I am counting down the days. And soon I will be counting the hours... till THIS:
Can you FEEL my excitement?!!!! No? Let me explain...
WPPI stands for "Wedding & Portrait Photographers International." Their annual convention takes place in Las Vegas every year around this time (can I get a "woot-woot?!), and it is definitely a great experience.
The WPPI convention is held at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino. And it is HUGE. Last year, there were over 14,000 people in attendance. With over 300 exhibitors at the tradeshow, 75+ speakers offering classes and workshops, special panels and parties, you can see why it's such a huge draw to the professional photographer community. It's a great opportunity to network with other professionals, shop for new vendors, test out new products, and learn a lot of new things. And play. Imagine 14,000 people like me... armed with cameras, set loose in Vegas... and you can see the possibilities. It's enough to bring a smile to your face. Or make you very, very afraid. Ha!
This will be my third year in attendance. (Click here to see a recap of last year's adventures.) And this year, not only am I excited for WPPI, but I'm also looking forward to the trip for another exciting reason... my fabulous long-distance friend and mentor, Ronalyn, will be joining me there!!! eep! Long story short, she is a BIG reason of why & how I was able to get started in my own photography business. We've become long-distance friends over the past few years (she lives in ALASKA... brrrrrr....), and have never before met face-to-face. So I finally get to SEE my friend! (insert happy dance here.) This will be her first year attending WPPI, so I get to show her the ropes. AAAAAANNNDDD... this will also be her FIRST time visiting LAS VEGAS, as well... so you KNOW I have to play tour-guide, as well. (I feel like doing cartwheels of happiness down the hallway.) The two of us are going to be roomies while in Vegas, and I've got a rough plan sketched out to maximize our time spent, divided between the convention and the other stuff.
I. am. SOOOOOOOO. excited.
Keep an eye on my facebook page and twitter site, as I'll likely be posting some pics from my adventure along the way. I'll be there from Sunday, Feb. 20th through Wednesday the 23rd.