PMA’s Executive Director, Jim Esp, Looks to the Future of Photo-Imaging

PMA’s Executive Director, Jim Esp, Looks to the Future of Photo-Imaging

1677

As PMA@CES entered its second year as part of the International CES, PIR asked Jim Esp, the executive director of PMA International, to talk about the event’s progress and PMA’s direction going forward.

PIR:
Congratulations on year two of PMA@CES! Are you pleased with this year’s response from the exhibitors?

Jim Esp:
Thank you! We’re very excited about the 2013 PMA@CES. We’re seeing a lot of enthusiasm from exhibitors, and we are very much on track with our goals and expectations for this year. 

The interest in digital imaging and photography we are seeing today is truly unprecedented, and there is no sign of that slowing at all. This is fantastic news for companies in the imaging industry, who have an incredible opportunity before them. With the greatest concentration of digital imaging related exhibitors across all of the International CES, PMA@CES is the place for them to discover the best ways to take full advantage of this extraordinary enthusiasm for imaging.

Combined with DIMA 2013, AIE Future Imaging Summit 2013 and PSPA/SPAA 2013, which offer photo-imaging retailers, chain stores, professional labs, photographers and other members of the imaging industry the very best educational sessions, top-notch speakers and instructors, and networking opportunities to make their businesses more successful and profitable in the coming year, there is no more important place for members of the imaging industry to be.

What affect do you think moving to the LVH had on PMA@CES?

We’re really pleased with the move. It makes things much easier for exhibitors and attendees, and it allows us the room we needed to grow. At the LVH, we have a large, dedicated area in the Paradise Center, providing more exhibit space than we had last year. It also prevents attendees from having to run a gauntlet of other, unrelated exhibits in order to get to the PMA@CES trade show floor. Another reason for the move is that the LVH has a monorail station, which will make transportation to PMA@CES fast and simple for exhibitors and attendees staying at hotels on the Strip.

One of the best things about our new location is that the LVH is just a few quick steps away from the 2013 International CES at the Las Vegas Convention Center. With our close proximity to the LVCC, attendees can easily and quickly move between the two venues—so nobody will miss any of the great imaging exhibits at CES or at PMA@CES.

Are you expecting more dealers to attend the show?

Yes, we are. This year, three of the largest imaging buying groups—Independent Photo Imagers (IPI), Foto Source Canada Inc., and the Photographic Research Organization (PRO)—are holding member meetings during PMA@CES. We are very pleased to welcome the thousands of specialty photo retailers represented by the PRO, IPI and Foto Source buying groups to the PMA@CES trade show floor.

PRO is holding four days of meetings at Bally’s Las Vegas beginning Wednesday, January 9 and running through Saturday, January 12. The meetings are to help PRO members and affiliates navigate the show floor, and to highlight key vendors at PMA@CES and the International CES. Members will meet to summarize exhibitors on the trade show floor, interact with vendors and share thoughts and strategies coming out of the PMA@CES.

IPI, North America’s largest buying group for photo service specialty retailers, and Foto Source, the largest photo buying group in Canada, are also holding a meeting for members and prospective members. These two allied buying groups, together comprising more than 1,000 storefronts in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, will meet to discuss new updates to the IPI Marketing Solutions Program (IPI MSP) for 2013. The IPI MSP offers an array of tools to help imaging retailers, B2B businesses, sports/event photography businesses and portrait studios greatly increase their sales.

Has the partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association enabled PMA to accomplish new things?

The partnership allows PMA members to be exposed not only to all the great digital imaging exhibits at PMA@CES and the International CES, but also to the wide array of other various technologies in consumer electronics. There is a lot of crossover in CE devices today; many of the items that aren’t photo related are still very much relevant to our industry. There are plenty of opportunities at CES for our trade and supplier members to find additional ways to increase their revenue streams. With thousands of exhibitors across CES, attendees have a much greater opportunity to network with people in related industries than ever before.

In the past, lots of people were attending both PMA and CES, and many exhibitors were at both shows. Our partnership makes it easier and less expensive for everyone to experience both PMA@CES and CES at one time, in one place.

There seems to have been a number of changes at PMA, from a new headquarters to some personnel changes. What’s been happening there?

Like just about everyone else, PMA has faced some challenges during the tough economic climate over the past few years. In order to continue offering our members the best products and services to help them achieve greater success, we have had to make some difficult choices and personnel changes.

The most important change that has occurred, though, is in our new mission statement, which is this: “To promote the growth of the imaging industry.” Now more than ever, it is our job to help PMA members take advantage of every opportunity to increase their bottom lines—and this is a duty every single PMA staff member is passionately pursuing, every day.

After a lot of strategic decisions, we are now just the right size, in just the right place, with just the right people, to move forward into a future that is getting brighter and brighter all the time—for PMA and for our members.

PMA is welcoming Gaby Mullinax as its new president. What does Gaby bring to PMA and what can we expect from her?

Actually, we are thrilled to announce that Allen Showalter is returning as president for another term, and Gaby will remain president elect for 2013. It was the decision of the PMA board of directors to have Allen remain on to continue the work he has started in leading PMA in a new direction, according to our new mission statement. We couldn’t be happier with this decision, and we also very look forward to Gaby taking the helm in 2014.

Tell us about The Big Photo Show and what you hope to accomplish with a new consumer show.

The Big Photo Show is a perfect example of how PMA is working to fulfill our new mission statement of promoting the growth of the imaging industry. According to both PMA research and studies by many other organizations, there are millions and millions of photo enthusiasts and advanced amateur photographers in North America. The Big Photo Show will serve to help PMA members meet and interact with these avid photography buffs, to promote their businesses, market their events and increase their sales.

The Big Photo Show has two parts. First is the event, where photo enthusiasts can come to see, touch and try the latest in photography gear; meet representatives from the top equipment manufacturers, retailers and labs; learn new ways to hone their skills and take their photography to the next level; and interact with other photographers. The Big Photo Show inaugural event will be held from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on May 4–5, 2013, at the Los Angeles Convention Center, Los Angeles, California. Subsequent events will be held in different venues across the United States.

The second part is an online community at thebigphotoshow.com, where people who love taking pictures—at all levels, from beginners to advanced amateurs to professional photographers—can come to share their knowledge, questions and passion with each other.

Visitors to the site will find photo contests with great prizes, tips and tricks from expert photographers, and a calendar of events, where photo enthusiasts can find out what’s happening in the world of photography, right where they live and work. Retailers, labs, framers, photographers and other imaging industry members can share their news and invite photo enthusiasts in their local markets to take part in whatever they’re doing.

Should we look forward to the 2014 PMA@CES?

Absolutely! Even as we are in the middle of the 2013 PMA@CES, we are also already hard at work planning the 2014 PMA@CES, which will be held in Las Vegas in January 2014. pmai.org

NO COMMENTS