Saturday, February 20 at 6:15 p.m. and again on Sunday, February 21 at 7:15 p.m.

Enjoy the company of other fellow PMA attendees at a Dutch Treat dinner taking place at the Mix Restaurant located in the Hilton Hotel, located about 100 yards from the main entrance of the Anaheim Convention Center.

Here’s how it works; email the night and the number of people in your party to Pat McNerney at pmcnerney@pmai.org. Then, show up at the Mix Restaurant at the appointed time and join new friends for dinner. There is no charge other than you must pay for your own dinner (including tax & gratuity). You may also sign up on site at the PMA Registration desk, but space may be limited by that time.

iPhones, and other smartphones, are becoming the de facto camera for many consumers.  How can retailers and photographers take advantage of the growing photo app ecosystem?

New this year, the PMA Photo App Pavilion makes its debut on the PMA 2010 trade show floor.

Glyn Evans, editor of the popular iPhoneography blog, will present the top photo apps available today. Special guests and application developers will be on-site to share new techniques and applications as well as answer questions throughout the PMA 2010 trade show.

Evans recently blogged about a tweet-up planned for PMA 2010:

Myself, Sion Fullana, Anton Kawasaki and Marty Yawnick will all be at the event, either presenting or as a visitor, and so I have decided to try and organize a meet-up.

If you are attending the show, or will be in the area during this time and would like to meet up with us, then please add your names here and I will organize something and post when and where the meet will be nearer the time.

Lynn Goldsmith can honestly say she captured stars – Bruce Springsteen, Prince, Madonna, C3PO, and countless others. Her remarkable talent has taken her worldwide, and she will share her experiences as this year’ Evening with An Artist.

While other would be envious of Goldsmith’s subjects, she found herself not happy with her work. So, she began looking for inspiration elsewhere. In an interview with PMA Magazine, Goldsmith describes the need to find a new creative outlet as a photographer:

“I realized, while my photography pleased others, I was not reflecting on it and it no longer made me happy,” she writes in her introduction.

Goldsmith found a way to recapture that photographic magic by observing others, many times at the mall.

“In the past nine years, I have often gone out at midnight with a high-resolution digital camera, one black curtain, tripod, ladder, Windex, paper towels, and an assistant, and stayed up until dawn, photographing the display windows of New York City,” she wrote. “I chose to work digitally, as this technology has a nearly limitless capacity to blend fiction and fact. I can create a single image that is actually a combination of any number of photographs.”

Catch Lynn Goldsmith, the PIEA 2010 Evening With an Artist, Sunday, February 21, at 7:00 p.m., sponsored by Nikon.

One of the best parts about PMA 2010 is meeting the people. A simple conversation can lead to new ideas or even a new friendship.

So, you are coming to PMA 2010 with no formal dinner plans?  Prefer not to eat alone?

Enjoy the company of other fellow PMA attendees at a Dutch Treat dinner on Saturday, February 20 at 6:15 p.m. and/or Sunday, February 21 at 7:15 p.m. Dinner will take place at the Mix Restaurant located in the Hilton Hotel which is located about 100 yards from the main entrance of the Anaheim Convention Center.

Here is how it works:

1. Email the night and the number of people in your party to Pat McNerney at pmcnerney@pmai.org.
2. Then just show up at the Mix Restaurant at the appointed time and join new friends for dinner.

There is no charge other then you must pay for your own dinner (including tax & gratuity). You may also sign up on site at the PMA Registration desk, but space may be limited at that time.

PMA 09 may have ended, but there are still many great moments to review. The video below is probably the highlight of my personal PMA 09 experience.

Tim Hussin, winner of the PMA 09 Student Video Contest, had two days to capture the event and present his vision during the PMA 09 Official Business Session, March 5. Hussin is an award-winning photographer and multimedia producer who graduated in 2008 with a degree in Journalism from the University of Florida. He was named 2008 College Photographer of the Year and will intern at National Geographic in Fall 2009.

It’s easy to see why Hussin won the Student Video Contest, and it’s clear that he will have a successful career ahead of him.

One of the things that makes an association-led show like PMA 09 so great is all of the learning opportunities available. I’m not talking just about the great session line-up either. There’s lots to see and learn on the trade show floor itself.

