NEC Birmingham - Piazza Suite 2+3
28th Jan 2025
Speakers
Our specialized niche faces numerous challenges that require attention, open discussion and industry-wide solutions.
​
Our goal is to build an educational platform where ideas and experiences can be freely exchanged, fostering greater awareness of the diverse solutions and options available to us. Through collaboration, we can support each other in growing our businesses.
​​
Our esteemed speakers, both local and international, bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to cover topics such as technology integration, advanced techniques, workflow optimization, business development, mindset change and quality enhancement.
Magnus Bagge
Exaktaphoto
- Sweden, Norway and Denmark
Magnus has been in the high volume photography industry since 1992, since starting his company. It's been a long journey from analog production, to the digital era. ​
​
''Today we have 4 different brands in 3 countries, photographing approximately 1.400.000 students, using more than 300 photographers in a vertical operation".
Jeff Brown
The Photographers Mentor
- UK
Jeff Brown – The Photographers’ Mentor Bio Jeff Brown is an International Photography Business Mentor and Best Selling Photography Business Author, having delivered courses and workshops around the world, Jeff works closely with photographers from all niches and photographic backgrounds.
He personally mentors photographers in over 20 countries worldwide, helping them develop their brand to become the “Go-To Photographer” in their niche and achieve the success they deserve.
Part of Jeff’s major focus and teachings are in the areas of Mindset, Self Belief, Goal Setting and Consistency. It’s essential to have a mindset for success and a clear path to follow, no photographer can grow or succeed without goals, direction and a positive mindset to achieve.
Jeff has written 4 best selling photography books – •The Photographers Missing Link-edIn •The Ambitious Photographer’s Journal •Help My Photography Website Needs More Customers •The Photographer’s Gratitude & Mindset Journal.
He writes for several photography magazine and associations and is also an ambassador for OM System, The British Photography Awards, Studio Ninja, The Societies of Photographers, President of The BIPP, and the UK and US Brand Ambassador for The Shutter Studio App. Website:www.thephotographersmentor.com
Facebook:www.facebook.com/JeffBrownThePhotographersMentor LinkedIn:www.linkedin.com/in/thephotographersmentor Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jeff%20Brown/author/B09M76J1XK
Neil Sweeney
Carmel Jane Photography
- UK
Some may call him a serial entrepreneur, however he’d prefer to think of himself as a curious, love to explore new boundaries kind of guy with a passion for all things people and business!
Growing up in an entrepreneurial family living in a seaside town called Southend on Sea on the coast of the UK. He was forever creating new business ideas, from selling designer clothes from his school locker to washing cars up and down the roads, he clearly had entrepreneurship in his DNA from an early age. At the age of 17 he embarked on his first real job in commercial property, and looking back this gave the foundation that still yields today!.. and by the age of 30 (2011) his first “real” business was formed.
Through learning and pure grit he successfully scaled his first business to one of the UK’s largest and most recognised companies in the industry. Too add to this, as if one business wasn’t enough, like all entrepreneurs he had identified a second opportunity forming his second company in 2013. Throughout the next 8 years both businesses were scaled and successfully sold to European recognised organisations in 2019 and 2021.
Throughout this time Neil had always spent time at networking events and regularly meeting Carmel Jane (the then sole owner of Carmel Jane Photography) and in February 2024 he is now the co-owner and managing director of the company. His enthusiasm and ability to diversify in a variety of markets will only bring a huge value to the industry, and he is excited to be part of a traditional yet evolving industry.
Harri Olkinuora
Netlife
- Norway
Harri Olkinuora is a proven leader and a business coach with more than 20 years of experience in the photographic industry. Although he is primarily working with larger school photography companies and labs, he also enjoy working closely with smaller operators to develop their business. He processes an unique blend of entrepreneurial spirit combined with deep passion for both technology and business development.
In his position as Head of Sales and Marketing @ Netlife, he has helped hundreds of businesses become more profitable, by maximizing the value of their current volume or help them scale. He is not only providing Netlife's comprehensive software platforms, but also trusted advice to meet their strategies and goals.
His passion of helping the players in the industry, has led him into organising -and hosting the first ever international school photography convention in Europe with attendees from 18 countries. He also enjoy being a speaker at conferences and have both organised and attended multiple events around the world. Harri is also an active part of the SPAC USA, as a member of the board advisory committee.
Harri is currently working with school- and sport photographers in Vietnam, Japan, Finland, Chile, France, Hong Kong, Australia, Sweden, Ireland, United Arab Emirates, Norway, South Africa, Iceland, Scotland, Holland, Singapore, Denmark, Estonia, Saudi Arabia, Greenland, Canada, Oman, Belgium, Bahrain, England, Northern Ireland, Poland, New Zealand, Spain and USA.
The variety of partners has also given him a wide insight in the global photo industry and the understanding of their needs on different levels.
