in just 1-2 hours. After this program, you’ll have the confidence to take on school photography contracts in your local area. Bring all your questions and we’ll be happy to provide all the answers. This one-day workshop has helped thousands of photographers get their start in the lucrative field of School Photography.
    Schools
    Where
    Sonoma D

  • School Photography 2.0 – A New Approach to School Photography Topics to be covered include: • What is School Photography 2.0? • Why School Photography 2.0 is the right approach for today’s schools & parents • How to sign schools • How to handle the commission conversation • How to do portrait day o Staffing o Photography o Flow • Benefits of on‐line sales • How to sell on‐line to maximize sales • Order Fulfillment • How to hire photographers • Sales training • Software • Forms • Equipment list • Vendor list • Ongoing resource to assure your success
    Schools
    Where
    Sonoma B

  • Sports 101- Classroom Portion (by Jay Boatwright) This class is for those just getting started in the high volume team and individual industry. Learn business strategies and ideas that could save you time and money while building your business. Some of the topics of our discussion. How to acquire new accounts Submitting bids and proposals Staffing your photo shoots Determining your photo style What gear you will need to accomplish your look How to photograph efficiently Posing your subjects Post processing tips and tricks Marketing your photography company What lab is right for you?
    Sports
    Where
    Sonoma C

  • Business

  • Business

  • School Picture Day Demo This 90 minute “in the round” program features a hands-on approach to conducting a school picture day. We’ll demonstrate both tethered and non-tethered workflows along with greenscreen, traditional and the new hybrid lighting and backgrounds. Visual learners will appreciate seeing it all come together and have a chance to see everything in action. This program is primarily geared toward “newbie” school photographers, but even experienced photographers who have not yet automated their picture day process will find it helpful. Co-Presented by: Chris Wunder, Cr. Photog. ASP Co-Owner, www.BigMoneyPhotography.com & Marion Hughes, Volume Photography Support, Pounds Labs.
    Schools

  • In this course we will go over the things we've done to grow our photography business while maintaining quality that surpasses our competitors. We will go through our physical set ups for photographing 200 teams in a day at a very high volume while executing a high quality of photography. We will also cover automation in our digital workflow with Photoshop. How to get better quality images without increasing your workload. We will also cover the steps we use to acquire new business while also strengthening our existing relationships.

  • Other

  • Other

  • Information Covered: 1 Organization ( Our Checks and Balances) 2. Software (Darkroom and TEPS) 3. Printing 4. Printing of specialty Items (key chains, water bottles, dog tags, trading cards, etc) 5.Dye-Sublimation of Specialty Items (phone covers, mouse pads, PLAQUES - I bolded this as I can show a way to do sponsor plaques inexpensively , etc.) 6. How I used in house sublimation equipment to reduce School commissions! 7.Packaging
    Business
    Other

  • What would you do with an extra 5, 10 or even 15 hours in a week? This class will teach sports photographers how to win bids with a fast picture day without sacrificing your profits in the process. Attendees will learn the secret to get "the unobtainable" data from their leagues and schools. The class will see the art of "BARCODING SPORTS" without tethering. Shiloh will also share a few coveted tips for saving time at T&I picture day including team organization and posing ideas.
    Sports

  • Fashion-forward Lighting and Posing Sponsored by Panasonic Lumix 2 hr program on Senior Posing and Lighting. First half Keynote, second half live demo with models and lights and a background!
    Schools
    Where
    Napa Room

  • Sports

  • One of the most important steps in growing a successful business is hiring the right people. Finding great employees who fit your corporate culture is just the first step. Making sure they are integrated into your team, trained correctly, and help build your brand can be difficult. Learn practical and efficient steps that will still leave time in your day to take care of your other daily operations.
    Business
    Other

  • Our clients have changed. Parents have changed. The rulebook for our entire industry has changed. Studios that focus on speed, quality, and convenience are the ones that will survive. In this session, we’ll share the sales techniques and technologies that have set us apart from our competition. Find out how you too can successfully bring your business online and streamline your workflow while increasing sales and lowering costs.
    Schools
    Sports

