The photo booth industry continues to evolve rapidly, making PBX a great opportunity to see the latest trends, products, and innovations. Plus, there are always lots of floor specials from vendors to make the trip worth it!

But if you weren’t able to attend this year, have no fear! Simple Booth sent our marketing team to walk the PBX 2025 trade show floor, capture photos, and take notes on all the emerging trends in the photo booth industry. We’ve brought all these findings together and broke them down for you in this article.

So without further ado, here’s what we saw at PBX 2025:

• Wooden photo booths
• Robots and glam bots
• Digital and print sharing
• 360 photo booths
• A growing ecosystem
• iPad photo booths

TLDR: Watch the video

Wooden photo booths are having a moment

Vintage aesthetics are making a strong comeback. Many booths featured vintage wooden enclosures, blending nostalgia with modern technology. This trend taps into the popularity of warm, natural materials that evoke a classic, timeless feel.

Other retro-inspired styles were also on the rise, too. Film strip-style prints and old-school flash photography equipment were particularly popular, with vendors embracing nostalgia while still incorporating modern digital features.

Robots are taking over

Some of the busiest booths included SketchBot, which transform photos into digital sketches or hand-drawn-style artwork, and the official Glambot, a high-speed robotic arm capturing dramatic video effects reminiscent of Hollywood red carpet activations.

Automation and robotics certainly can add a “wow” factor to any event, but they can also be complicated to operate and expensive to own.

Digital, prints, 3D, and mosaics

Digital sharing continues to grow in popularity, and prints are still kicking. Several major printing vendors were present at PBX and many photo booth software providers were eager to show how their software connects to printers.

Wired printing solutions that plug into an iPad were the #1 choice, including the AirCast Pro and DNP WCMPlus.

Like many other facets of the photo booth industry, we’re seeing a proliferation in features and options. Printing doesn’t just have to be on paper anymore—it can be on cookies, cupcakes, lattes, or even 3D keepsakes!

Photo mosaics also continue to have a presence, available both digitally or physically where you hang each print in a designated spot—great for big immersive exhibits or experiences.

Although it’s nice to walk away with a tangible keepsake, we were disappointed with the quality of many 2D prints—even from booths that appeared to use DSLR cameras instead of tablets. We can’t explain why, but it felt like physical takeaways should be higher quality.

The move to 3D could is interesting, but it remains to be seen if it will resonate with photo booth customers in the long term. And no doubt the media costs are a pretty penny!

360 booths seem to have peaked

Two years ago, 360 photo booths, complete with platforms for small groups to stand on and rotating arms that swing around to record slow-motion videos, were all over the trade show floor. People were excited about them and expanding their business by adding these units.

This year, we probably saw more 360 photo booths walking down the Vegas strip than we saw actually on the PBX trade show floor.

Despite some new 360 solutions like the Tortilla from PBSCO, the presence of 360 booths at PBX decreased notably. This may be because they were competing for space against other novel attractions like “glam bot” and AI software features or perhaps the fad is truly fading.

For the 360 booths that were set up at PBX, there weren’t many crowds gathered to see them in action this year. They no longer feel like the “next big thing.”

Many brands and businesses seem to be searching for the next innovation beyond the 360 experience.

The ecosystem is growing

Let’s be clear, there were a lot of photo booths at PBX 2025.

But there were also a lot of companies offering tools to help run a photo booth business. Vendors included booking software, to props and template designers, support providers, insurance, and even a photo booth podcast recording live.

AI photo booths have potential… but it’s early

AI-powered photo and video experiences were everywhere, but they didn’t always hit the mark.

Common issues we noticed:

• Some AI filters felt gimmicky—more like a “head-in-a-hole” template than truly immersive experiences.
• AI-generated often altered skin tones, body proportions, and features so much that the final result barely looks like the same person. We witnessed one woman with a darker complexion test an AI photo booth feature from a certain vendor (who shall remain nameless) and was transformed into a white cartoon version of herself. We can’t say for sure what look she was going for, but we’d imagine… not that. In her words, “It was weird.”
• Processing times were slow—one AI booth took 1.5 minutes per image, which felt like forever in a fast-paced event setting.

AI-powered effects were everywhere, though in our experience, none felt truly seamless or ready for mass-market sharing just yet, with most still having a ‘beta’ feel.

While the technology is evolving, the industry still has work to do in making AI-generated content feel more natural and compelling.

iPad photo booths are everywhere

Ever since Simple Booth released our first photo booth apps for iPad, iPads have become the #1 choice for photo booths, whether using the iPad camera for simplicity or a DSLR for the best quality.

This was clearer than ever at PBX 2025.

Almost every vendor that makes photo booths had an iPad photo booth on display.

One exception was TouchPix, which has branched out to cross-platform support for Linux and Raspberry Pi. This opens up intriguing possibilities, but whether it catches on is yet to be seen.

What we didn’t see at PBX 2025

The Photo Booth Expo was a hub of energy and innovation, showcasing everything from glam robot arms to AI software features, and an ocean of iPad photo booths. Many vendors clearly poured their hearts into new concepts, though we did notice some recurring challenges.

A handful of booths still had a “DIY” feel, with visible seams, tangled cables, and materials that might show wear over time. With more clients asking for photo booths as statement pieces—whether at weddings, corporate events, or experiential activations—attention to build quality and aesthetics can make or break the perceived value.

Lighting was another area that left room for improvement. In an age when everyone’s first instinct is to share photos on social media, subpar lighting can result in images that fail to capture the moment. Some booths relied on underpowered LEDs or poorly diffused light, while even models boasting DSLR cameras at times missed exposure settings. The difference between an amateurish, washed-out photo and a crisp, well-lit image can directly influence how likely people are to share—and remember—the experience.

That’s one reason Simple Booth HALO® stands out. It was designed with an anodized aluminum body for greater durability, so it looks professional at events and survives countless transports. The integrated ring light provides consistent, flattering illumination, and each unit is crafted to be easily transportable and quick to assemble. In a market that balances speed, reliability, and polished results, HALO continues to deliver a robust solution that event professionals can set up with confidence.