CloudPics
- UK
Dan McPherson
Dan McPherson is the Technical Manager at CloudPics Ltd, a UK-based company that provides innovative solutions for photographers to efficiently manage high client volumes, including online sales and print production systems. In his role, Dan has been instrumental in establishing and managing numerous websites, supporting photography businesses across diverse sectors such as School, Sports, Dance, and even Pet Photography! He plays a key role in ensuring smooth website management and order fulfilment for these companies.
With over 20 years of experience in the volume photography industry, Dan’s expertise covers the entire image processing workflow—from camera capture to final print. Starting his career as a photo lab technician and eventually becoming a lab manager, he has a deep understanding of the technical and operational demands of high-volume photography.
Dan holds a degree in Graphic Design from Anglian Polytechnic University and is passionate about applying thoughtful design principles to drive efficiency and innovation within the photography industry. His combined knowledge of design and technical management has enabled him to streamline processes, enhance user experiences, and contribute to the ongoing success of his clients.
Outside of work, Dan channels his creativity through DJing House music, a passion that allows him to blend his love for rhythm and technology. He also enjoys coarse angling, camping, and running, which give him the opportunity to recharge and stay connected to nature. These hobbies help Dan maintain a balanced lifestyle, combining creativity, focus, and a love for the outdoors.
Andy Molloy
Lightroom Photography - UK,
Fotolink and FotoSmart -Spain
Andy is a passionate school photographer who is making a name for himself in both the UK and Spain. He has spent years perfecting his craft, capturing timeless memories for students and their families.
Andy has a unique talent for bringing out the best in his subjects, putting them at ease and making them feel comfortable in front of the camera. Having grown up in the photography industry, Andy has always had a passion for capturing life's special moments. He is continually striving to improve his skills and learn from those around him, believing that there is always something new to discover. One of his guiding principles is to "do something uncomfortable every day," which keeps him motivated and constantly pushing himself to new heights.
Recently, Andy has taken on the challenge of working with photographers in Spain on workflow methods for high volume photography. He is passionate about applying the latest technologies to the sector and helping to create a new standard of excellence in the industry. Through his hard work and dedication, Andy is quickly becoming a leader in his field and a sought-after mentor for aspiring photographers.
​
Andy enjoys helping other photographers and he has been a speaker at conferences in the UK, Spain, Australia and will attend as speaker on the International School photography Conference in South Africa April 2025.
James Lawrence-Jones
EyeQ Imaging Inc
James serves as the European Solution Architect Lead for Perfectly Clear / EyeQ. With over 30 years of experience in photography and print, James has worked across various sectors, including e-commerce personalized volume printing, photo software, photo kiosk development, stock photography, commercial print, and fine art photographic printing. Before joining Perfectly Clear, James spent 15 years with the Photobox / Storio Group as the Group Director of Technical Innovation and QHSS. His background is rooted in photographic and print operations management, and he is passionate about leveraging innovative technologies to enhance productivity, streamline operations, and improve output quality. James enjoys sharing his industry expertise and insights — feel free to catch him for a conversation to learn more.
Lee Brooker
Happy Days - UK
Lee is a photographer and business owner based in Essex, UK. With over 2 decades of experience in School and Volume photography, Lee loves to try to find new ways to do things. Owner and founder of Happy Days Creative, Lee has come up with a number of ways to bring different things to a very established market in UK School Photography. Not least The Portrait Truck www.theportraittruck.co.uk is the only Mobile School and Portrait Photo Studio that we know of in the UK. Converting an old library during a global lockdown isn’t everyones idea of a great plan, but Lee and his team have proven this to be a solution to a very real problem and it has had other benefits too which aren’t immediately obvious.
Always happy to share his journey, lessons learned and story, Lee is happy to answer any questions and also learn other ways people have found success in their business.
Sam Wrate
Wrates School Photography
Wrates Bagley - UK
Sam Wrate and his business partner, Kitz Bagley, proudly lead Wrates School Photography, a family-owned company with roots dating back to 1907. As the fifth-generation, Sam blends tradition with innovation, striving to provide unique services for schools—like whole-school staging, free leaver gifts, and yearly thank-you gifts.
Sam and Kitz are dedicated to staying a step ahead by listening to customer feedback and embracing change, and their efforts recently led to a record-breaking year. Together, they ensure that Wrates remains a trusted partner for schools, capturing memories that families cherish.
Sherwood Laboratories Ltd
Wrates Bagley - UK
Kitz Bagley
Kitz Bagley has played a pivotal role at Sherwood Laboratories over the last decade, helping to establish it as the UK’s only dedicated school photography lab.
At just 26, Kitz focuses on empowering school photographers to grow their businesses by providing innovative solutions and tailored services. His commitment to fast turnaround times, competitive pricing, and robust data security.
Making Sherwood an invaluable partner in the industry. Kitz’s passion for supporting clients and enhancing their profitability drives the lab’s continued success.