  • Custom software is well worth the resources it requires if you are hoping to build a business of meaningful scale. Building your own software that is specifically tailored to your company’s needs, as well as focused on scalability and efficiency, can help mean the difference between offering a commoditized service and offering a highly differentiated one at a better price. In this session we will look at options available for custom software and explore how custom software can benefit your business. We will also explore the many off the shelf options that are available.
    Business

  • In just 40 short years, special events photography has come full circle. The early 70’s business model: take photos at a social event; show proofs; take and deliver enlargements; get paid. Today, technology has surpassed the expectation of the consumer. In fact, we have to ask ourselves the question: is the “print” dead? Do consumers want prints or do they want us to deliver a digital image, allowing them to decide how to best utilize it? Now, with the advent of recognition technologies, we can give them exactly what they want, in just seconds. Why not take their photo and have it seamlessly delivered to their email or cell phone within seconds of the image being captured? We now – once again – have the opportunity to create an experience and get paid for it, just as a DJ is paid to use music to do the same. School Dances. Summer camps. Corporate events. The opportunities of monetizing such technology are boundless.
    Business

  • Other

  • With an ever-changing industry, we need to continually educate ourselves on industry best practices and technology changes. We are striving to preserve the time-honored tradition of Professional School Portraits while embracing the changing school, consumer, and market demands for digital image files. For many, a school picture is the only professional portrait they will ever have taken and parents, grandparents and students still like and buy printed images. However, they demand access to those same digital files to share on social media with friends and family. Schools, sports teams, leagues and dance studios now rely on their school photographer to help build a positive brand and market themselves for recruitment in their competitive markets. Cahill Studios has utilized new workflows and sales techniques to meet the digital demands, increase participation rates and build the Cahill Studios brand. In her program, Joy will talk about ways to increase participation rates and sales by removing friction points associated with traditional pre-pay sales, successful digital delivery, automating workflow, data control, building their brand and brand marketing for their clients.
    Schools

  • 90 minutes long, covering how, when and why to add LED lighting to a high volume photo business.
    Other

  • Knock Your Sports Photos Out of the Park John Roch Eshleman from Romaguera Photography as he shows you how the family owned volume business from the New Orleans area expanded state wide, adding a new brand, RomaPics, and is proving success and profitability through high school sports, printing on site and going the extra mile. You’ll learn the sales concepts and branding behind the expansion, how to maximize pre sales and on site sales, and how to print, deliver and be done before you leave a job site. In addition, he will go over the lighting and posing used to get through this fast paced, high volume scenario efficiently.
    Sports

  • Have you found it more difficult to meet the expectations of your new generation of parents/clients? Are clients ordering less or are you losing schools or sports leagues? The new generation of parents & clients have completely different buying habits. We’ll explore how they are shopping and what they are looking for.
    Business

  • An introduction to the 'Boutique Volume' world of dance studio portraits. Increase your profits by adding this lucrative genre to your repertoire using proven techniques. A dancer model will assist in this session and may be photographed. During this workshop you will learn: • How to secure the studio contract • Understanding your client – the dance mom • Equipment & prop setup along with tools and lighting • Posing & sales techniques for maximum profits • Photo day organization and dance technique overview
    Other

  • Whether you are a new photographer or a seasoned veteran, tethered photography can open up a whole new world of productivity and quality in your work. In this session you will learn the benefits of a tethered workflow for high-volume school and sports. You’ll also learn what it takes to get started in tethered photography. From hardware and software options to set up and process. It’s easier than you think!
    Other

  • Topics that will be covered: - Fire, Police and EMS - Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts - Daddy Daughter Dances - and more
    Other

  • Computer Vision” and how the technology has evolved to benefit the professional photography industry.
    Other

  • Content Topics: CUSTOMERS: -What defines a customer? -Do you know your target customer? How do you define this? -What is your expectation of the relationship? -What do you give in return? (FREEBIES DON’T COUNT) -How does a customer become your brand ambassador? -Indicators the relationship is out of balance Sales Campaigns: -Making yourself an exclusive option -Creating curiosity around your brand -How to stand out from the pack or ordinary wolves -Calculated risk and social media -How to get noticed in a crowd -I don’t use contracts or “agreements” or anything else they sign. (Neither should you) Productivity vs Being Busy: -What does it mean to be productive? -What does it mean to be busy? -Are you carving out time for “nothing” each day? (You should be) -Employee mentality vs owner mentality -Why do people who “work less” seem to be more successful? -How being “busy” creates a burnout culture -Do you love what you do? If not, why? -How to define what ignites you Dare to be Bold. Dare to be a disruptor. Dare to create the business you dream about!
    Business

