Last week James and I had the opportunity to go to Las Vegas for WPPI/Showit United. WPPI is a huge (16,000+ people) conference for photographers that happens every year in Vegas. 2011 was our first year attending and we loved it so much we had to go back! Another reason why we were so excited to go this year is because my website company, Showit (which is really way more than just a website company), put on their own “conference” of sorts that was exclusively for Showiteers (people who use Showit). I’ve made so many friends through that company over this past year that I was just so excited to see them all/meet some of them in person!

Last year we stayed in the MGM Grand, but learned our lesson and stayed at the MGM Signature this year. Waaaay more private/quiet/nicer overall. Plus, we didn’t have to walk through the casino and all of the smoking every time we wanted to go somewhere– huge win for me! I thought our schedule throughout the week would be less busy than it was last year, but somehow it ended up being just as crazy!  I guess that’s my excuse as to why I didn’t take too many pictures… I admit– I didn’t take out my “real” camera till the last day, but I did manage to snap some shots with my phone the first couple of days! Here’s a little bit of what went on in Vegas…

The view from our balcony was AWESOME.

Of course we had to jump in photo booths when given the opportunity. :-)

Tuesday night we got to partake in an awesome event called “5 Minute Fuel.” Basically, 15 different photographers were given 5 minutes each to speak on whatever topic they wanted. When I was asked to be a part of it, my first thought was, “ME??? Are you sure????? What do I have to say that people would want to hear?!?” I ended up sharing on “The 5 Things I Wish I Would Have Known When I Became a [Professional] Photographer.” Everything went well, although I admit I was soooo nervous the whole day leading up to it! I mean, talk about intimidation station! I’m glad I did it though and it was an honor to be a part of such a cool event! (A big thanks to Tori for the below photo). :-)

Probably one of the highlights of my week was getting to participate in a Flash Mob! My friend Julie, and I had been planning it for months leading up to the conference and got a group of about 60 of our friends to do it with us. It was seriously one of the most fun things I’ve ever done! Once the “official” video comes out from it I’ll be sure to share it here. Thanks to Jamilah Photography for snapping this pic!

Trevor and I have been friends for about a year now, so when he asked me to model a wedding dress for a shoot he was doing I was all in! He is SUPER talented and it was helpful to be in front of the camera for once to feel what my clients are feeling!

We first got to know Cory and Jackie last year at WPPI and they have become great friends throughout this past year. We love hanging out with them and always have way too much fun!

And here’s the view from our hotel room at night…

One other event that we attended but didn’t get any pictures at was Photographer’s Unite. It was an evening of worship and encouragement with a couple hundred other photographers! Brian Wurzell did a fantastic job leading the music and we heard a great message from Albert Tate!

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