Dallas PPA

Program Description:  Survival and Growth in a Tough Economy
 
Just because the media keeps telling us it’s going to be a tough year, doesn’t mean it has to be!  There are so many tools at your disposal to help revitalize your photography business, but it won’t happen if you let the economy drag you down.
 
In his marketing workshops, Skip takes a practical look at social media, publicity, cross-promotions, community involvement, websites, direct mail and especially diversification. There are so many things you can be doing now that will give you a quick return on your investment – and in most cases your cost is just your time! 
 
What good is creating the greatest images of your life if nobody knows who you are? 

Skip Cohen Bio

Skip Cohen is President/Founder of Marketing Essentials International, a marketing consulting firm specializing in projects dedicated to photography.  Officially incorporated on May 1, the company launched its website, kicked off Skip’s Summer School with 15 different speakers and established one of the fastest growing individual blogs in professional photography, all within the first 60 days.
 
He is also a guest editor for Photo District News and responsible for Focus on Weddings, published in December, Focus on Portraits each June, a contributor to the PDN Online blog and the monthly issue of the magazine.
 

He has previously written for Rangefinder Magazine, AfterCapture Magazine, the Wedding and Portrait Photographers International Association and the WPPI Convention and Trade Show. 
His career in the photographic industry started at Polaroid in 1970 in the emulsion development group in R&D.  During his 17½ years with Polaroid he held positions in research, personnel, customer service, both overseas and domestic, and was the US Marketing Manager for Polaroid’s photo-specialty dealers from 1984 –1987, when he left to take over Hasselblad USA as President/CEO.
 
During his twelve years at Hasselblad he founded Hasselblad University, today Hasselblad’s worldwide educational arm; expanded the Hasselblad newsletter to a quarterly magazine and helped to establish Hasselblad as a leader in marketing and education.  In 1998 at the Swedish Embassy in Washington, Skip and his management team were recognized as the best Swedish company in America.  
 
He served as President/CEO of Hasselblad USA until 1999, at which time he helped launch an Internet photographic retail site as president of PhotoAlley.com until 2002, when the dot com economy collapsed.
 
He has served as PPA’s Industry Advisor and Board member, Vice President of the Photographic Manufacturer’s and Distributor’s Association, member of the board of directors of Photographers and Friends United Against AIDS, board member of the Center for Creative Photography, originally founded by Ansel Adams, the Photographic Hall of Fame and most recently P.H.O.T.O. Foundation created to help photographers who were victims of Hurricane Katrina.   
 
Two key industry fund raisers, created by Skip, included the sales of Ansel Adams’ Cadillac to the Coastal Hotel Group in 1991 and the sales of Ansel’s Hasselblad gear to shock jock, Don Imus in 1997, raising $100,000 for charity.
 
He has been a recipient of ADL’s Torch of Liberty Award, Foto Imagen Magazine’s Man of the Year Award and in 2001 he received PPA’s Legacy Award for his work in support of PPA Charities.  He has written five books on photography, The Art of Wedding Photography, The Art of the Digital Wedding and The Art of People Photography with Bambi Cantrell. Don’s Blair’s Guide to Posing and Lighting Body Parts and Wedding Photography from the Heart co-authored with celebrity wedding photographer Joe Buissink.
  
 

Skip Cohen

Skip@mei500.com
http://mei500.com

Next Monthly Meeting

Speaker: Skip Cohen
Subject: Survival and Growth in a Tough Economy
Date: April 13th, 2010
Time: Social starting at 6 pm, dinner at 6:45 pm
Place: Embassy Suites at 635 & 75     

(Respond to your EVITE  to Win!  Yes for dinner, Maybe to attend, or No)