By prioritizing factors like build quality, portability, and superior LED lighting, our team strives to push the industry toward better solutions that match both the creative vision of photo booth owners and the high expectations of modern consumers.

Tying it all together

The post-COVID era has brought an explosion of features, options, and variations to the photo booth industry. From 360 photo booths and AI-driven experiences to glam booths, sketch bots, and beyond, innovation continues to redefine how we capture moments.

As new ways to create photos and videos emerge, the industry keeps evolving, opening doors for fresh players and niche businesses alike—and we’re excited to be part of that journey.

The Simple Booth team left PBX 2025 with fresh ideas and valuable insights, and we hope this article left you with a few as well!

The post What We Saw at the Photo Booth Expo: Photo Booth Trends 2025 appeared first on Simple Booth.

Instead, it blew up.

For the event industry, revenue plummeted overnight and refund requests came pouring in, creating a financial disaster unlike any other. 

A lot of us in events felt our confidence shaken. When we build a business, it becomes part of our identity. When it struggles or fails, we question our self-worth. In this case, bringing people together transformed from a social good into the complete opposite: an illegal activity. The pandemic turned our worlds upside down.

But I believe things are about to change. Even as we enter the darkest moments of the pandemic, I have reasons to hope for 2021.

People want to get out

Americans are going stir crazy from a year of lockdowns and quarantines. Everyone is itching to get out and reconnect, meaning more pent-up demand for in-person events than ever before.

As soon as the CDC gives the all-clear for groups larger than 10 to gather, that demand will be unleashed in a rush of event planning for friends and family celebrations. Couples who postponed their weddings will put them back on the calendar. People will gather just because they can.

But when will that happen? I believe it could be sooner than we think.

Vaccinations and warm weather will converge

Vaccine distribution is ramping up significantly. In a matter of months, tens of millions of Americans will have been vaccinated just in time for warm weather to arrive. 

The result? Important numbers like case count will begin to improve—a lot.

It’ll be worth spending to make it special

Because in-person events will feel fresh and novel like never before, people will be more willing to splurge on event planners, venues, and entertainment. That’s where things really start to look up for the events industry.

I believe the ripple effect will usher in a new, golden new era for events—maybe even like the roaring 20s all over again.

Big events are another story

Large events like SXSW are staying virtual in 2021. My prediction is that it will be later in the year, if not 2022, before festivals, conferences, or other large-scale events can be held primarily in-person again. For now, they’ll stay virtual or hybrid.

However, once we cross the herd immunity threshold and people can safely gather in large numbers, it could get crazy. What if everyone wants to go out at the same time? If that is the case, tickets to sporting events and concerts will be more expensive than ever, and places like restaurants and bars will have lines out their doors.

It’s time to get ready

I can’t see the future, of course, but if you think I’m right, now is the time to get ready for it. There are plenty of things you can do that won’t break the bank. If you wait until a surge comes to launch or restart your event business, you’ve waited too long.

Here are three ways to prepare for a better 2021.

1. Update your packages

The consensus among event industry veterans is that virtual events are here to stay. I agree, but I wouldn’t put all my eggs in that basket. If they peak this year and budgets shift back to in-person events, it would be a good idea to have offerings that address both.

The safest thing to do now is have a product mix that includes thoughtful solutions for both in-person and virtual events. More importantly, make sure you have a compelling “hybrid event” package for small to medium sized events that are likely to come back first.

2. Develop your web presence

Event industry search keywords that mattered in 2019 are going to become important again in 2021. 

If you can’t get to the first organic spot in Google, getting on the first page should put you in the running for a lot of new leads. 

Given the unfortunate fact that a lot of event vendors have gone out of business and not all will have the capacity to handle more in-person bookings, leads may have to check with multiple vendors to find availability. The key is to make it as easy as possible for potential customers to find you.

Keep in mind that any changes to your website will take at least a few days to rank on Google, and often several weeks before they climb up the rankings at all, so it’s important to get ahead of the action. If you’re new to SEO, you can track your rankings with the Google Search Console and use Google Trends to research other keyword opportunities to publish content for.

3. Be ready to scale

If you’re eager to grow fast when the demand increases, you can hedge your bets by preparing to increase capacity without making any final commitments just yet.

Start talking to new candidates and previous employees about availability in 2021, but keep an open timeframe. If you have a list of people on deck and ready to work, you can increase your capacity much quicker when the timing is right.

You might also consider researching what equipment or software you would need to handle multiple bookings. Suppliers may be more likely to give a great deal right now than when business picks up significantly.

If it makes more sense to stay small and not increase capacity, consider raising prices for hot dates in the summer and fall. Customers will understand if prices have changed in these uncertain times. If you book up, you can’t go back and charge more later.

The year of the comeback

We’ve accustomed ourselves to being cautious in the last 9 months. We’ve warned ourselves to take things one step at a time. Nobody is expecting a miracle.

But we might just catch a break soon. The pandemic caught us off guard, but we can be prepared for the recovery. This is the year of the comeback for the events industry.

Let’s make the most of it.

About the Author

Mark Hennings
Co-founder & CEO of Simple Booth

Mark led photo booths into the age of social media with the LiveBooth app in 2012 before reinventing them from the ground up with the original Simple Booth app in 2013. He has 12 years experience in the event industry that started in college when he launched his first business filming wedding videos.

The post Predictions for the event industry in 2021 appeared first on Simple Booth.

62% of event professionals, in a survey by EventMB, expect virtual business events to “continue alongside in-person events going forward.” They also expect virtual B2B events to complement in-person events in the future instead of take away from them. The two will likely co-exist and form a new B2B event marketing mix.

There are challenges to overcome, however. In the same way that engaging an audience is the biggest challenge for in-person events, it can be even more daunting to engage the attendees of virtual events. Event planners say it’s their top challenge when it comes to executing to online business events. 

Here are 25 virtual event ideas to help you supercharge the experience for your next B2B virtual event.

1. Bring in an experienced MC

MCs are as important for virtual events as they are for in-person events.

From opening remarks to setting the tone and explaining how to get the most out of the upcoming sessions, MCs carry a lot of responsibility for making an event successful. If you get the right person with a great personality, it can increase engagement significantly.

