The Rising Tide Society kicked off 2024 by attending an event that pushed forward our goals of connection, growth, education and outreach.
At the end of February, Board Members Brittanny Taylor and Marvin Flavien and Executive Director Wendy Zook represented our community at the Lens & Light photography summit in Mystic, Connecticut.
About Lens & Light
Our team was excited to attend the three-day event as vendors and exhibitors representing our new nonprofit!
Our booth featured information on our community as a nonprofit entity, upcoming events for members, ways to get connected to the community, and how to join or start regional chapters of Rising Tide. The community team also shared opportunities to join the Rising Tide email list, gain new swag from the RTS merch store, and created exciting potential future partnerships with attendees and sponsors.
This was the first year for the Lens & Light Summit, which was co-founded by Rising Tide Society Board Member Chris Stiles. He and his summit business partner Jennifer Zapatka met through the Rising Tide Society and spoke at the event about how important community is and how transformative Rising Tide has been for their businesses and their lives.
A Conference For Photographers, By Photographers
Attendees were able to listen to amazing speakers (like Joe McNally, Lindsay Adler, Esteban Gil, and Rising Tide co-founder Natalie Franke!), attend photography workshops, and socialize with other photographers throughout the three-day conference.
Whether you focused on portrait photography, wedding photography, commercial photography, or specialties, there were helpful tools and information for everyone. And social events like a time travelers’ ball or a fun photography “shoot-off” on the last day allowed the audience to participate, network, and build their community.
Rising Tide Society Booth at Lens & Light
The intimacy of the small conference provided unique opportunities for our Rising Tide team members to speak with existing community members – and potential new members – about what is important to them and what small business owners need most these days.
We are so grateful for everyone who shared their insights and ideas with us! That information will be essential for creating new paths and opportunities for the community in the coming months and years.
Thoughts from Our Team
“It was great giving people a look at community and what it means to feel like you belong. My favorite part was seeing people hear about what RTS is and how they immediately wanted to be a part of it.”
Board Member Marvin Flavien
“The experience at Lens & Light gave us a chance to have longer, deeper conversations with attendees. It was so powerful to gain close friendships and relationships with others experiencing the event in such a short amount of time. We can’t wait to return next year.”
Executive Director Wendy Zook
“My favorite parts were the conversations I had with people about their businesses, lives and passions outside of work. We became friends with every person who stopped by our table. It felt like this summit encompassed everything Rising Tide Society stands for.”
President Brittanny Taylor
Our Rising Tide team plans on attending other small conferences in different industries and focuses across the United States and Canada. If you have suggestions for a conference they should consider, please email them to Executive Director, Wendy Zook.
The next Lens & Light summit will be held February 25-27, 2025 again at Mystic, Connecticut.
