“Asheville is a unique and magical place,” says Account Manager Brytnee Bechthold. “Once we were ready to expand outside the Raleigh Triangle area, we wanted to grow into a place where our creative culture could thrive. Asheville fits us like a glove, and the local business community has been so supportive and inspiring.”
Looking ahead, ZimZoom has ambitious plans for growth. Brytnee shared, “ZimZoom will continue to grow into new markets in North and South Carolina. There are also some exciting new products on the horizon utilizing the latest AI and robotics technology.”
Read our full Q&A with Brytnee below…
Tell us about your business and the role you play in it.
ZimZoom is the leading Photo Booth Rental company in NC. With offices in Asheville & Chapel Hill, we’ve been providing photo booth services at events across the state since 2015. Founded by pro photographers, we’re know for our premium photo & video production quality. Our Pro Booth with instant prints, is a fun and engaging way to produce amazing branded photos. Our popular 360 Video Experience is an innovative and exciting way for guests to have a blast and create engaging, branded videos. We also offer roaming photography, digital selfie stations, AI photo booths and have some exciting new products on the horizon. ZimZoom’s reputation for high quality, flawless execution and outstanding customer service has been a key to our continuing success.
How did you come up with your idea or concept for your business? How did you decide on a name?
The founders are photographers and while the photo booth industry was starting to pick up steam in 2015, they saw the opportunity to merge photo booths with real photography. The idea was to produce photos that would capture moments that could be cherished for a long time. Also, the ability to produce gorgeous prints on the spot was really special, especially when the world was moving more towards digital photography. Since guests could text or email digital images and also get beautiful prints it was the best of both worlds. There were no companies in North Carolina operating at that level when ZimZoom was founded.
What makes your business unique in its field?
Many event industry companies are “lifestyle businesses” or side hustles. From the start, ZimZoom has been intent on building an enterprise that could provide premium event experiences at scale. Customers love the ZimZoom experience but in order to make that happen, we’ve custom built back-end logistics and management systems to ensure that every production runs smoothly. We’ve also established very high production standards – a commitment that we keep at every single event. That’s not an easy task now that we’re at over 1,000 events per year.
How many employees do you have? And what qualities do you look for when hiring?
ZimZoom currently has about 35 employees. We hire people who want to work for a company that values communication, excellence and teamwork. Also, having a “growth mentality” is a key characteristic that we look for in new hires. We’re very selective because we want people who love events and are passionate about the ZimZoom experience. Once we’ve found the right candidate, they go through a 6 step training process so by the time they represent us they’re real pros. We’re so proud of the ZimZoom team and all the memories we’ve created together!
During your first year of business, what was the greatest lesson you learned?
We learned to adapt very quickly. Technical challenges were definitely an issue in the beginning so we learned that it’s important to have backups of anything that might fail. We also learned that while the tech is a key component, true success comes from understanding what your customer wants and exceeding their expectations. That means it’s important to listen, be curious and get lots of feedback. This has become one of our core values: we’re always improving and learning how to do things better.
Where do you see your business in the next year? The next five?
ZimZoom will continue to grow into new markets in North and South Carolina. There are also some exciting new products on the horizon utilizing the latest AI and robotics technology. We’re not really a photo booth company any more.. ZimZoom has evolved into an experiential multimedia company. We’re very excited about being able to create event experiences that are engaging, creative and capture memories in new and exciting ways.
Why did you decide to join the Chamber?
Asheville is our second home and since we’ve always prioritized our relationships in the business community, joining the chamber was an easy decision. Connecting with fellow local businesses is not only mutually beneficial, it’s also just plain fun. We’re always interesting in getting to know other businesses and finding creative ways to support our local business community.
What is your favorite part about doing business in the Asheville area?
Asheville is a unique and magical place. Once we were ready to expand outside the Raleigh Triangle area, we wanted to grow into a place where our creative culture could thrive. Asheville fits us like a glove and the local business community has been so supportive and inspiring.
Engage with ZimZoom on Instagram and Facebook and visit their website at zimzoomphotobooth.com.