For virtual events, a smooth MC becomes even more important if and when you run into technical snags, like losing audio, a bad connection, or somebody forgets to unmute their mic.

In situations like these, your MC can jump in, take charge, or lighten the mood with a joke.

2. Start with an icebreaker

Remind people that they’re attending your virtual event with a lot of other great people! Icebreakers are the classic way to get people out of their shell and immersed in an experience.

When done right, icebreakers can instantly get your mojo working and set your virtual event off to a great start. They warm up your attendees and prime them to engage with the rest of the conference.

For small groups where the goal is to get people to know each other better, the popular “two truths and a lie” icebreaker is a surefire hit.

For larger groups, here are some easy online icebreaker ideas (we’ll also dive into each of these individually):

• Create a word cloud
• Run a poll
• Play a trivia challenge

Many traditional icebreakers can translate into the online environment, one way or another. However, before you choose one, consider whether it will work for your size group or not.

3. Create a word cloud

Word clouds allow everyone to participate and have the potential to surprise and delight attendees.

These are low effort and high impact activities that can get a lot of attendees to participate. All you need is an engaging question that can have a one-word or very short answer, like:

• In one word, how would you describe 2020?
• How are you feeling right now?
• What is the best part of your day?
• What is your goal this month?
• How do you avoid burnout and regain focus?

The result is a visual display that attendees will be very interested in seeing, since they also helped to create it! There are many word cloud generators online to make this easy.

4. Gamify your event activities

The principle of gamification for boosting audience engagement is simple: give points to your attendees for everything they do.

For example:

• Register for the event mobile app – 5 points
• Choose sessions/create a personal schedule – 10 points
• Post a selfie using the event hashtag – 15 points

You get the idea.

To make this more fun and worthwhile, you can motivate attendees with prizes or recognition at the end of the event. Run a leaderboard to create some competitive heat in real-time. Ideally, give something to everyone for their points, even if it’s just a digital badge of honor.

5. Share behind-the-scenes insights

Maybe you don’t have a lot of “backstage footage” to share at a virtual conference where everyone is tuning in from their home office and all the event production is done on web servers instead of at a massive venue, but exclusive data insights are a next-best option!

You can put together pie charts, graphics, maps or other info-graphics on where attendees for your conference are from or other demographic data. For example, show that you have a diverse audience coming together from all over the world!

This is a great way to fill gaps between sessions or speakers and keep people from changing the channel.

6. Create an event microsite

Your event’s website or landing page is often your attendee’s first touchpoint with your event, and if it’s useful, they’ll keep coming back. It’s where they find out about the experts who’ll deliver sessions, the content they’ll need access, the people they could network with, and so on. 

It’s also where they find the agenda and details about the event schedule. 

Your microsite can prove even more important for virtual events, because your attendees will keep it pinned to their browser to learn what’s happening now and what comes next.

To make it more engaging during the event itself, add real-time elements to it like a Twitter feed, a countdown to the start, and post updates as they happen. 

7. Schedule real breaks

Sitting in a chair all-day isn’t anyone’s idea of an engaging business conference (especially when you were hoping to fly to an exotic location). As Zoom fatigue kicks in, you can experience a drop in engagement, especially for day-long or multi-day virtual events.

To combat this and “humanize” your audience, schedule breaks for real-life activities. Encourage participants to take 10 minutes and refresh their coffee, 20 minutes to go for a walk, have a yoga teacher lead a stretching session, or shut everyone down for a 30 minute lunch break–and remind attendees early when it’s time to place their mobile order for food!

Considering how remote work tends to expand to fill every crevice of our days and free time, your attendees will truly appreciate you for this thoughtful gesture.

8. Tie it together with a mobile app

According to Bizzabo, 91% of event organizers who use an event app see positive ROI. 

The mobile experience plays an important role in virtual events as well as in-person events.

Think about it this way. The virtual event experience is really split between a desktop and mobile. Your attendees might watch your sessions on their desktops but prefer to do things like creating their agendas, chatting with co-attendees, and networking on their mobile devices.

9. Send push notifications

If you create a microsite or launch a mobile app, remember to take advantage of push notifications, for browser or mobile. Alternatively, if you you can use a text messaging service for similar impact.

A simple notification when the next session is starting is a great way to nudge attendees and reengage. Also, share useful information bytes or factoids about the current speaker or your amazing sponsors.

Keep notifications short so they can be easily read and stay positive. The last thing you want is people distracted by technical difficulties, struggling to read the whole message!

10. Use live polls

Many speakers choose to start their session with a poll. It helps them gauge the feelings of the audience and get their instant attention.

The polls don’t even have to be work-related—they can be just for fun.

Also, this content is excellent for sharing on social media. You could live-tweet your poll’s results with your event’s hashtag and engage with your social following at the same time.

11. Reserve time for Q&A

One of the best ideas to engage attendees in a virtual conference is to let them interact with the speaker. 

Hosting virtual Q&As is pretty easy, you either need a chat room or Twitter hashtag to follow, and a person to monitor and select questions. You can choose to answer the questions as they’re raised or set up a dedicated Q&A session after the presentation. 

With virtual Q&A sessions, you can also enable your attendees to upvote questions they need answered. Posting questions anonymously is another feature you can offer.

12. Request post-event feedback

Post-event surveys are an easily overlooked way to engage your audience. Remember, just because they happen after the event is over, doesn’t mean they’re not as important as all the things leading up to and during the event.

You can use a post-event survey to get feedback to improve for next time. See what worked, what didn’t work, and make adjustments. Your attendees may have some great ideas for next time, too.

Most importantly, your attendees will appreciate being listened to and feeling that their ideas are valuable. Here are a few good questions for post-event surveys:

• On a scale of 1-5, how did you enjoy the conference?
• What were your favorite sessions or activities?
• Would you attend a virtual option next year?
• Are there any areas we can improve?

If you can incentivize surveys, you can expect to get up to three times higher response rates. Push notifications (both on web browsers and apps) also work great at prompting attendees to participate in surveys. 