  • Virtual Assistants are the key to low overhead and can work the same schedule as the photographer. How to choose the right virtual assistant for your business. What tasks a personal assistant can do for you and what they shouldn’t. Having more than one personal assistant that do different tasks. Whether your personal assistant should be located domestically or foreign.
    Business

  • Other

  • Class info Part 1... 1) Marketing to keep and increase business volume - the Coca Cola theory 2) Presentation ideas 3) Design and Layout of Mailers, Brochures, Forms, What Works 4) Overall Customer Experience to build your brand Class info Part 2... 1) Calculating Buy Rates 2) Calculating Commissions 3) Net Pricing for Packages 4) Using that data for Bids and Proposals to win New Leagues and Schools
    Schools
    Sports
    Business

  • Larry Peters has been a long time educator as well as a studio owner. Recently with senior, family and children's photography stalling, there is more interest in doing Underclass photography along with studio business. This program is designed for all to see that you can operate a studio with the traditional types of business while branching out to a volume operation in order to add additional income to the bottom line. Check out where he is with traditional studio photography and what underclass has added in the form of diverse products. Along with underclass on site sports, in studio sports, banners,etc, Peters Photography is busy all year.
    Schools
    Sports
    Business

  • 60 minutes long, covering my ongoing progress to make talking portraits & hybrid photography part of the mainstream
    Other

  • This training centers on the photographer who needs a teachable method of environmental portraiture. A system that can be passed on to subordinates who have less experience. SOPL does not require expensive hot and cold running helpers to hold scrims or mind the strobes. A single photographer can manage a small portrait or sports shoot alone and still have excellent images to sell. This is Mr. Hughes’ most popular class. A simplified method to calculate correct exposure, white balance and flash fill in any situation out of doors. These techniques apply to environmental portraits as well as volume sports. Reduce post-processing time by 80%. Best of all, this system does not require a team of helpers holding scrims and reflectors. Complete documentation will be provided.
    Schools

  • Round table discussion of In-house labs and the benefits and hard ships of running your own lab.
    Other

  • Nobody gets into photography to hire, manage or fire people, right? Now you find yourself either shooting or wanting to shoot volume sports or schools. In this presentation we are going to get into the perils of employees and how to find, hire and train them from start to finish. · Employee applications, interviews and who to hire · Background checks, training and supervising · Written guidelines and employee handbooks · Written shoot evaluations and critiques · How to set yourself up for success before they even take a photo for you · When employees go bad… In the voice of Princess Elsa, Let em GOOOOO, Let em GOOOOO…
    Business

  • The sales approach takes as much as 90% of your selling time. Learn the various ways to approach schools and how to maximize each on your way to earning a presentation.
    Business

  • Today’s always-on consumer expects speed and convenience. Why shouldn’t they get it with their child’s picture day? Whether you’re seeing declining sales, or you’re ready to reach that next level of growth, technology is essential to getting you there. In this session, you’ll learn how to bring technology into your business in a way that can drive higher sales, save time, and reduce costs. You’ll walk away with new marketing strategies, and you’ll see just how technology makes the entire volume photography workflow much simpler. Are you ready for your studio to get turned on?
    Business

  • There are many genres within the Volume category: Schools, Sports, and Special Events and Jennifer and Robin photograph them all. Yet the most profitable for them are Pre-Schools. Some call them Childcare Centers, Early Learning Facilities, MOD – Mother’s Day Out…call them what you may they are extremely profitable and there is no better way of introducing your brand than at the start of a new family. This is the perfect opportunity for all photographers who are wondering how to get started or considering adding a new revenue stream to their existing business. They will share with you proven marketing and sales techniques that cross over into all genres of volume. You will learn how to prepare for photo day, lighting techniques and how to pose children under the age of six, all the while achieving consistent results. They will also discuss workflow options and what they have discovered works best for their business. So, come join Jennifer and Robin and learn how to effectively and efficiently start and maintain a successful volume business.
    Schools
    Other

