Throwback Thursday –  Denis Reggie, Don Blair & PPA Orlando ’96

They might just be grab shots, but there’s a whole lot of significance to the story behind them. The year is 1996, and it’s the PPA convention in Orlando. Back in those days what’s become known as IUSA was always in the middle of the summer. You could typically pick the hottest place in the US, with the lowest hotel rates and that’s where the convention would be held. IUSA has sure come a long way!

A few years earlier Hasselblad and Kodak teamed up and launched Speakers Corner. We put our booths on either side of the aisle, then bought the aisle, putting all the in-booth programming right between our two companies. That’s Denis Reggie presenting in the top image, and “Big Daddy” Blair in the one below.  A new program kicked off every hour, and the draw for both Hasselblad and Kodak was remarkable.

But besides a lot of great memories as I look back to what it took to schedule and coordinate our presence at any show, I’m laughing over the way the chairs were put together. We had “Kodak” and “Hasselblad” printed on each chair back. In fact, I surprised Terry Deglau from Kodak and had the director’s chairs made up, but looking at these images everyone is sitting on the logos – they were put together wrong. The name should be on the outside, on the back of the chair. Even worse, while I’d like to find out who the bozo was who put them together wrong, I’m betting any money it was me! LOL

Hasselblad and Kodak were the first companies to work together this way, and it set the stage for some incredible programs over the years. It made so much sense to work together since we shared so many of the industry’s icons along with a strong mutual focus on education.

So, it’s Throwback Thursday – have you gone searching for your throwbacks to share? Remember, talking about the value of old images is a terrific marketing tool and a strong reminder to your blog readership that time never slows down!

Happy Throwback Thursday!

PS Let me know if any of you spot yourselves in the audience!