A team from the Imaging Alliance took a trip to the annual TravelingMom.com retreat in Orlando on June 28th to kick off their printyourbest campaign.
TravelingMom is a multi-platform media company with a network of seasoned travel writers and social media marketing experts. Their carefully crafted stories reach millions. Fifty-one media influencers attended the event. In addition, the Imaging Alliance took center stage to talk about the importance of image preservation as well as using a “real camera” along with smartphones.
The objective of the presentation was to “start the conversation” among influencers that people should be having about the consequences of not printing their memories. The Imaging Alliance’s executive director, Jerry Grossman spoke first. He talked about the “Lost Generation of Photos” that have gone missing since millennials have substituted picture albums with “temporary image sharing that disappears in 24 hours. They may not realize it now, but as they get older, this generation will begin to recognize that their family legacies might not be around to pass to the next generation,” said Grossman. “It will simply be too late, unless we start talking about this now.”
Cathi Nelson, founder of the Association of Personal Photo Organizers (APPO) and Tracy Mack-Jackson, former director of photography for the Disney Institute, followed Grossman’s address. They held a roundtable discussion with the attending influencers. Nelson’s objective was to explain how critical it is to organize, restore and print photos for future generations.
Mack-Jackson, a former photojournalist, expressed the importance of bringing a “real camera” along with a smartphone. She urged attendees to use the camera to capture images smartphones aren’t equipped to. “There is no substitute for a long zoom lens. Especially when the action on the ball field or in the pool is just too far away,” she said.
The Imaging Alliance also created four guides for the influencers to use as a resource when write articles:
• The Ultimate Guide to Bringing Your Photos to the Digital Age
• Free Your Photos from Your Camera Roll
• 10 Fun and Easy Photo Album Ideas
• Five Pictures You Can Only Take with a REAL CAMERA
Moreover, at the end of each guide is a list of Imaging Alliance retail members and their locations. The influencers were encouraged to visit local dealers for their printing needs. These guides are also available for Imaging Alliance retail members to use. They may be downloaded at theimagingalliance.com/imaging-resources.
#printyourbest
The Imaging Alliance also suggested to the influencers that they encourage printing pictures by announcing a contest around #printyourbest. In addition, they were asked to print out a favorite picture and upload it to their favorite social media sites with the hashtag #printyourbest. Participants printed photos out right on the spot using Canon Ivy mini photo printers donated for the event.
Furthermore, contest winners will receive prizes that include a Canon Ivy mini photo printer and a Rylo 360º video camera. The respective companies donated the prizes. In the first few days of the printyourbest competition, there were more than 18,000 impressions on Twitter and 10,000 on Facebook around those hashtags. 
The TravelingMom event served as a kickoff for the Imaging Alliance’s campaign to encourage people to organize, restore and print images to preserve memories for future generations. The program also includes an Instagram video campaign with messaging around printing and organizing.
The alliance is encouraging photo-imaging dealers to continue to spread the word. They may use the organization’s resources for their in-store training classes and local advertising campaigns. For more information, or if you’d like to become a member of the Imaging Alliance, visit theimagingalliance.com or contact Michelle Tramantano at michelle@theimagingalliance.com.