13. Set up a chatroom

If you’ve tuned into YouTube or Facebook live video stream before, you’ll know how much viewers enjoy chatting and sharing their thoughts in the live chat window. It’s even more fun when the host is watching comments and interacts in real-time to keep viewership high.

Your event can have this same, vibrant dynamic too with a live chatroom.

Virtual event platforms like Zoom offer this right out of the box. Dedicated platforms like Slack and Discord can be used to set up your chatrooms.

The main downside to live chat is the potential for distracting side conversations. However, virtual attendees are likely to be distracted by other windows on their computer anyway—it might as well be on-topic!

14. Add life with emoji reactions

Facebook has taught everyone how to respond with emojis. Not everyone feels comfortable writing a full comment for everyone to see, but it’s easy to drop an emoji when you see something you like!

This is true for livestreams too, like in Facebook Live when you can press an emoji in real-time and it bubbles across the screen for other viewers.

We can all agree: emojis instantly uplift the mood of people watching! 

Look for this feature as a bonus when selecting your video streaming service or virtual event platform.

15. Surprise your audience

Attendees will come into your virtual event with pre-conceived notions about what it will be like. It might be a low bar.

You have the opportunity to completely surprise them!

Here are three unexpected virtual event ideas:

• Delight your attendees by inviting a musician to livestream a performance.
• Bring in a yoga instructor to lead a yoga session.
• Hire a magician to entertain before your next segment begins.

The opportunities are endless to remind people how big the world is and all the unique ways to enjoy it.

16. Play virtual games

A game might be just the virtual event idea you need for a online office party. You can play many classic group games like pictionary, trivia, bingo, or charades virtually.

Jackbox Games specializes in group games that people can join from their phones including drawing, word and phrase games, guessing games, and even murder mystery parties.

This holiday season, a lot of companies are looking for ways to host their virtual holiday party virtually. If you plan in advance, you can set up a Secret Santa gift exchange and have each participant mail the gift, and do the grand openings on camera.

A white elephant gift exchange is also totally doable. Your company could provide all the gifts, and either have a digital representation of each to be drop-shipped at the end, or order them all to one place and mark each as they get claimed and stolen on the livestream.

Giveaways, raffles, and magic wheels also make excellent virtual party games. 

17. Mix real world elements into games

When you combine real-life or physical activities with digital events, you can break screen fatigue and create high levels of engagement.

For example, announce a household scavenger hunt! Which attendees can gather all the items before the time runs out?

If you bring in a DJ to open or close the event with music, you could also host a virtual dance-off. Place a couple moles in the audience to make it awesome no matter what and encourage people to follow. Your attendees might surprise you with their talent!

18. Make attendees your co-creators

Don’t forget the audience “b-roll” footage just because your event is virtual!

Ask your attendees to record and submit a video ahead of your event with time to compile a collaborative video to show during your event.

This turns attendees from passive participants into co-creators with skin in the game. It also interests other attendees who will recognize co-workers and business associates on-screen!

19. Splice in video transitions

If you have pre-planned segments for your conference, make it feel polished with high-quality, pre-made video transitions. They can be just for branding or used to introduce a new speaker or topic. or functional to introduce each speaker or topic.

Video transitions and intros will help keep your audience hooked and they’re great because you can perfect them before the conference even starts.

You can also sell the branding on these to your sponsors to help cover video production costs.

20. Recruit top experts to talk

Nothing is guaranteed to engage more than having a star lineup of experts and influencers. Find people that your audience recognizes and wants to listen to.

Good content is the best audience engagement tool. This is an age-old rule for traditional events and it’s true for virtual events too!

21. Coordinate networking sessions

Networking sessions, breakout sessions, and one-on-one meetings are all possible for online events. They may feel a bit different remotely, but they’re still worth including in your virtual events as networking is one of the key goals that drives attendees to events. 

If you go with full-blown virtual event platforms, you’ll get such functionalities right out-of-the-box. But even in solutions like Zoom, you can set up workarounds by creating different rooms.

22. Host a virtual trade show

Nobody thought the internet would replace retail stores when it first came out, so maybe, just maybe, digital trade shows can be a thing. The whole event industry pivoted to support virtual events in 2020, and that includes software solutions for online trade show exhibit booths.

Some software providers will even generate a 3D virtual trade show with multiple booths showcasing the different solution providers that are participating. 

Your attendees can engage with virtual exhibit booths just the way they would with real booths. Instead of being available in-person, a brand’s representatives are available on chat and their marketing collateral like posters, pre-recorded demos, and promotional offers are all put on display.

Whether this makes sense for a lot of vendors is yet to be seen. On the one hand, the initial appeal is lower than a physical space to explore and talk with people. On the other, it’s much lower cost, so why not give it a try?

It’s online shopping meets conference expo!

23. Bring back the SWAG bag

Everybody loves swag, or “stuff we all get.”

Remember walking into an expo hall, getting your bag, and collecting all kinds of goods from each booth? Those were the days.

You can recreate the same swag experience online by preparing a web page of exclusive coupons, promotional discounts, and special offers from event sponsors. Make sure to organize it for attendees instead of having each sponsor send an email blast, which could get out of control fast.

24. Re-purpose content for year-round engagement

By recording your virtual event, you can edit a highlights reel or simply select your best segments to put on YouTube when the event is over. Link these back to your website and create a consistent new source of traffic.

You can use the video footage for lead generation or to create anticipation for next year’s event.

Consider how many TV shows don’t these days until years later. That’s the impact of online streaming and “binge-watching” culture, and it has repercussions everywhere. You might just find that your virtual event ROI only increases over time.

Virtual events never truly end–unless you forget to press record.

25. Set up a virtual photo booth

How was your event? The proof is in the pictures. Few things beat the engagement that a photo booth brings to in-person events.

Fortunately, virtual photo booths are here to fill the gap and deliver branded, Insta-worthy results.

By setting up a virtual photo booth, you engage your attendees and also empower them to create super shareable user-generated content that builds buzz around your event online.

Wrapping it up… 

We did it! That was awesome: 25 virtual event ideas to engage your audience.

To execute these, you’re going to need a virtual event tech stack that will require both investment and learning.

