Visual 1st and DIY Video Summit is coming up fast

Three years after SmugMug’s acquisition of Flickr, both these photo-sharing sites are forging ahead by developing new tools and services. Beyond addressing the needs of their respective customer bases, they’re also focusing on innovation that can attract a new generation of photo enthusiasts. So what’s next? How to best capitalize on the gaps left by other photo cloud storage or sharing providers who have moved away from their original photo-focused mission? How to monetize – and further empower – their loyal customer base? And how to make SmugMug’s and Flickr’s tools and services an integral part of the broader imaging ecosystem as it evolves?

How can visual memories best be preserved for decades to come, to be shared with future generations? We’ve discussed this before at Visual 1st: Neither today’s digital solutions nor yesterday’s analog ones provide the necessary assurances. It’s a huge issue with complex inter-related technical, financial, and fiduciary aspects, and equally large business potential for those who can solve it.  The Emortal  mission is to provide a comprehensive solution to keep your digital legacy safe, private, accessible, and sharable far into the future. As the service nears public beta, Culross will discuss how he plans to gain trust from prospective customers and convince them Emortal’s unique approach is what they need.

Reversing a years-long trend, U.S. camera sales have actually grown in the past year, as consumers developed new needs for capturing photos or videos during a pandemic that fundamentally changed how and where they spend their time.  The market not only rebounded for traditional digital cameras, but also for a variety of special use case cameras, such as action cameras and 360-degree cameras. But what’s next when users will return to some form of ‘normal’ life? What are the new opportunities going forward for digital camera sales in various categories?