SPOA Summit 2025: A Look Back at How We Worked Together to Move the Industry Forward with Impact, Innovation and Momentum

From June 24–26, the school photography and yearbook community came together in Raleigh, North Carolina, for the 2025 SPOA International Conference & Summit, and the impact was undeniable. This wasn’t just a conference; it was a defining moment for our industry. Over three powerful days, we connected, collaborated, celebrated, and carved out a stronger path forward for every SPOA member and the students, schools, and communities we serve.

Record-Breaking Attendance and Engagement

With nearly 260 attendees representing more than 70 companies, this year’s Summit marked the highest level of engagement since SPOA’s inception. From small family-run studios to the largest national organizations, the room was filled with industry leaders ready to learn, share, and build together.

Attendees spanned the full range of business functions: executive leaders, sales and marketing pros, operations managers, photographers, yearbook staff, production heads and supplier partners. That cross-pollination of experience is exactly what makes this event so uniquely valuable.

It was clear our community was active from the start. Most of you downloaded the app and built a personal agenda, which helped make sessions feel intentional and full. We saw more than three thousand agenda views in the app and strong participation across the program. Breakfast roundtables, the Reverse Expo, our SPOA Business Meeting, Captura’s Welcome Party, and Stop the Shift Show all stood out as crowd favorites. The networking energy was real! You sent hundreds of private messages, traded business cards, and even spun up spontaneous meet-ups. This is why we gather, and it’s also why we will add more hosted meet-ups next year so it’s even easier to find your people on day one.

A Full Curriculum of Role-Based Learning

This year, we overhauled our education structure to offer a role-specific track system. We brought the industry’s top educators to the table, ensuring attendees at every level walked away with something practical and actionable.

• Business and Executive Track: forecasting, succession planning, AI readiness, strategic partnerships.

• Sales and Marketing Track: referral strategy, pricing psychology, MCH Data implementation, sales culture.

• Photography and Production Track: sports photo workflow, studio equipment optimization, the latest from our labs.

• Yearbook and Design Track: yearbook vendor panel, layout best practices, engagement tools for schools.

Keynotes and Mainstage: Real Leadership, Real Direction

Our opening keynote by Scott Greenberg hit home for owners and managers, focusing on what separates top-performing teams from the rest. His session delivered tangible leadership tools companies can put into action immediately.

Other standout general sessions included:

• The SPOA Annual Meeting, where we unveiled important updates on bylaws changes and board structure, new benefits and partnerships, and SPOA’s current outlook

• The State of the Industry Survey presentation by Captura + SPOA, highlighting the importance of our participation in the most comprehensive data survey conducted in our field

• Dynamic panels featuring insights from our most trusted solution providers

The Reverse Expo: Turning the Trade Show on Its Head

This year’s Reverse Expo flipped the traditional format and allowed photography companies to stay seated while vendors rotated between tables, giving each supplier a face-to-face moment with each and every one of their potential customers. It created more focused conversations, better lead generation, and more excitement than a traditional trade show.

Many of our supplier members reported that it was the most productive use of their time and travel budget all year, with real leads and meaningful relationship-building.

Celebrations and Camaraderie

From Captura + SPOA’s “Make More” Welcome Party,

to Got Photo’s “Sips & Sparks” After Hours, the week made it easy to meet new people and reconnect with old friends. SPOA Benefits’ “Cocktails and Coverage” cocktail hour kept the conversations going and the ideas flowing. We capped it all with the 2025 Awards Dinner and Reception sponsored by Captura, a packed celebration of the work we do and the people behind it. New contacts, great photos, inside jokes, and a few dance floor victories—proof this community knows how to mix business and fun.

…and a Little Creativity

Sparky, our SPOA mascot, was all over Raleigh this year, and she stole the show during our first on-site photo contest. SPOA attendees took their turns tracking her down and getting their best shot. We saw lighting tricks, Sparky on the road at some pretty swanky dinners, and a whole lot of mischief after the sun went down. The results were creative, spirited, and very Sparky.

Next up: Where in the World is Sparky? She’s studio hopping around the country, and we’ll crown a new award next year for Sparky’s best off-site photoshoot. Want Sparky to visit your team? Email Stephanie to get on the list!

We Can’t Wait to Hear More From You

Post-Summit feedback has already started coming in, but please keep an eye on your inbox for our formal surveys. We know this year was a huge success, and we’re always looking to improve. We’re excited to use your feedback to shape next year’s event.

What’s Next?

We’re already planning more ways for you to participate in 2026. Expect easy session feedback in the app so your voice guides future topics. Look for hosted meet-ups around sales, operations, marketing, AI and production. We will also highlight more of your photos and stories from the week because they show the heart of this community.

The SPOA team is already working on SPOA Summit 2026. Be sure to save the date for June 23–25, 2026! More details to come, so keep an eye on our socials and monthly newsletters. If you would like to get more involved, our committee always has room

and we would love to hear from you.

Thank You

To every attendee, sponsor, speaker, exhibitor, volunteer, and board member: THANK YOU for making SPOA Summit 2025 a true success. Meeting so many of you and building my first Summit with our incredible committee and volunteers has been the highlight of my year. Your participation fuels our mission. Your presence strengthens this community, and your belief in what we’re building together is what makes it all possible.

With Gratitude,

Stephanie Hayes - Executive Director