Get a head start by pairing a comprehensive virtual event platform with a few virtual event solutions providers. Most service providers offer an array of options, so picking one or two good ones early on can help you cover a lot of ground, stay lean and keep costs low.

Even Forrester advises that virtual event planners should focus first on their events’ goals, attendee experience, and content before getting to deep into the technical side of things—we couldn’t agree more.

The post 25 virtual event ideas to engage attendees appeared first on Simple Booth.

And let’s not even get started on the beauty that is your dress.

It’s all for a single day: the day you marry your best friend and party your socks off with your friends and family.

Of course, you’re going to have a photographer to document everything, but have you also wondered, “Do I need a photo booth at my wedding?“

TLDR: Photo booths are awesome and you should definitely have one.

Let’s talk about why photo booths are the perfect match for weddings, how to make sure yours is the best it can be, and then finally all the ways you can get one for your wedding!

Why have a wedding photo booth?

There are three classic ingredients to a stellar reception: open bar, dance party, and a photo booth. Case in point: even Kim Kardashian and Kanye had a photo booth at their wedding!

Photo booths are recommended regularly by wedding planners. Megan Metzger from Pearl Events Austin says that a photo booth is a must-have for her own wedding.

“Instead of having a camera in your face, like on the dance floor with a photographer, people really let loose and, for some reason, people feel more comfortable behind it,” Megan said.

Why are photo booths so popular? Let us count the reasons:

1. Photo booths up the fun factor

The cocktail hour can keep guests occupied and having fun between the wedding ceremony and reception. A photo booth can help fill in the gap, too, keeping guests entertained and the mood light. It’s a perfect distraction while you and your newly minted spouse are snapping those breathtaking photos that will make your nana cry.

But the fun doesn’t stop there.

Throughout the reception, your wedding photo booth will be the gift that keeps on giving—to you and your guests.

2. Photos are the best wedding favors

Your guests will love having a take-home memento, whether it’s in digital or print form.

Setting up one photo booth sure is a lot easier than tying hundreds of ribbons around bottles of bubbles that probably won’t make it out the door.

Most cliche wedding favors end up in the trash, but people tend to hang onto a great photo–especially when they can simply text it to their phone from a touch screen photo booth.

Most modern photo booth companies also provide access to an online wedding gallery after the big day, making it easy for you and your guests to relive the memories.

3. There’s too much happening for the photographer to capture it all

A photo booth complements a wedding photographer perfectly. Your photographer will get a lot of great photos, but they’re going to be mainly focused on you and the main events on the dance floor.

All the fun happening behind the scenes? That’s where the photo booth comes in.

Having a photo booth for your wedding is a great way to make sure you’re getting authentic pictures of every guest. Not everyone will do a formal pose for the wedding photographer, but they’ll likely visit the photo booth for a fun group picture or selfie. It’s like getting an extra set of wedding photos.

Wedding photo booth ideas

Now that you know why a photo booth is a must-have for your wedding, here are some ideas to help make sure it’s a smash hit.

1. Choose the perfect location

Locate your selfie booth in a high-traffic area of the wedding venue, like near the bar or dance floor. Make sure that your guests can see it from where they’ll be hanging out. If your guests don’t see the photo booth they’re not going to use it.

Sometimes, a venue coordinator will try to get you to put your photo booth in a back room or closet where nobody will find it. Don’t let them do it! The key to having a lot of participation and photos is for people to see other people having fun and want to join in.

If possible, leave some open space around your photo booth. It will probably have a a line at some point and it will be more inviting if it’s easier to access. If guests have to fight their way through tightly packed tables, they’re going to be less excited to join in the fun.

2. Draw attention to your photo booth

Getting the photo booth started is just like getting the dance party started, but easier! Enlist your DJ or emcee, wedding party, and close friends to start the photo booth fun and other guests will quickly join in.

You can hang signage and reminders to make sure guests know where to find the photo booth and that you want them to participate.

Of course, the best thing you can do is have an eye-catching photo booth that captures the attention of your guests all on its own.

Above all, the photo booth for your wedding should look inviting. We recommend having the area brightly lit and matching the backdrop to your wedding’s style. You want your wedding photo booth to be another part of your reception venue that people will look at and say, “that’s beautiful!”

Whether your wedding is formal or boho, you’ll want to create that same feeling with your photo booth.

A great way to do that is our next tip…

3. Plan a custom photo booth backdrop

The right backdrop is essential for your selfie station. It’s going to be in every photo and should be beautiful and eye-catching.

Your backdrop can be as simple as a plain color. But, if you really want your personality to shine, bring the backdrop to life with decorations that capture your wedding theme.

Here are some ideas to spice up a blank wall:

• Fun, removable wallpaper
• Hanging fabric
• Vinyl decals
• Fringe curtains
• Hanging fresh flowers (or a flower wall)
• Have a custom neon sign made
• Glam gold sequins

For an outdoor wedding and reception, you can use the natural beauty of greenery around you as a backdrop. Or, hang some frames from a nearby tree to create a simple photo booth scene.

Looking for something a bit more complex? Put together four wooden pallets and decorate it with flowers for a rustic but elegant backdrop. You can do the same with reclaimed wood.

And the beauty of rustic elegance is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. Just make sure you’re not leaving any exposed nails!

Not interested in building your own photo booth backdrop for your wedding? Consider hiring a rental company that can take care of a custom backdrop for you, or use a software that supports green screen to make it ridiculously easy to add any background you want.

4. Handpick your props

People love grabbing props to pose with in front of the photo booth. However, your props will set the tone of your photos, so make sure you love them! Oftentimes, photo booth rental companies can provide you with various options or will be open to special requests for themed props.

The downside of many props is that they can get messy. Another route is to go minimalist and rely entirely on digital props. Digital props are like having Snapchat filters right in your photo booth! Your wedding guests will have a blast choosing stickers and graphics that can even track their face on animated GIFs or videos.

Or, why not the best of both worlds? You can mix and match a few tasteful real-life props with a handful of digital options to up the creativity.

5. Stream a feed of the live photos

Are you planning to have a wedding slideshow or love story video at your reception?

Get double-duty out of that big screen by setting up a live feed from your wedding photo booth. You and your guests will enjoy (and laugh at) all the fun being had at the photo booth.

