Tag: dallas

Over the years, Red Photo Booths has worked with many Schools, PTAs, and non-profit organizations across the Dallas Metroplex. We know these organizations sometimes have budget limitations, so we offer them discounts. Our management team got together and brainstormed an idea, we tested it, and it worked every time, so allow us to share that with you.

Everyone loves photo booths. They like capturing that special moment with their friends, family, and co-workers. What cell phone cameras can’t do is that photo booths can provide instant printouts of their pictures….” the photo strips.”

At Red Photo Booths, we custom design the print templates for every event. We have the best graphics designers in the industry. Here are some samples of our work – Custom Photo Strips.  As you can see, our designers can incorporate logos, text, and other graphics into their designs.

Who would be a good candidate for a photo booth sponsor for your event?

The answer to that would be any small business owner, realtor, really any local business in your area that wants to promote and market to a targeted area. Realtors and small business owners are at the top of the chart in our market test cases.

How does this work & why do sponsors like this idea?
Because Red Photo Booths can custom design the templates, we can take their logo, contact information, etc., and have it printed on every photo strip along with the guest’s pictures.  They are used to passing out hundreds of business cards, and they know most, if not all, of those cards will end up in a trash can. Ask yourself (and ask them) when the last time you threw away anything with your photo on it was. It doesn’t happen…even if we don’t like the picture, we rarely throw it away.

As part of our packages, we offer unlimited prints. That means if there are ten people in the photo, we print ten copies. By the end of the event, we would have printed hundreds of photo strips with sponsor information. These photo strips will end up on an office or cube wall, in a book as a bookmark, refrigerator, or in a locker. Remind sponsor their contact information will be accessible for a long time, unlike a discarded business card.  Last but not least, it’s targeted marketing.  For example, most people that attend a school function are students and families that live in a specific market area.

Photo booth sponsorship is low-cost marketing that could yield good returns on their marketing dollars. It may also have tax benefits for them depending on if their donations are to a non for profit organization. Most importantly, it builds their brand, and supporting their community is always a good cause. It’s a win for you and a win for your sponsor!

Please check your organization and school’s policy about soliciting sponsors.

We want you to be able to have our photo booth at your next event. We hope this will help you find a sponsor so you can enjoy the photo booth experience for free!  Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can provide you with more information and any questions. We look forward to speaking with you.

RPB Team
www.redphotobooths.com
469-751-7331

With so many different photo booth styles (of varied quality) and many companies in the market, it can be very daunting for customers to pick the right photo booth vendor. To add to the confusion, the prices can range from “dirt cheap” to “very expensive”….what’s the difference? What should you look for? How do you know who to trust and who to book for your very special day?

Unfortunately, I read an online review for a photo booth vendor that bothered me and compelled me to write this post. You can find that review here.

Any vendor involved in the event business must understand and follow this cardinal rule: There is no do-over or second chance. We must do all we can to be perfect at every event. We can’t come back the next day to finish the job. We must understand that our brides and hosts planned their special day for weeks or months. They have trusted us to be a small part of their celebration, and we must take that responsibility seriously.

Using my experience and knowledge about the photo booth business, I would like to list a few things for you to consider:

(1) Research the company

• Are they a business or “one man/machine” working from home? 
  • Go to their website and see if they have an office address
  • Call their office number and see if you get an answer or an immediate callback
  • Do they have accreditation, such as BBB (Better Business Bureau)?

• Does the company have a good reputation?
  • Read “verified” reviews online. Look at reviews from multiple sources such as Google, Yelp, Facebook, Wedding Wire, etc. Pick any review they may have posted and see if you can speak to that former client. No one will have excellent 5-star reviews but look at the trend. Look into their accreditation, such as BBB, for any complaints

• Do they carry liability and professional insurance?
  • All professional companies should carry the required insurance policies. Many of your venues will require that all vendors are insured, so ask this question early on.

(2) Research the size of the company

How many photo booths do they have in inventory? How many staff members do they have? How many events do they average per week? Per month?

Most people do not consider this, but it’s crucial. Photo booths (equipment) are constantly being moved from location to location. Things can go wrong from time to time. If you are dealing with a “one man / one machine” company, they may be unable to correct a problem if/when an issue arises. If there are only 1 or 2 photo booth operators, you have to consider the possibility of an emergency or illness.

Often you are planning your event weeks/months. So to reduce the risk of something going wrong, work with a company with systems in place and a large team of operators. Also, please find out how many events they do per week or month. Most reputable photo booth vendors will average at least five weekly events. Good companies will plan for emergencies, so ask them how they handle unexpected issues during an event.

(3) Quality – Ask to see proof

Most reputable photo booth companies will have an online gallery of their events. From the event albums, you should be able to tell the quality of their photos, what type of props they use, how many events they have, etc. If you come across a company that is afraid to showcase its photos, then I would be careful about their quality.

Homemade photo booth – not a professional option.[/caption]

Find out if they custom design their photo booth strips from scratch. Many photo booth vendors will change the “writing” on a strip but use the same template over and over.

Ask for photos of their booth, enclosure, props, and event setups. If they can’t show it, then proceed with caution. Additionally, you should ensure they have an actual factory-made booth rather than a “homemade” system. Find out if they use a webcam to take pictures or a real DSLR camera with flash (here’s a hint – a webcam is not a good option).

Ask them if you can come to their showroom and see the system if needed. Another option is to attend one of their events before yours and see them in action.

(4) Process and Price

Please find out about their deposit requirements. All good companies will require a small deposit, but you should never have to pay in total upfront. Ensure there are no hidden charges such as travel, setup or breakdown, downtime, service charges, taxes, etc. Reputable companies will have an all-inclusive flat rate.

It would help if you never had to meet someone at the corner store to sign a contract or give a deposit. Professional companies will offer payments and event coordination online.

So what did we learn?

Please know who you are hiring for your special event. You already have enough to deal with, so there’s no need to add additional stress from a shaky photo booth vendor. You should be able to get answers to everything I mentioned above with one phone call to the company and a few minutes online. One more thing – save yourself the headache, and don’t go with “Groupon Deals.” Consider this: if a photo booth company has to be on Groupon, then they are desperate for business….why? Saving $100 is not worth the headache. The people that can do a 3-hour event for $299 don’t have the overhead to run a professional business, so you may not get professional service.

Bottom line: Ask a lot of questions. Demand answers and proof. If they can’t provide it, move on to the next vendor.