  • Business

  • The topics I will be covering are why you should not overlook cheerleading as part of your sports program. What their season looks like in a calendar year. The different segments of cheerleaders. How to take great photos of cheerleaders and what shots NOT TO TAKE. How to locate cheer programs, and which are the best to target.
    Sports
    Other

  • Business

  • Business
    Other

  • The competitive landscape is changing in the volume photography segment. Legacy photography companies are either innovating and transforming their model or failing and going out of existence. Consumer buying habits are changing and are requiring a new kind of photography product and experience. If we don’t innovate as an industry and as individual businesses we’ll evaporate. How we respond is up to each one of us. Presentation Agenda First we’ll look at the changing competitive landscape including Shutterfly’s acquisition of Lifetouch. Is this acquisition transformational? Shutterfly has mapped out a go-to-market strategy and expects to extend and monetize their reach to a new low cost channel of millions of customers provided by Lifetouch. Second, a short history lesson. We’ll take a quick look at the evaporation of some of volume photography’s biggest brands and what we can learn from their experience. Third, what about the consumer and school pictures? What has mom been telling us about our product and is there more that we can do to stay relevant. Fourth, just who is the competition anyway and how does tradition fit in? Finally, we’ll take a look at the Power of New and determine if it has a role in school photography. As a result of attending the session participants will be able to identify the following: The status of the Shutterfly acquisition of Lifetouch Shutterfly’s reported Go to Market strategy Five reasons businesses fail Consumer feedback on school photography The Millennials buying behavior and use of mobile devices Five categories that impact consumer participation rates The use of “new” in marketing and photo development
    Schools
    Sports
    Business
    Other

  • The core idea of Lean Business Practices is to maximize customer value while minimizing waste. Simply, lean means creating more value for customers with fewer resources. A lean organization understands customer value and focuses its key processes to continuously increase it. The ultimate goal is to provide perfect value to the customer through a perfect value creation process that has zero waste. This session will cover many of the concepts, terminology, and benefits of adopting Lean Business Practices.
    Business

  • Schools

  • Business

  • In this session, Robert will go over strategies that are often overlooked, but that will help you boost sales and reconnect with your clients. The digital world has created new opportunities for us, and now it is up to us to integrate these new revenue and communication channels. Building content is key in today's marketing world. Robert will share ways you can integrate content into your business. He will share how drip marketing and marketing automation will help you build sales and client loyalty. Join this presentation to learn about the latest marketing strategies and tools.
    Business

  • How will you take advantage of the Lifetouch / ShutterFly acquisition? Or will it mean the end of our industry as we know it? There’s no doubt that the mass-market photography landscape will change as Shutterfly applies their high-volume, low-cost model to School, Sports and Event photography using Lifetouch as their new surrogate. Some of our colleagues see doom, while others see new opportunities for growth as an independent photography company. This session will offer more than just information about what’s going on. We’ll discuss ways for you to update your business plan, go on the offensive and PROFIT from it! Owners of Labs are strongly encouraged to attend this session to find out how to succeed in these changing times.
    Business

  • Other

  • In business it seems there is never a good time for drastic changes, however, there comes a time in the lifecycle of every company that change is not only inevitable but it is vital for survival. In this breakout session Walt Smith, owner of Impact Images in Dallas, TX will show us what it took for him to realize change was needed and how he overcame the challenges of a sweeping overhaul of his workflow process. Bold moves in a 30,000 + volume business is no small task but when the writing was on the wall that something needed to change Walt took the leap and never looked back. If you are looking to make either a large or even small change in your business or photography workflow, this session will help motivate you and show you how beneficial change can be. Walt will outline how he changed his entire workflow from an in-house model to an outsourced model and gained profit and extra man-hours along the way. He’ll show what he did with that newly acquired time and how even more changes are in the future. Whether you photograph 200 or 30,000 subjects a year this session is for you. Walt will discuss: 1.) Dollars and Cents - Hard numbers of the growth he achieved by shaking things up 2.) The Pains - No change is without it’s hardship but it’s how we react to the pressures 3.) Staff - How to manage seasonal staff with a new workflow structure 4.) Change Never Stops - How once you realize it is possible it makes future decisions even easier
    Schools
    Sports
    Business
    Other

