Hip Image

What Hip Image does

Hip Image is a Calgary-based, privately held photo and video booth rental and event-activation company founded in 2015 by a creative duo consisting of professional event photographer Monique and PR strategist Jo. The firm operates a women-owned, Indigenous-partnership business model and serves Calgary and the broader Alberta market, including Edmonton, with travel fees applying outside Calgary city limits.

Its product portfolio spans roughly eleven distinct formats, including traditional Photo & GIF Booths, 360 Video Booth, AI Photo Booth, Roamer (mobile roaming capture), professional Event Photography, vintage VW Bus and Boler Trailer mobile booths, Glambot premium slow-motion capture, Headshot photo booth, custom backdrops, and fully bespoke Custom activations such as the documented authentic Métis trapper's cabin and Amazon holiday set designs. Underlying technology combines conventional photo-booth hardware with 360-degree video capture rigs, AI-augmented image processing, and digital sharing infrastructure supporting email, text, and social distribution with optional compliant data capture.

The business makes money through per-event, quote-based pricing with an hourly minimum (starting at one hour) and a clear two-tier structure: standard booth rentals (one-time license unit pricing) and higher-margin custom activation and branded experience work (professional services). Revenue is generated across four primary customer segments — Corporate/Enterprise (WestJet, Mercedes-Benz, Brookfield, ATCO, Shell, Cirque du Soleil), Private Events/Individuals, Nonprofits & Community Organizations (United Way, Heart and Stroke, Calgary Philharmonic, Métis Nation), and Event Planners & Agencies — through direct website and email inquiry with on-site delivery, setup, attendant staffing, and teardown. Marketing relies on SEO-driven blog content, organic social (LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook), 100+ Google reviews, and word-of-mouth referrals rather than paid acquisition or third-party marketplaces.

Name

Hip Image

Legal name

Hip Image

Website

https://HipImage.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Hip Image is a Calgary-based, women-owned photo and video booth rental and event-activation company serving corporate, nonprofit, and private clients across Alberta through hourly booth rentals, premium Glambot and AI capture, and custom branded activations since 2015.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Event Entertainment Services

NAICS

Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Photography Studios, Portrait (541921)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Event Rentals (Furniture, Staging, Tents) (HSACADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Decor Props & Themed Set Rentals (HSACAFAK), Trade Show & Exhibition Marketing (Booth Design/Build) (MPAAAGAC), VIP, Hospitality & Premium Experiences (MPAGAAAK)

Keywords

• Photo booth rental
• Event activation services
• Brand activation experiences
• Corporate event photography
• Video booth rental

Headquarters

HQ city

Calgary

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Photo Booth Rental Services: Core revenue stream from renting photo booths and video booths for events. Pricing is based on event duration and level of customization. Minimum booking is one hour. Includes unlimited photos/videos, professional attendants, custom photo strips, delivery, setup, and teardown. Additional fees apply for custom branding, green screen, themed props, and travel outside Calgary.
2. Custom Photo & Video Activations: Fully choreographed, high-end photo and video experiences for brand activations, trade shows, and corporate events. These custom builds (e.g., authentic Métis trapper's cabin sets, Amazon holiday events) command premium pricing and involve deep creative collaboration with clients.
3. Event Photography Services: Professional event photography offered as a standalone service or bundled with photo booth activations.
4. