May meeting - Critsey Rowe guest speaker

Last Tuesday night was the Asheville PUG meeting. Charlotte photographer Critsey Rowe was our guest speaker. Critsey is a partner of Indigo Photography and has recently launched her own boutique style company. She has been published in many local and national magazines and had her first international magazine feature in the current issue of UK’s “You and Your Wedding”. She photographed Carolina Panther Thomas Davis’ wedding that will be featured on the WE channel show Platinum Weddings and published soon on the cover of a local magazine. Critsey talked about how she stepped up marketing her business and meeting with event planners outside NC. She founded The Next Set, a group of photographers networking to high end vendors. She photographed celebrity planner David Tutera in his NYC apartment last month. Critsey and Thomas Geist from Germany just recently got married. Critsey is also sponsored by Kambara Albums and brought a gorgeous sample. It was great having them up for the PUG and dinner afterwards.

february pug meeting - panel discussion

At our February meeting, we did a panel discussion. The PUG has so many new members that I thought it would be great to have a format that allowed them to ask questions to a panel of "experts". Honour Hiers, Corey Cagle, Corey McNabb and I answered questions and got to know some of the new people better. Out of the 13 people in attenance, 8 have been in business about a year or less and 4 were at the PUG for the first time. Questions that we will explore further in future meetings include second shooters and the expectations both from the primary and second photographer, advertising, studio task management and websites. If you have any topic that you want discussed, PLEASE email. regina@reginaholder.com We also are looking for other vendors that might speak to the group, so if you know a tax expert, CPA or other pro that we should meet, I would love to invite them to speak.

Pictage is having a contest to see which PUG can have the biggest percentage growth for the March meeting. What would make you want to come to the PUG? Leave comments with your ideas. We can plan a "shoot out" for March. We would need to figure out a location that would work in the evening and where it wouldn't be too cold.


The group

Sage, Christy and Suzanna


Alicia and Corey McNabb


Corey Cagle and Honour


Mark Block asks a question, Christy, Suzanna, Peter and Zac

january pug - marantz rock the house!

In January, we had the privelege of having Justin and Mary Marantz guest speak at the PUG meeting. Their presentation on client "loyalty beyond reason" left all of us thinking of how we can improve how we treat our clients, how going above and beyond on customer service brings clients that rave about you and how to be more exclusive, having the clients wanting you instead of trying to sell yourself to them. They are genius at branding, marketing and setting themselves apart from the "competition", which is really their network of friends that refer weddings to them. By creating client loyalty, resulting in super-referrals, and networking with other photographers, they have been able to shift the dynamic and actually pick and choose which clients they want.

We had the biggest turnout ever, even with the snow that arrived just as we finished dinner. I really appreciate the ones that braved the weather, especially with long drives home and a massive THANK YOU to Justin and Mary that spent 15 hours driving home in a snow storm.

Another big THANK YOU to Corey McNabb and his lovely wife, Jill, the queen of the martini. A few of us headed over to Corey's studio for some chocolate martinis and fun times with awesome friends.


Look at that group shot! Awesome turnout for a snowy night!


Justin and Mary with Detra Dowling


Martini-maker extraordinaire - Jill McNabb

My BFF - Mary!

Zac Thomas

Cheers!

Corey and Justin

"Say cheese"

Zac, Mary, Corey, Sarah Henry, Honour Hiers, Justin and me in front