Are you a retailer? Learn more about some of the most important issues in retail with these sessions taking place from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. on the PMA 09 trade show floor:

• Are You Giving Women What They Want?
• Starting to Turn Green – Make operations easier on the planet and on your bottom line.
• PMA 09 Retailer Hot Picks – Newly Discovered Gems at PMA 09 with Bill McCurry

If photo books are your thing (or you’re curious to find out if it’s your thing), you can compare kiosk production platforms side-by-side at the DIMA Photo Book Showcase.

Or maybe you need tips and tricks on photo software? Grab a quick 20-minute presentation at the DIMA Software Tutorial Pavilion.

There’s plenty to see and learn at PMA 09 – all you have to do is get there!

Just because you are in Vegas doesn’t mean you can’t exercise.

And Lucidiom is offering a great opportunity for networking with other PMA 09 attendees who are looking for a stretch of the legs:

Come and join Lucidiom staff for a 3 mile Sunrise Fun Run at PMA 2009 on Tuesday March 3rd and Wednesday March 4th. We will meet at the Las Vegas Hilton east entrance (which is on Joe Brown Road) at 6:15am (to stretch) for a 6:30am run.

We have an alternate shorter walking route mapped out also if you prefer. Wear red and we’ll know you’re there to run! Be sure to pack your sneakers!

Personally, I’ll be saving my steps for seeing the hottest products on the trade show floor – especially at the Lucidiom booth.

Okay, sorry for the Pat Benatar reference. And this is on the heels of a Wham! reference.

Here’s the scoop: the SPAA Action Photography Shoot-Out competition gets even better.

In addition to the red-hot AntiGravity performers delivering jaw-dropping photo opportunities, you can take your best shot with help from the pros.

Terrell Lloyd, staff photographer for the San Francisco 49ers, will be at the SPAA Action Photography Shoot-Out to offer advice and help you get the best pictures possible. Lloyd’s appearance is courtesy of Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Inc, who will help you print your pictures and enter the competition.

Remember to bring your camera to capture the action-packed aerial athletics of AntiGravity at booth P210. After you’ve taken your prize-winning shot, visit Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Inc. at booth Q161. Print your three best shots, fill out an entry label, adhere to back of a single shot, and submit your entry.

You could win a trip for two to PMA 2010, including airfare and a four-night hotel stay arranged by PMA and two All Conference Connection Passes.

Sorry for the Wham! reference, but I couldn’t resist – I’m excited over the news of a Photojojo photo safari planned for PMA 09.

Photojojo, with the support of HP and PMA Magazine – Connecting the Imaging Communities, will be taking several lucky shutterbugs to the Las Vegas Neon Boneyard for some breathtaking photography, a photo tour, and an after-event with awesome prizes!

Las Vegas’s famed Neon Boneyard is the final resting place for decades of Vegas signage. For a truly surreal, deeply colorful and haunting photos of Vegas, there’s no better place than this.

Following the tour, Photojojo will transport everyone to our after-event at a hotel on the Strip, where you’ll have the opportunity to print out your best shots from the day, show them off, and win some amazing new printers from HP!

Photojojo Photo Safaris have a reputation for being fun, exciting events. This marks their Las Vegas debut, and it’s sure to fill up fast!

All you have to is RSVP and bring your camera to the Main Entrance of the LVCC South Hall (near the PMA sign). The cost is FREE and is scheduled for Wednesday, March 4 at 3:00 p.m.

It may seem like we’re getting ahead of ourselves by talking about PMA 2010, but next year’s trip could start when you get to PMA 09.

Bring your camera and capture the exciting, action-packed aerial athletics of acclaimed performance troupe AntiGravity at the SPAA Action Photography Shoot-Out competition, at booth P210.

After you’ve taken your prize-winning shot, visit Mitsubishi Digital Electronics America Inc., booth Q161. Print your three best shots, fill out an entry label, adhere to back of a single shot, and submit your entry.

You could win a trip for two to PMA 2010, including airfare and a four-night hotel stay arranged by PMA and two All Conference Connection Passes.

It’s a great opportunity to show off your skills. Just don’t forget to bring your camera (but I have a feeling you shutterbugs will bring multiple cameras).