Xplosive Blog

Photo Booth Hype

• No Comments

What’s all the hype about photo booths? It seems like EVERY party, wedding, mitzvah, sweet 16, fundraiser, etc. all have one of many variations of a photo booths or photo stations. Buyer beware though… there are so many options available and these days, so many amateurs jumping on the bandwagon, purchasing and selling photo booths (or reselling photo booth services). Be cautions, and educate yourself before signing any contract.

To educate a consumer, we will explain some of the basics in this blog. Let’s first analyze the photo booth options from the sellers perspective. Like purchasing a vehicle, you can buy used or new. You can buy the most luxurious option with state of the art technology, or you can find a stripped down model offering only bare bone functionality. For those who sell photo booth services, the same theories correlate directly. The newest photo booth options offer high definition and rapid printing, social media plug-in options, an attractive facade, and customized signage. Older, outdated technology result in slower print times, duller or darker photos, an ugly appearance, and poor reliability.

As someone planning an event there are several vital factors to first consider when looking into a photo booth. First and foremost, what is the footprint of the booth? How much space will it take up? Will it fit in your main reception room or would it need to be set in a lobby or pre-function space? Next, does this style photo booth would best fit your event’s characteristics? If you are having an ultra-elgant wedding with beautiful white fabrics and crystal bling everywhere, does a giant 10ft wide x 10ft long and 8ft tall black and burgundy draped photo booth fit your look? Or, would a white leather tufted booth be more appealing to your style? Some booths are enclosed and can only fit 2-3 attendees at a time. Other booths are larger or “open air” offering space for 10+ attendees at a time. Price, of course is certainly a factor in selecting a photo booth. Rentals of booths range from $400 (online specials) through $2,500+.

So, whats the difference? And… why such a range in pricing?

Well, photo booths (for the operators), like buying a car range in purchase cost. There are photo booths available to buy starting around $1,999. Others sell for pricing soaring towards the $20,000 mark. When a company sells a photo booth to their client, they are ideally looking to not only cover their operating costs, but also recoup their initial investment and hopefully even have a bit of profit too! Operating costs for photo booths vary significantly based on the number of attendants or staff managing the booth’s operation onsite, plus the quality of the ink, printing supplies, and frames. Operating costs can also include any included props (fresh per event, or re-used from event to event, if any), whether or not a scrap book is included (and it’s quality), and transportation (does the booth and supplies collapse small and fit in the trunk of a sedan, or would a cargo van or truck be needed).

As a company with several types of photo booths to offer, we spend a great amount of time with our clients explaining and educating on the different styles available. We sell a booth called the Super Booth, for example. This photo booth option is big, loud, bright, very interactive and super fun! It’s unique and very memorable. The “Super Booth,” though, isn’t for all clients. For those not as boisterous, other options include the traditional Coney Island inspired photo booth, a celebrity styled red-carpet with a custom step-n-repeat photo backdrop, chroma-key green screen photo stations, and much more. The latest trends though incorporate social media plug ins. With social media options, photo booths can not only print out the pictures at the events, but also post to user’s personal Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram pages. Clients should be cautioned though that the more bells and whistles available, often the longer the lines and the more confusion by the guests. This, though, can be avoided by employing the proper attendant staff to clearly and quickly explain the booth’s functionality and options. Also, with the latest options we have been offering clients, iPad technology which adds to the functionality allowing guests to step outside of the camera’s lens, allowing the next guest(s) in line to jump into the booth, and via iPad key in their print choices and/or social media selections.

One quick general business topic to address is: When is a deal too good? You may have heard the expression, “would you buy a steak dinner if it only cost five dollars? No… certainly you wouldn’t… you know there is no way that a five dollar steak dinner would remotely be a good idea. Buyer beware… if most companies are charging $1,000 or greater for photo booths and you find an option available for $400, there is likely something completely wrong with this option. You may be limited by the number of photos, the amount of time the booth is offered, the quality of the prints, or even the quality of the photo booth attendant who is interacting with each of your guests. You should even fear if the company contracted would show-up at your event. Don’t take risk with your once-in-a-lifetime occasion employing less than ideal options. If you are going to include a photo booth option on your next event, be sure to do it right, or simply don’t do it at all.

For more information about the latest photo booth options, the technology that surrounds these options, and what to look out for if a deal sounds too good to be true, feel free to contact me.

Michael Langsner
Vice President
Xplosive Entertainment
www.XEevents.com
732.866.1620
michaelL@XEevents.com