Episode 20 | Wichita Chamber Business Accelerator

Sometimes all it takes is that small moment of inspiration to create a business that is truly unique. Conan Fugit and his wife, Katherine, turned their love of campers and photography into a thriving photo booth business that travels to events all over the Wichita area. Conan talks with co-hosts Don Sherman and Ebony Clemons-Ajibolade about their love for vintage and nostalgic items which led to the creation of Lamhouse Photo Booth Co. Their first event was in 2013 and they will celebrate 8 years in business this June. They started with a vintage camper turned into an analog photography studio and darkroom but have since merged into exclusively digital photo booths. Today they have several different types of photo booths including, the Birdie Booths which they take to weddings, public events, and corporate parties as well as the popular Little "Lampy" Camper photo booth that allow guests to jump inside a camper to snap their photo. The pandemic shifted their priorities from in-person events to connecting with followers via social media, so they took that time to start a YouTube channel where they documented remodeling vintage campers and also show what it's like to operate a photo booth business. Their idea started as a fun distraction but eventually grew into its own unique business venture.

Lamphouse Photo Booth Co.
316-712-4890
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Number of employees: 4
Chamber member since 2020

On this episode we discuss:

• Being inspired by vintage campers to create a new business
• Creating a new business that is tangential from food trucks
• Living a nostalgic life
• Traveling to big events all over Wichita
• How customers find them
• Standing out in a crowded space from the competition
• Always looking for unique opportunities and ways to grow and pivot
• Staying relevant when events aren’t happening
• Thinking about how to scale while continuously reevaluating the overall business
• How Wichita is friendly to entrepreneurs
• The resources that helped them weather the pandemic

Learn more about the Lamphouse Photo Booth Co. on their website and like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram and subscribe to their YouTube Channel.

Listen on popular podcast directories and aggregators, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Pandora, and ICT Podcast Network or using the player above. Send feedback on this show and/or suggestions for future guests or topics by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts or emailing communications@wichitachamber.org.

Preview:

Wichita Chamber Business Accelerator is a weekly podcast devoted to supporting and learning from area business owners. Released every Wednesday, it's produced by Forge Podcast Co, managed by the Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce and sponsored by Evergy.

Learn more about this podcast series by visiting our January 7 blog post.