  • If you want parents asking for your studio by name, this is the session for you. Social and content marketing are two sides of the same coin and both are essential to establishing any brand in any market. We'll go deep to uncover content strategies that work and apply them to a social plan that will help your business rise up and stand out from the rest.
    Business
    Other

  • Schools
    Sports
    Business
    Other

Our Speakers

Check out our Educational Team!
Suzette Allen

Suzette Allen

A Picture of Hope- Photographic Artist, Educator.
Robert Ste-Marie

Robert Ste-Marie

36 Pix- President & Chief Executive Officer
Nancy Tillberg

Nancy Tillberg

Shine Photo Studio- Owner
Beth Jones

Beth Jones


Marion Hughes

Marion Hughes

Educator
Wayne Barksdale

Wayne Barksdale

Barksdale School Portraits- Owner
Alison Counts

Alison Counts

Candid Color & TSS Photography-Marketing Director and VP - Franchise Development
Lisa Mallis

Lisa Mallis

PhotoDay- VP, Business Development

Jamie House

Jamie House

Jamie House Photo- Owner/Photographer
Wes Maggio

Wes Maggio

Tether Tools- Director of Business Development
Marty Brown

Marty Brown

Excel Photographers- Owner
Haley Hamaker

Haley Hamaker

SB Photos- Owner, and Lead PhotoDay Coach
Ralph Romaguera, Jr.

Ralph Romaguera, Jr.

Romaguera Photography
Mychalene Black

Mychalene Black

Excel Photographers- Production Manager
Marissa Latshaw

Marissa Latshaw

PhotoDay- CMO
Harri Olkinuora

Harri Olkinuora

Netlife, Head of Sales & Marketing

Rob Mauldin

Rob Mauldin

Becky DeSenti

Becky DeSenti

Momarazzi Studios- Owner
Robin & Jennifer Jansen

Robin & Jennifer Jansen

Sock Monkey Photographer- Owner/Operators
Larry Peters

Larry Peters

Peters Photography- Owner
Joy Cahill

Joy Cahill

Cahill Photo Studio- Owner
Roch Eshleman

Roch Eshleman

Romaguera Photography - Business Manager

Karl Boettcher

Karl Boettcher

Visual Image Photography- Photography Manager
John Nunes

John Nunes

John Nunes Photography Sports- Owner
Brian Crussell

Brian Crussell

Personal Touch Portrait Studios - Cr.Photog., CPP
Brad Scott

Brad Scott

Inter-State- Imaging Account Manager

Danny & Dianne Rabalais

Danny & Dianne Rabalais

Studio 530 Photography California School Photography- Owners
Mark Schoenrock

Mark Schoenrock

PSPConsulting - President
Shiloh Getz

Shiloh Getz

Champion City Photography- Owner
Skip Cerier

Skip Cerier

SchoolPictures.com - President
Matthew Kemmetmueller

Matthew Kemmetmueller

Kemmetmueller Photography- Lead Photographer/Owner

Rodney Getz

Rodney Getz

Champion City Photography- Owner
Wes Kroninger

Wes Kroninger

Next Gen Photo Solutions- Owner
Danny Izzo

Danny Izzo

Nouveau Photography - Owner
Jeff Gump

Jeff Gump

Gump Solutions- President
Eric Miller

Eric Miller

Miller Photo - Owner

Will Crockett

Will Crockett

PortraitLink Talking Portraits - CEO
Jaimie Ford

Jaimie Ford

Iconic Schools Studio
Jay Boatwright

Jay Boatwright

SMAX Photography- Owner
Neal Freed and Bryan Blanken

Neal Freed and Bryan Blanken

FreedSPIRIT Photo Group- President & Vice President
Chris Wunder

Chris Wunder

PortraitEFX- Owner

Dave Stock

Dave Stock

TeamDSP - Owner
Manny Almeida

Manny Almeida

Fuji North America Corporation

Hurry!

Last year our tickets sold fast so don’t miss. Conference will start in

South Point Hotel Casino & Spa

Address
9777 S Las Vegas Blvd
Las Vegas, NV 89183

Phone:
(866) 791-7626

Book Now