This February, I was honored to present at SPIE Photonics West with other photonics industry experts. With business development (BD) and marketing tied up on the exhibition floor, sessions like our AR/VR Market Outlook, Photonics Outlook, and LFW’s Laser Marketplace, tended to attract C-level thinkers. Their strategies, experiences, and questions revealed some trends:
4 min read
Photonics Market Outlook: What's to Come in 2020
By Michele Nichols on Fri, Mar 06, 2020
Topics: Optics Business Insights Strategic Planning Tariff China USA Manufacturing
4 min read
Some of Our Favorite Booths at Photonics West 2020
By Nate Fuller on Tue, Feb 11, 2020
Another year at Photonics West, the leading event for photonics and laser companies, is in the books! With over 5,000 presentations and 1,300 exhibiting companies, the consensus so far is that traffic was down and quality was up. After months preparing client booths, websites, collateral pieces, and campaigns, we're excited to share a few favorites!
Topics: Optics Marketing Mix Marketing Strategy Trade Show Strategy
3 min read
Beer & Blog: Constant Learning in an Innovative Optics Industry, with Josh Cobb
By Michele Nichols on Thu, Aug 16, 2018
Josh Cobb, Senior Optical Engineer with Corning (Tropel), has spent years in the optics industry learning, teaching, and learning more. We sat down with him to hear more about his work in the classroom and in the field with the Advanced Optics division of Corning.
Topics: Optics Beer & Blog (interviews)
2 min read
Luminate Demo Day: The Latest in Optics and Photonics Development
By Damon Diehl on Fri, Jun 01, 2018
Join us on Demo Day during the Xerox Rochester International Jazz Festival.
Topics: Optics Business Insights Company News
3 min read
5 Biggest Marketing & Sales Challenges for Engineers
By Michele Nichols on Thu, Apr 12, 2018
Customer Experience Sells
We’ve spent over 30 years helping tech companies create marketing and sales strategies that reach new customers. Although the word “sales” typically conjures images of overzealous, comb-over-sporting used car salesmen, sales are a necessary part of your business’s profitability and growth. Sales funds innovation, which in turn fuels more sales.
Topics: Optics Business Insights
3 min read
Answers to the Hard Questions: What I heard at the Laser Focus World Laser Marketplace Technology and Markets Panel
By Sarah Campagna on Mon, Mar 05, 2018

Though I was enjoying LFW's Laser Marketplace at Photonics West, furiously taking notes while Allen Nogee revealed the 2018 market forecast and geeking out over photobiomodulation as Praveen Arany shared his research, the final session of the day was a marketer's dream. A panel of highly respected individuals in the industry had been asked the question—"What do bioinstrumentation developers need to know from the photonics industry?"
Topics: Optics Product Launch Strategic Planning
2 min read
Photonics West 2017: Marketing Wins for Optics Companies
By Michele Nichols on Tue, Feb 21, 2017
Our team had the honor to teach a course called “The New Sales Model” during this year’s Photonics West industry track. We shared sales and marketing “wins” from our clients in the industry and asked participants to do the same.
Topics: Optics Marketing Strategy
4 min read
Photonics West 2017: Inbound Marketing for Optics Companies Q&A
By Michele Nichols on Tue, Feb 14, 2017
Photonics West brings together more than 20,000 optics and photonics leaders from all over the world. SPIE’s industry track of courses is gaining momentum, and this year our team had the honor to teach “The New Sales Model.” There were some exceptional discussions among myself, Launch Team VP of Account Services Sarah Campagna, and sales and marketing professionals the industry. Couldn’t make the session? These attendee questions might provide some insight.
Topics: Optics Marketing Strategy Sales
2 min read
Improving Optics Marketing & Sales: Photonics West 2017 Short Course
By Katie Steelman on Fri, Dec 09, 2016
Launch Team Inc. President Michele Nichols will present a short course at the 2017 Photonics West conference to discuss inbound marketing and sales strategies for optics companies.
Topics: Optics Inbound Marketing Company News
1 min read
Meet Launch Team at Optics & MedTech Industry Events
By Michele Nichols on Wed, Aug 24, 2016
The Launch team is gearing up to teach, learn and share at multiple industry events this fall.
Topics: Optics Company News Medical Device
1 min read
Launch Team Associate to Teach Optics Course for Sales Professionals at SPIE Optics + Photonics
By Katie Steelman on Mon, Aug 15, 2016
Heading to SPIE Optics + Photonics this month? Don't miss these presentations by Damon Diehl, Launch Team technical writer and Ph.D. Two other members of the Launch team will also be at the show, and we welcome the chance to meet with you!
Topics: Optics Company News
5 min read
Beer & Blog: Leading Successful Business Development in Technical Companies, with Lisa Belodoff
By Katie Steelman on Wed, Jul 20, 2016
For today’s Beer & Blog, we spoke with Lisa Belodoff, vice president of business development at Rochester Precision Optics. Lisa has worked in sales and marketing throughout the optics and photonics industry, helping to build LightWorks Optics for successful exit, working in fiber infrastructure at CABLExpress and in medical devices at Masimo. She is a driver of change and growth, and we’re honored to collaborate with her.