Monday, July 21, 2008

Vendor Spotlight: WOW Photobooth

Today I am featuring Atlanta vendor WOW PhotoBooth. Owner Bill Ewing has stopped by today to talk about the fun new trend of using photobooths at weddings and special events.

Lemiga: Why did you start your company?

WOW Photobooth: After 40 years of working for companies in sales and marketing, I was looking for a new career and our daughter was trying to find a PhotoBooth for a family event. She could not find one, so we started "googling" and found that the photobooth industry was a industry that was coming out of the "old-time chemical" booths and into the digital age. I attended a meeting where a new digital PhotoBooth was introduced. Every negative aspect of the old chemical booth was eliminated. The features of the digital booth made my decision very easy to leave the company featuring chemical booths and start "WOW PhotoBooth" a very easy decision.
Lemiga: Why do you think photobooths have become so popular in weddings and special events?

WOW Photobooth: The PhotoBooth is the only thing at the wedding reception where everyone from 3 months to 93 years old can participate. Everyone can not dance. Everyone can not drink. Everyone can get into the WOW PhotoBooth.

Once the quests enter the WOW PhotoBooth, the black curtain closes and they are all alone - Something happens - they remember the old photobooths and something comes over them. They relax and make poses that are reminiscent of the last time they were in a photobooth. There is no one asking them to pose, but most will make silly poses. As a matter of fact, the sillier the poses, the better the photostrips. When you bring the WOW PhotoBooth to a wedding reception, it is usually a time when family and friends are brought together to celebrate and have a good time. This applies to other events such as BarBat Mitzvahs, Birthday Parties, Holiday Parties, Corporate Events and Reunions. The WOW PhotoBooth also allows the Name of Event, Date, Location as well as Company Logo to be printed on the center section of the PhotoStrip. As we say on our website: NEW TECHNOLOGY - RETRO FUN. Lemiga: What do you enjoy most about having a photobooth company?

WOW Photobooth: The number of times the guests say "WOW":
1. When they first see a PhotoBooth at an event They say "WOW!!"
2. When they see their photostrips come out either as B/W or Color. They say "WOW!!"
3. When they realize the photostrips are delivered in less than 15 seconds. They say "WOW!!"
4. When the guest are asked to put 3 of the 6 photos in a WOW Guest Book and write a message to the Bride & Groom. They say "WOW!!"
5. When the guest realizes that the Guest Book will have a WOW PhotoStrip of everyone at the reception. They say "WOW!!"
6. When the guest looks at the WOW PhotoStrip and see the clarity of a 7 megapixel camera and a dye sub printer develop a photostrip which is dry and beyond sharp and clear. They say "WOW!!"
7. When the bride and groom receive the WOW Guest Book and a CD with ALL the WOW PhotoStrips of everyone at their reception. The bride and groom say "WOW!!"

Lemiga: What should potential clients look for when hiring a photobooth?

WOW Photobooth:

1. Is the PhotoBooth company located in the same metropolitan area as the event??

2. Can you visit and see the photobooth and take photos in the booth before your event??

3. Can your guests choose EITHER Black\White or Color Photostrips? or does the photobooth have to be set up to do one or the other??

4. Does the booth have the retro feel of a old photobooth ?? the same as when your guests remember 30-40 years ago or is the photobooth a 4 sided drape or fold together booth. Is the photobooth new and clean or is 40-50 years old?? The WOW PhotoBooth is the same size as the old style, but made of 750 lbs of steel construction. The WOW Photobooth even has the Piano Stool adjustable seat.

5. Does the photobooth have the old style "Chemical" developing system? This system was developed for permanent type installations such a malls and old time "Five and Dime" stores - Not for transporting to and from events every weekend. The 10 gallons of chemicals inside the old style photobooths must be heated to 200 degrees before the photobooth can develop any photostrips. It takes from 4 - 5 minutes to develop a photostrip using chemicals. It is also very difficult to pour the chemicals into the small containers inside the booth. It is even more difficult to remove the containers filled to the top with chemicals without spilling some of the bleach and developing solutions on the events floor or carpet.

6. Can the PhotoBooth record all pictures to a CD (jpg format)?? This allows the bride\groom to make as many 4in x 6in Photostrips of any of the guests on their computer or take to any Photo Store to make copies. With an old type photobooth, this is not available.

7. Can the PhotoBooth print 6 photos on one Photostrip allowing your guest to cut off 3 photos and place in a Guest Book?? The other 3 photos (along with the Custom Center Strip - which has the Bride and Groom's name, date of wedding and location of the reception) is given to the guest as a WEDDING FAVOR from the bride and groom. (like the photostrip below)
In conclusion: Will the guests all say "WOW" ?? - we had a blast in the WOW PhotoBooth.....................

Thanks Bill for stopping by and giving us such an in depth look at using photobooths to add the "WOW" factor to weddings and special events.

WOW PhotoBooth is a participating vendor at my Open House Soiree on August 24th at The Solarium. Bill will be there with his WOW PhotoBooth so you can jump in and take a few pictures and try it out! Please register for the Soiree at http://lemiga.eventbrite.com/

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