Lisa Oler
Lisa Oler is the former owner and founder of Smile Lounge Photo Booth, one of the premier photo booth companies established in 2010. Based in California, Lisa grew Smile Lounge to 7-figures with office affiliates in 3 different states - St Louis, MO; Charleston, SC; and New York, NY. Smile Lounge worked with brands such as Reebok, Coca-Cola, Seiko, Burberry, Tiffany & Co and Disney.In 2018, Lisa stepped away from Smile Lounge to be more present with her family. Smile Lounge was acquired by LA Photo Party and Lisa joined the team as an Account & Logistics Manager, coordinating events across the world.
After the pandemic, Lisa was ready for a new challenge. Noonah heard about her availability and reached out to offer her a position as Head of Business Operations in the US. She now works with a brilliant team based in the UK and supports operations and sales here in the US.
In 2016, Lisa helped found PBPI Academy, the first educational conference for photo booth owners, designed to offer an immersive, hands-on learning experience over three days of exclusive educational content taught by industry thought leaders. As Director of Education, Lisa was responsible for creating the conference agenda and securing speakers, preparing sponsor agreements, designing the ROS and partnering with trade vendors.
She has been written about and quoted in The Photo Booth Finder, Imaging Spectrum, LA Photo Party, and Super Boothers, and has been a panelist and speaker at PBX. She speaks on the topics of marketing and branding, client acquisition and subcontractor relations.
Meir Israel
Meir Israel – Co-Founder, Illuminate | CEO, SoBe Booths
With a career in the event industry spanning over 25 years, Meir Israel brings a deep well of experience, creativity, and leadership to Illuminate. He began his journey as a photographer’s apprentice, capturing social events and learning firsthand the power of storytelling through imagery. Today, he serves as the CEO of SoBe Booths, South Florida’s premier photo booth brand known for blending cutting-edge technology with immersive, unforgettable guest experiences.
Under Meir’s leadership, SoBe Booths has been a trusted partner for Fortune 500 companies, national conferences, and luxury weddings alike becoming the go-to name for bold, elevated event photo experiences across South Florida and beyond. A highlight of his career? “Surviving 2020,” he says, with the kind of grit and adaptability that defines lasting success in the events world.Meir is no stranger to the education side of the industry. He was a featured speaker and panel host at the very first Photo Booth Expo, and later led the Photo Booth MasterClasses for two consecutive years. As a founding member of Photo Booth Professionals International (PBPI), Meir helped lay the groundwork for community-led growth and mentorship within the field. His sessions often focus on branding, team building, vendor culture, and technology integration, always with an eye toward collaboration and evolution.
With Illuminate, Meir is driven by one goal: inspiration in all things. He believes that photo booth professionals need not only access to new tools and trends, but also a grounding in the values and partnerships that make this industry thrive.
Catalina Bloch
Catalina Bloch – Founder, Photo Booth Mastery | CEO, MDRN Activations & MDRN Photobooth Co. | Co-Creator, Illuminate Conference
Catalina Bloch is a trailblazer in the photo booth industry, reshaping what success looks like for creative entrepreneurs. As the founder and CEO of MDRN Activations and MDRN Photobooth Co., she leads a thriving seven-figure business that operates across Canada and the U.S.—built on strategy, premium positioning, and a clear refusal to compete on price. Her mission has always been to elevate the perception of photo booths from “party add-ons” to essential tools for experiential marketing and event storytelling.
Through Photo Booth Mastery, Catalina has helped hundreds of business owners step into their CEO role—offering real education on pricing, automation, client experience, and growth. She’s known for cutting through the fluff, replacing recycled advice with strategic frameworks rooted in what actually works. With programs like the Spotlight Booth training and her industry-leading Pricing Blueprint, she’s transformed side hustles into six-figure businesses across North America.
That same desire to push the industry forward led Catalina to team up with Meir Israel and Lisa Oler to co-create Illuminate, a creative conference built with intention. Not for the masses. Not to sell unverified concepts. But to deliver clarity, direction, and community to business owners ready for real growth. As someone who’s invested heavily in high-level masterminds and mentorships, Catalina knew it was time to bring that same caliber of leadership to this industry and partnering with Meir and Lisa to make it happen was both a full-circle moment and a future-shifting move.
Catalina continues to challenge outdated norms and raise the bar for what’s possible in this space. She believes the photo booth industry deserves more, more respect, more revenue, and more recognition and she’s here to help others build it, not just dream about it.