WPPI and Community of Wedding and Portrait Photographers Continue to Flourish and Grow with Participation at All-Time High

NEW YORK, April 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- For many wedding and portrait photographers, the annual WPPI Conference + Expo in Las Vegas is the most anticipated event of the year. For 36 years, WPPI has been the destination for photographers to visit with old friends, meet new ones, learn the latest imaging techniques and new business acumen from leading photographers and educators, and see the latest in imaging hardware, software, and services from manufacturers from all over the world. For photographers attending WPPI 2016, the conference and expo exceeded expectations in terms of overall attendance, networking and special events, and the expansive number of seminars, photo walks, and other presentations that kept attendees learning and laughing all hours of the day and evening.

The statistics for WPPI 2016 reflect a continuing upward trend with key elements of the conference and expo including attendance, seminar participation, exhibitor participation, international attendees, and attending media. This year, WPPI hosted nearly 13,000 photographers from 73 countries which is the largest international participation in WPPI's 36-year history. In addition, 257 of the world's most respected manufacturers of hardware, software, and photographic services covered more than 72,000 square feet of expo space.

The core of WPPI's success continues to reside in its educational curriculum. This year, 170 world class educators conducted more than 250 classes, seminars, and photo walks and the number of Full Platform class registrants rose by 11% this year. In terms of total attendance, half of all attendees at this year's show held Full Platform conference passes, another indication that photographers are becoming more engaged with opportunities for education and investing in products and services for improving their photography and filmmaking craft.

"We continue to be impressed and encouraged with not only the overall attendance but the dramatic increase in the number of photographers who register for full conference passes," explains Jason Groupp, WPPI Director of Education and Membership. "WPPI is a learning platform and we are excited to see so many photographers taking advantage of the classes, seminars, photo walks and other educational programming this year."

The show's Annual 16x20 Print, Album & Filmmaking Competition also realized growth with a 5% increase in both entries (3,500) and participants (500). "As we increasingly rely on digital technology to share our work via social channels and the Internet, it is really wonderful to see a sustained and growing dedication to the art of photo printing," Jason Groupp commented.

WPPI 2016 highlights:

• Attendance by Gender: 54% male / 46% female
• Age Demographics: Under 30 (20%); 31-40 (32%); 41-50 (23%), 50+ (25%)
• 7% of attendees represented 73 countries outside the U.S.
• Nearly 40% of all attendees own a photo studio
• 41% of attendees were full time professional photographers
• 53% earned at least 50% of their annual income through photography
• 51% of attendees said they will likely spend between $2,000-10,000 on photo equipment and services
• 51% of attendees used the WPPI Conference + Expo mobile app

WPPI 2017 – New Dates / New Location
Mark your calendars now.  WPPI 2017 will be in February and will move to the Las Vegas Convention Center (Central Hall).  Expo dates are February 7-9, 2017. Conference dates will be announced shortly. By moving to the LVCC, all exhibitors will now be in a single hall with wider aisles. This will make the overall expo a more pleasant experience. Specific details about every aspect of WPPI 2017 will be available via Facebook, Twitter, online at http://www.wppionline.com, and through news stories throughout the year.

WPPI "The Annual 2016" Competition Images Available for Online Viewing
Winning images from WPPI's "The Annual 2016" are now available for viewing at http://www.wppiawards.com/.  This year's award-winning images and videos were determined during a live adjudication process at WPPI in March and selected from more than 3,500 entries worldwide.  In the end, the judges awarded 75 Gold and 17 Gold Distinction awards, as well as 907 Silver and 173 Silver Distinction awards in four primary categories: Wedding, Portraiture, Creative, and Photojournalism.  Collectively, these awards represent the incredible level of creativity, technique, lighting, and innovative thinking being conducted by members of the photographic community.

WPPI First Half – Members Only Competition
Entries for the First Half competition for The Annual 2017 are now being accepted.  Photographers interested in submitting images can visit http://www.wppiawards.com/.  As always, entry fees are discounted for PHOTO+ members.

Early Bird Discount through April 13, 2016 ($18.00)
First Deadline – April 14-June 15, 2016 ($20.00)
Extended Deadline – June 16-June 29, 2016 ($25.00)

PHOTO+ Membership Enrollment Now Open
As a PHOTO+ member, photographers receive industry-wide discounts on products and services from leading manufacturers in a variety of categories.  In addition, PHOTO+ members receive discounts on entry fees to all photo competitions, annual subscriptions to PDN and Rangefinder magazines and access to PhotoServe.com.  Membership discounts are currently available for a limited time and photographers interested in becoming a member should act quickly by registering at http://www.photoplusgroup.com/.

About WPPI
The WPPI Wedding and Portrait Photography Conference + Expo is the premier industry event for photographers, and now filmmakers, specializing in the creative and business aspects of wedding, portrait photography and filmmaking. Each year, over 13,000 professional photographers and imaging professionals register to attend WPPI to learn new techniques from industry leaders, build new relationships to help grow their business, experiment with new products from major manufacturers to improve productivity, and to use Las Vegas as a backdrop while expanding skillsets and portfolios.

The WPPI Wedding and Portrait Photography Conference + Expo is owned and operated by Emerald Expositions, a leading operator of large business-to-business trade shows in the United States, producing more than 50 trade shows and over 100 face-to-face events in total, including conferences, summits and other events. Emerald Expositions connects more than 335,000 sellers and buyers each year and operates within the U.S. in 10 end markets (Gift, Home, General Merchandise and Manufacturing; Sports & Apparel; Design; Jewelry, Luxury & Antiques; E-Commerce; Creative Services; Licensing; Healthcare; Military; and Food).

More information about WPPI can be found at wppionline.com

SOURCE WPPI