Author Topic: Contributor meetings... (Read 4085 times)

click_click · « **on:** February 22, 2010, 21:43 »

What do you think:

Should the major microstock agencies also offer some sort of contributor meetings like Alamy does every year?

As an idea I was thinking of an online meeting with a live video feed of of the upper management members of an agency responding to the most asked questions and suggestions from its contributors. Also it could serve as an opportunity to announce future plans, current operations and some numbers on how the company is doing.

I'm just throwing this out there. Even if it's just some of the biggest contributors interacting with the agency staff to see how important questions and suggestions from the Pros are handed to the agency.

I hate the anonymity we deal with on a daily basis and it would be nice to get a bit more of a personal connection to the agencies.

Any thoughts?

cathyslife · « **Reply #1 on:** February 22, 2010, 22:06 »

Sounds great. Like a gotomeeting type of webinar.

I am all for it, but I seriously doubt that it would happen. In the case of some companies who shall remain nameless, upper management won't want to take suggestions from us, and they won't want to share any of their "secrets" for profiting i.e. future plans. To my jaded view of companies nowadays, the more smoke and mirrors they can generate, the better for them. That way they don't have to be accountable.

But if it can happen, count me in to participate...if only for the entertainment value.

click_click · « **Reply #2 on:** February 22, 2010, 22:17 »

I know that the chance of this happening is less than slim. I just wanted to hear if this would be something people would like to see happen...

I could see the event being announced 2-3 months in advance where all contributors are allowed to send in one question each and 5 of the most asked questions would be addressed in the conference. Furthermore I'd like to see a few top contributors also throw in their opinions and ideas.

I think the agencies should pay more attention to the contributors needs and suggestions. It's not like that they can do without us...

stockastic · « **Reply #3 on:** February 22, 2010, 22:27 »

It would be great fun to hear "The Chad" from Fotolia attempting to answer a simple question about the value of a credit.

click_click · « **Reply #4 on:** February 22, 2010, 22:32 »

Quote from: stockastic on February 22, 2010, 22:27

It would be great fun to hear "The Chad" from Fotolia attempting to answer a simple question about the value of a credit.

I know, I know. Let's not derail this to a Fotolia bashing...

MichaelJay · « **Reply #5 on:** February 23, 2010, 02:36 »

iStock hosts "iStockalypses" usually at least twice a year. While those events are mainly multi-day group shoots during daytime, there is always a lot of creative discussion going on and there are always sessions like "meeting the inspectors" or speaches about iStock´s plans and future.

As far as I know, every contributor is welcome to those sessions, though the number of tickets for the shoots are very limited. You can always meet inspectors and some of the content leads at those events and discuss acceptance standards or business perspectives if you like.

At the last iStockalypse, we had about 60 contributors for the shoots, another 20-30 just visiting and about 100 admins, inspectors, HQ stuff around as it happened in Calgary. The next one isn´t announced yet but if you are interested keep your eyes open. The event is travelling around the globe (e.g. there were ones in Berlin and Buenos Aires in recent years)

MikLav · « **Reply #6 on:** February 23, 2010, 02:53 »

Stockxpert organized a contributor's conference in 2008: http://www.microstockdiaries.com/stockxpert-contributor-conference-reviewed.html

Later in 2008 StockXpert organized a teleconference for contributors, related to their program with photos.com

iStockapyple already mentioned (initially were open to any contributor, but since couple yrs ago only for exclusives)

Fotolia once organized a gathering in Berlin, if I recall correctly it was open for contributors

Microstock photographers organize themselves too:

Shutterstock contributors organized European meetings two times: http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=65037

iStock minilypses are common

Sean Locke Photography · « **Reply #7 on:** February 23, 2010, 10:14 »

Quote from: MichaelJay on February 23, 2010, 02:36

iStock hosts "iStockalypses" usually at least twice a year. While those events are mainly multi-day group shoots during daytime, there is always a lot of creative discussion going on and there are always sessions like "meeting the inspectors" or speaches about iStock´s plans and future.

Yes, the last one had a very good 1-2 hour session with 5 of the department heads, taking questions. I hope in some sense that I had a hand in that because I asked incessantly for something similar at the previous meet-up and it didn't happen. Of course, the comments at the meeting were held pretty much to those in the session.

click_click · « **Reply #8 on:** February 23, 2010, 13:21 »

Quote from: MikLav on February 23, 2010, 02:53

Stockxpert organized a contributor's conference in 2008: http://www.microstockdiaries.com/stockxpert-contributor-conference-reviewed.html

Later in 2008 StockXpert organized a teleconference for contributors, related to their program with photos.com

iStockapyple already mentioned (initially were open to any contributor, but since couple yrs ago only for exclusives)

Fotolia once organized a gathering in Berlin, if I recall correctly it was open for contributors

Microstock photographers organize themselves too:

Shutterstock contributors organized European meetings two times: http://submit.shutterstock.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=65037

iStock minilypses are common

God, I must have been living under a rock all these years... Thanks for this list.

Well maybe I can get in into one of the upcoming ones...

cathyslife · « **Reply #9 on:** February 23, 2010, 14:13 »

Quote

Yes, the last one had a very good 1-2 hour session with 5 of the department heads, taking questions. I hope in some sense that I had a hand in that because I asked incessantly for something similar at the previous meet-up and it didn't happen. Of course, the comments at the meeting were held pretty much to those in the session.

And I'm not saying that something good doesn't come from these events...but typically the true decision-makers from the companies are not present. Department heads could certainly pass along ideas, comments, suggestions, etc. so I guess that would be better than nothing.

And as mentioned by the last poster, these are now limited to exclusives (at IS). As if independents couldn't possibly have any relevant input, or don't contribute to the site's overall success and profit.

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Author Topic: Contributor meetings... (Read 4085 times)

click_click

cathyslife

click_click

stockastic

click_click

MichaelJay

MikLav

Sean Locke Photography

click_click

cathyslife

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