People love seeing their images popup up on the big screen in real-time and it will encourage other guests to join in!

6. Make it easy for guests to share

A traditional photo booth will print two photo strips, one as a party-favor for the guest and another as a keepsake for the bride and groom that can go in a guest book or wedding album. Nowadays, if you give a guest a photo strip, the next thing you will probably see them do is take a picture of it on their phone to preserve and share online.

People simply prefer to have everything on their phone and not have to worry about a photo strip getting crumpled in their pocket or purse. Modern selfie stations take the experience digital and collect photos in online gallery, which act like virtual scrap books of your wedding day!

Guests love seeing pics instantly on their phone and being able to share them to social media just as easily. All the pictures can have your wedding themed graphics and hashtag attached, or even link back to your wedding website if you want.

7. Schedule open and closed times

Wedding receptions are full of special events including toasts, special dances, bouquet tosses, and more.

Sometimes, you might want guests letting loose in the photo booth, su. Other times, you might want them focused on what’s happening on the dance floor. You don’t want wild laughter interrupting that romantic first dance as a married couple, after all.

Make sure that your guests know when your wedding photo booth will be open and closed.

Your DJ or emcee is a great resource to keep guests on task. Use them to remind guests of the best times to use the photo booth: cocktail hour, after the formal program, or during dinner are the best.

How to book a photo booth

Here are four ways to get an awesome photo booth at your wedding.

1. Set up a DIY photo booth

It’s easier than ever to set up a DIY photo booth with an app like Simple Booth HALO® for iPad.

Setting up a DIY photo booth can make sense if you want to save money, are planning a destination wedding somewhere remote, or want to keep your reception intimate without an extra photo booth attendant.

Modern photo booth apps can run on a tablet, be easily set up on a tripod, and basically run themselves–especially if you are only doing digital delivery and don’t need prints. Guests use the photo booth platform by themselves which means your wedding planner—and YOU—can focus on other things.

Want a DSLR or mirrorless camera? Make sure to read our article on the best cameras for photo booths.

Simple Booth strives for simplicity in our platform, taking guests through an easy process to get photos instantly to their phones. This leaves plenty of time for everyone to take and share multiple photos from your celebration.

2. Hire a local photo booth vendor

To keep your wedding day stress-free, you might consider renting a photo booth from a local vendor for your wedding. A professional photo booth rental offers a high-quality experience for you and your guests.

There are many local photo booth vendors to choose from, but their photo booth setups and services may vary greatly. Here are some questions you might want to ask a photo booth vendor:

• Do you have photos from an event I can? Make sure you like how they look!
• Do you offer motion formats like GIF and video, or only still photos?
• Will I receive a digital gallery of my photos afterward?
• What ways to you offer for guests to receive their photos?
• Do you offer printing? Does it cost extra?
• Does the photo booth include an attendant in case of technical issues?
• What backdrop and prop options do you have available to choose from?
• Will you design a custom theme or graphics for my wedding? Can I see examples from previous weddings?

3. Rent a photo booth online

As of recently, you can even rent a photo booth online that gets shipped to you in a box! For some weddings, it’s the perfect compromise between DIY and professional equipment.

4. Buy a photo booth

This might sound completely crazy, but if you have an iPad you’re already halfway there. Plus, if you own a compact, portable photo booth ahead of your big day, you can make use of it at a lot more special events:

• Bridal Shower
• Bachelor or Bachelorette Party
• Rehearsal Dinner

Maybe you’ll even decide it makes sense to start your own photo booth company when friends and family are so impressed with your setup!

Photo booths are worth it

Your wedding day is one of the most important days of your entire life. You’ll want to document as much of it as you can. A photo booth can do that perfectly.

There’s also something about a photo booth that brings out the creative and quirky sides of people, and those are the things you’ll most want to remember about the people you’ve chosen to share your special day with.

The post Wedding Photo Booth: The Definitive Guide appeared first on Simple Booth.

Luckily, that’s no longer the case.

Thanks to the technology that powers the Simple Booth platform, photo booths are easier than ever to activate and manage at events of any size. We make photo booths more enjoyable for participants and yield higher gains for the event producers.

Now you can produce the most epic event of your career using the Simple Booth HALO® platform along with the following best practices.

1. Start with the right photo booth for your event

Not all types of photo booths are created equal. Some are built piece-by-piece, requiring you to choose the camera, software, and a laundry-list of other components. For most busy professionals, we recommend going with a standalone solution rather than a DIY build. The reasons why are plentiful. A high-quality, professional photo booth looks sleek, boasts a high build quality and requires little to no hands-on management once it’s set up at the event. 

In fact, we consistently get positive client feedback on our Simple Booth HALO® solution because it’s so easy to use. Event participants can easily navigate the Simple Booth platform by themselves, meaning event managers don’t need to worry about stationing an employee at the booth. 

This aspect alone frees up so much time and resources for event planners — it’s a total game-changer. 

But, we do recommend you spend a little of those time savings on taking advantage of some of the customization options Simple Booth offers. We’ll get to those in just a moment.

What to look for in a photo booth

Ease of operation is a major player in choosing the right photo booth setup for events, but there are some other factors you should be looking at as well. 

Ideally, event photo booths should hit the following marks:

• be compact and easy to transport from one event to the next
• looks great in the event setting and inherently inspires people to interact with it
• features customization options like themes, overlays, logos, and chroma-key
• social media sharing so participants can quickly share images to social media
• custom event hashtags
• produces quality photos
• ability to collect consumer data such as email, phone number, name, or custom data fields
• offers advanced analytics and metrics 

In some instances, you may also require a photo booth with printing capabilities. We’re going to list this as an optional requirement, but strongly suggest purchasing a photo booth that at least offers this capability.

If you’d like to learn more about printing with Simple Booth, check our buyer’s guide to photo booth printers.

2. Location, location, location!

The placement of your photo booth at events is key. The photo booth needs to be easily seen and accessed. If people don’t see the photo booth, they can’t be expected to use it.

 Find out where in the event venue the photo booth will have the highest amount of visibility. Depending on the type of event you’re hosting, this could be near the open bar, restrooms, the entrance or exit, the stage, perhaps a lounge area, or even next to a dance floor.

