This is a historical recap of the 2018 RPP Partners Conference on the Gold Coast. It was written at the time by Nik Leigh, who founded Real Property Photography and led the brand in that era. Titles and award names below reflect 2018. Today, Joel Adamson is RPP’s CEO, and RPP grows through a licence model with partners across Australia and New Zealand.
As written by Nik Leigh (2018)
Well, where to begin! What a massive two days it was. I swear each year they are just getting bigger and better. It feels like just yesterday that myself, Lauren (RPP’s COO) and a handful of early partners were sitting around a lounge room on the Gold Coast for the first Annual RPP Partners conference. Whilst I love the intimacy of a tight knit group, it is evident in our ever-growing network that we still have those very same “family” values that we started with. For those looking for an insight into what an RPP Conference is like, please continue reading.
It all started and ended at the QT Hotel on the Gold Coast. The weather could not have been better and definitely made up for the years that the weather was not overly cooperative. As standard format, I opened the conference with my famous but lengthy ‘Year in Review’—a time where I can reflect on the wins, the challenges and the hard work that was endured by all and share this all with the entire group. Following this, Lauren shared some exciting new initiatives that will be implemented to assist RPP partners with both client acquisition and retention.
After a delicious morning tea break, it was the perfect time to introduce our newest member of the Head Office team, our very talented in-house Marketing Manager, Candice who not only unveiled our fantastic new Marketing Hub, but also worked through a basic but essential LAM (Local Area Marketing) task. Candice discussed at length the importance of a diversified LAM marketing strategy and spoke to the group about ways that each partner can create and execute their very own strategies moving forward.
The afternoon was set aside for the partners to unwind and have a bit of fun! Kat; Head Office Photographer & Trainer, led the group into a fun but challenging game of trivia all based around the history of photography, cameras, property photography & much more. This was the perfect segue into our first team challenge: build a survival tripod! This was perhaps the most entertaining event (especially for Head Office) as we watched the various teams use the limited resources they had to build some absolute works of art.
What better way to wrap up day 1 of the conference & to get everyone into the “party” mood before our “terrible-tee” event than getting to the bar… and for some, behind it! The team ventured into the stylish Stingray bar for a dedicated cocktail making course. I know what you’re thinking, “what does this have to do with photography and running a business?” — absolutely nothing! But that was the beauty of it! The group was paired off and given all the necessary tools & ingredients to then make their own cocktails — with the guidance and instruction from the bar manager. It was a priceless moment watching both Andrew Cockroft (Real Property Photography Geelong) & Emily Gale (Real Property Photography Toowoomba) go head-to-head as they competed on making the most delicious cocktail they could. Think “invention test” but for cocktails! Andrew walked away with the victory by just a single point, but both their concoctions were absolutely delicious.
With a small break, the partners used this time wisely to get fitted out with their best versions of a “terrible tee” that they could find. Ahh, what a creative bunch we have! Held in the “Baywatch Room” on the 22nd floor, it was the perfect opportunity to mingle, meet the families behind each of our talented partners and of course, to award—perhaps my favourite part of the year. Award titles below are as they were called then:
After the formal awards were done, we weren’t quite done with winners just yet. Who can forget our “terrible tee” prize winners:
First: Alicia Harvey (Real Property Photography Rockhampton) with her priceless “UGG-LEIGH” shirt and a great picture of me on the back.
Second: Emily Gale (Real Property Photography Toowoomba) with her hilarious (but not at all offensive) “Donald Trump” shirt.
Third: Greg & Simone Harvey (Real Property Photography Brisbane Outer North) with another Donald Trump, brilliantly created by hand!
It was also a very humbling moment for me, as I was awarded with my very own recognition. The growth of Real Property Photography can only be put down to our amazing team in Head Office along with the dedication and hard work of each and every partner.
With a few sore heads the next morning, the majority of our partners braved the early start to get down by the water for an early morning sunrise photography session. Whilst we had intended for this to be a “master-class” style I think after the night’s activities, left a few with very few words to carry this forward. It was amazing to see some of the beautiful imagery that was captured by our partners and there are few better places to shoot the sunrise than Gold Coast’s beautiful coastline. Further to this, we also had a group of ladies enjoy an early morning yoga/meditation session on the beach—perhaps the best way to get prepared for another busy and action-packed day ahead!
It was time to get cracking with Day 2. This was kickstarted with our fantastic guest speaker Tracey Leak, who took the partners on a whirlwind of a session! From games designed to provoke “out of the box” thinking, to leadership, teamwork, self confidence and everything in between, Tracey’s value is something that can only be witnessed by attending. Perhaps one of the highlights from her session was having our partners create a set of core values that Real Property Photography will become known for. After some internal debates, the entire group finally decided on:
Passion, Quality, Reliability & Partnership
Having been carefully selected by our very own partners, we know that the above four words well and truly reflect each and every one of us in different ways. I absolutely loved this session and I think this was a very necessary activity to ensure we are constantly thinking about these 4 pillars that underpin our success.
As we headed toward the closing of the conference, Aaron RDP Chief Pilot, spoke briefly about the changing landscape in the drone space, the increase in demand and also what steps you can take in order to add this to your very own suite of services.
It was now time for our formal closing of this year’s fantastic RPP Partners conference. In my closing, I reminded all partners to focus on what matters most and to never be afraid to celebrate all the wins—big and small, and to only ever be the very best version of you that you can be.
On behalf of the Head Office team, and our partners, we looked forward to meeting new faces at the next conference.
Narrator close (2026)
That’s the 2018 conference as it was—Nik’s era, partners in the room, and Joel already among the award winners. Today the network continues under CEO Joel Adamson, with new joiners coming in as licence partners. If you’d like to explore joining, start at /joinus.
