2014 International Photo Booth Convention in Chicago

The Cloud Gate at Millenium Park

Last month, I had the opportunity to attend the International Photo Booth Convention in Chicago. You might be wondering what exactly is this convention? It is for the small group of die hard enthusiasts who appreciate the charm of a vintage photo booth. My wife is one of those such souls, so I often have to accompany her to these events. If you follow this blog on a regular basis, I have detailed our adventures in other cities.

Much like the automobile enthusiasts with whom I spent almost every weekend, photo booth enthusiasts have a found connection to older, simpler technology and an appreciation for yesteryear. Digital photo booths are becoming more popular since they are much easier to transport, maintain and use, but these purists love using and maintaining booths from the 1920s-1950s. Sound just like hot rodders, right?

Before the convention activities kicked off, my wife and I visited some Chicago tourist spots. Here are a few highlights.

Buckingham Fountain (some of you might recognize it from the opening to Married with Children).

At the Field Museum, we were excited to find a few Mold-A-Rama machines. These cool machines pop out mini wax replicas of various dinosaurs. Just a throwback to our childhoods that we love.

All the fuss of the Little Goat Diner is well deserved. It was hands down our favorite restaurant in Chicago. I think we actually ate three consecutive meals at this diner. It was slightly embarrassing to be recognized by the prior night's waiters while we ate breakfast.

Cool sign just off of Randolph St.

No trip to Chicago is complete for a sports fan without a visit to Wrigley Field. This old park isn't that nice, but it is celebrating 100 years this season so it was definitely worth a visit.

Now, back to the convention details. The convention was held at A&A Studios in Chicago. A visit to this studio is field day for vintage photography lovers. There is a great collection of vintage cameras and of course, photo booths. The company rents them out for special events, so they had a nice collection available to convention attendees.

Just like hot rodders, photo booth enthusiasts also love cheap beer. The opening night party had cool beer and a number of photo booths on hand for attendees to enjoy.

During the weekend long convention, the promoters from Photobooth.net hosted seminars ranging from proper photo booth maintenance to art projects and best photo preservation methods.

Thank you to Brian, Meags and everyone at Photobooth.net for putting all of the work in for a great event. We look forward to the next convention and hopefully it is not the same weekend as a classic car show.

If you are interested in more information on Phootobooth.net and its convention, please visit the official website.