Once you’ve determined the high visibility locations in your venue, look for a nearby area to set up your photo booth activation. It needs to be close, but shouldn’t be in the way. 

Aim to place your photo booth about 5-10 feet away from one of the busiest areas in the event venue. This is especially true for entranceways or exits and areas with tables or booths. Photo booths are people magnets and have the potential to have groups of people clamoring around in front of the camera.

Keeping the photo booth close by, but not quite in the middle of the action will prevent congestion in high foot traffic areas without hindering photo booth engagement.

If you are forced to place the photo booth in a less than desirable location such as a hallway or corridor at the event, make an occasional announcement over the PA system inviting people to visit the photo booth.

You may also want to have signage around the photo booth that invites participants to engage with it.

FURTHER READING: 15 Examples of Experiential Marketing in Action

3. Capture data & analyze metrics to bolster marketing

Gone are the days where event photo booths are simply an offering provided to delight event guests. Simple Booth has helped revolutionize the role photo booths play in marketing strategies. 

Unlike traditional photo booths, the Simple Booth platform allows users to set up custom data capture options. That data is used to build, implement, and grow marketing programs. 

FURTHER READING: The New Simple Booth Dashboard – More Metrics, Delightful Design

Capture participant data

For starters, the Simple Booth platform lets you customize what data is collected from participants. The most typical options are the participant’s name and email address.

There are pre-programmed options inside the Simple Booth dashboard for the most popular options. They include:

• first name
• last name
• phone number
• date of birth
• email address
• postal code 

However, with Simple Booth, you also have the option to add custom fields. This is useful to ask participants questions such as, “Did you enjoy the event?” or to add an opt-in asking them for permission to use their data for marketing purposes. 

You can collect as many data types as you’d like. Including the option to mix-and-match the options from the list above with your own custom fields as well. That being said, we suggest keeping it to a minimum to avoid participant frustration. 

We find collecting only one or two data capture types keeps participants engaged. It also prevents the frustration of having to type too much of their personal information.

Analyze user metrics & analytics

Additionally, Simple Booth also provides a rich variety of metrics you used to improve your events and marketing. You should absolutely be taking advantage of this!

For example, using the Simple Booth platform at an event, you can monitor:

• custom hashtag tracking on Instagram
• Facebook share intent
• Instagram share intent
• Twitter share intent
• total share button clicks
• Twitter referred views
• Facebook referred views
• total referred views

Combined, event planners can use data analytics to track engagement on images taken at their events. This allows them to see where their participants are most active on social media, plus get a glimpse at participant demographics. 

When properly analyzed, these metrics are used to improve the quality of future events, boost digital marketing strategies, as well as calculate the return on investment.

These are just a few ways Simple Booth allows its users to capture valuable consumer data and use it to improve their marketing efforts. Learn more about this incredibly valuable marketing tool, including step-by-step directions, in this blog post.

4. Delight event participants with digital photo booth props

Props are part of what makes event photo booths so much fun for participants. The problem is, prop tables are a hassle to keep organized. Not to mention the work that goes into finding the perfect props and transporting them between events and photo booth activations really adds up. 

It’s an endless battle and, let’s be real, event planners and organizers rarely have the time for it. 

The good news is, Simple Booth makes props even more enjoyable for participants while eliminating the work of prop management for event planners. 

Get familiar with digital photo booth props

That’s right, Simple Booth’s digital photo booth props are here to save the day.

We love them. Simple Booth clients love them. And event participants just can’t get enough of them.

The Simple Booth platform features 14 different themed prop packs. Each pack has a variety of props related to the theme. There are packs for all sorts of occasions from holiday-specific props to “Classic Booth” props featuring a tried and true selection of hats, mustaches, hairstyles, and more. 

If you want more options than the pre-loaded prop packs, Simple Booth platform users have the ability to add their own custom props.

Event planners select which digital props they’d like to offer participants inside the Simple Booth dashboard. Participants choose from those props once they’ve taken their photo.

Once participants have made their selection, Simple Booth automatically places them in the perfect position. For example, Simple Booth uses facial recognition technology to ensure hats go on heads, glasses go on eyes, beards go on chins, and so on. 

FURTHER READING: Introducing Digital Photo Booth Props

We do recommend you limit the number of digital prop options to 3-4 choices. You don’t want to overwhelm people with options. It slows down the entire process and could potentially create a long queue of participants waiting to use the photo booth. 

5. Customize event photo booth themes, overlays, logos, layouts, and more

The more people who engage with the photo booth at your event, the more opportunities you have to grow your email marketing list, foster brand advocacy and get your company’s name out there. 

Customizing your event photo booth is a surefire way to increase participants (and, if you’re using Simple Booth, level up your marketing game!). 

Simple Booth features customization options in an expansive way, with different subscription levels offering different customization options. However, every subscription level allows for custom logos, start screens, edit screens, and overlays to be added. 

More advanced subscription models also allow for live feeds with varying amounts of live feed ads. Additionally, some subscription levels include custom gallery logos and chroma-key (green screen) capabilities.

Whichever subscription level you go with, make use of all it’s offerings. Each feature is designed to fully incorporate custom branding into the event photo booth experience.

The more effort you put into customization, the more benefits you will gain from your branding.

6. Set up a real-time display

If you’ve ever been to an event or venue with a photo booth live feed, you already know it’s a powerful feature. Event participants love seeing their images on the big screen in real-time. 

If you’re not familiar with a live feed, you (and your event participants) are in for a treat. With a live feed, images taken with Simple Booth are arranged in a photo strip and displayed on a large display, such as television displays or projection screens for all to see. 

It may sound complicated, but Simple Booth makes it easy for a live feed to be set up on the fly at any event. Or, set up a dedicated URL to share ahead of time with an audio/visual team before the event.

Simple Booth allows for branded slides to be incorporated into the photo cycles. As you know, this is great for displaying branded ads or messaging for your company or client to event participants. 

Plus, you’re not limited to self-branding…

If your event is looking to add new revenue streams, Simple Booth’s live feed also allows you to use the branded slides for event sponsors or to display paid advertising from other companies, brands, or individuals. 

Yet another way Simple Booth helps to ramp up your events ROI.

FURTHER READING: Event Sponsorship Tips for Small Businesses

Simple Booth makes the best photo booths for events

As any smart business person will tell you, it pays dividends to use the right equipment for the job.

And as a photo booth company that makes photo booths from the ground up, we’re confident Simple Booth is the right equipment, whether you need it for your booth business or just a one-time event. 

Just ask Pernod Ricard, an international alcoholic beverage dealer who uses the Simple Booth HALO platform at a number of their events.

One of Pernod Ricard’s initial goals using Simple Booth was to grow their email marketing program. By activating a Simple Booth at their branded events, they are continuously smashing those email marketing goals and reaping added benefits.

Thanks to the Simple Booth HALO platform, Pernod Ricard saw a BIG jump in their conversion rates right off the bat.

In fact, their conversion rate skyrocketed to more than 90% after signing up thousands of new consumers at events in which they activated Simple Booth HALO.

Now, thanks to Simple Booth’s extensive customization features, Pernod Ricard is able to age-gate their consumer data collection by filtering out any person under the age of 21.

This crucial feature allows them to abide by heavily regulated rules regarding the sales and marketing of alcohol to minors. Plus, it ensures the consumer data they collect has the highest potential to convert.

The post 6 Essential Photo Booth Tips, Tricks & Ideas appeared first on Simple Booth.

Chances are low, because they’re being replaced rapidly with the latest and greatest in photo booth technology, including open-air photo booths, selfie stations, selfie walls, and even selfie mirrors.

Here are five reasons why you might consider upgrading from a traditional photo booth kiosk to a digital photo booth kiosk.

1. Traditional photo booth kiosks are big

Traditional photo booths are large and heavy. That makes them difficult to transport and adds cost for event rentals. Once you put one down, it’s not going anywhere if you change your mind. To make matters worse, it’s hard to find one that isn’t just plain ugly.

Event planners will try to hide a traditional photo booth in another room, in which case many people don’t notice it and miss out on the chance to use it. If you have an intimate venue, trying to find the right place for a traditional photo booth can be frustrating or impossible.

Newer photo booths are compact, portable, and can be mounted to the wall or even handheld for a roaming photo booth. Usually, they can be set up and torn down much faster, too.

You can set up your portable photo booth wherever you want — Los Angeles, New York City, corporate events, or mountain-tops. No need for a physical kiosk, green screen, or even a DSLR camera. It’s that simple!

On top of that? More people can take a photo in one because they have an open area.

2. They’re not very attractive

Let’s be honest, traditional photo booths are boxy and unattractive, often constructed with aluminum frames and wood paneling. Although they can have a vintage appeal, most people will dismiss them as a novelty instead of a “must-try.”

Typically these booths have cheesy printed images on the side, compounding the brand image situation. If you’re thinking about a photo booth rental for your corporate events, off-brand elements like such are a no-go. At Simple Booth we even go as far as helping you maintain your brand image with offering completely brandable photo templates.

Modern photo booths come in all shapes and sizes. Nowadays, they can have sleek curves and design features like a consumer product. A beautifully designed photo booth shell with glowing LED lights will attract participants better than any dark green curtain on a traditional photo booth kiosk. We all like shiny things, right?

Not only do modern photo booths look more attractive, they’ll make photos look more attractive as well! Digital templates, props, and filters make it all look better. Also, an iPad photo booth basically works as a mirror photo booth. Easier to find your better side for a pic that way.

3. They have too many moving parts

Ancient PC photo booth software is what powers traditional photo booths at events. The owner has to connect a PC, camera, flash, printer, and screen. There are a lot of things that can go wrong at any given time because there are so many points of failure. When there is a problem, there are a lot of components to troubleshoot. We’ve literally written the guide on the best cameras for photo booths, so we know all about it.

Plus, you need to frequently check the printer media levels.

Modern photo booths can run on an iPad or tablet and don’t require many components at all. That means fewer potential technical pitfalls. An iPad photo booth rarely disappoints.

4. Many old models are coin-operated

For a photo booth business, charging customers to take a photo may seem like a great idea. But for someone looking to entertain guests at events or improve the customer experience in-store, charging for it will come back to bite you. Your audience will get the impression you’re just being cheap or trying to make a buck. Save your guestbook or online reviews from some nasty remarks and rather invest in a free-to-use photo booth that’ll be fun for everyone.

5. Social media is an afterthought

If you want to connect your traditional photo booth to the internet, you’ll need to add a social sharing kiosk. That means an even larger footprint for the booth with kiosk stands. Plus, it becomes a multi-step process for your guests to get their photos and the system grinds to a halt.

If you’re making social media sharing hard, people won’t share pics from your events. You’re missing a great—practically free—social media marketing opportunity.

Mark Hennings, the Co-founder of Simple Booth, created one of the first social sharing kiosk apps called LiveBooth to help the industry move forward. Along the way, he discovered something even better.

A better way

The Simple Booth team developed a revolutionary, comprehensive solution so people would no longer have to compromise on photo booth size, quality or aesthetics. Starting with the physical aspect of the booth, the design is modern and sleek. It takes up little space and is extremely portable, allowing hosts to move it easily during their event.

It’s called Simple Booth HALO® and it runs on iPad.

The HALO ring light photo booth draws people in and makes them look great in pictures, moving GIFs, and even short-form video.

Combing hardware and software into a seamless, user-friendly solution, HALO makes it easy to setup a photo booth anywhere and for guests to enjoy it, receive their high-quality photos instantly to their phone and share online.

Make the modern move

The happiness and satisfaction of the guest experience is one of the most important factors for a successful event or activation. By investing in HALO, guests can have all the fun of a traditional photo booth but leave behind all of the hassle associated with it.

For this reason, big brands like Sephora, Red Bull and Live Nation see the benefits of digital photo booths.

Ready to upgrade from the traditional photo booth and show your patrons or guests a modern photo capture experience they’ll love?

The post Traditional Photo Booth Kiosks Are Outdated – Here’s Why appeared first on Simple Booth.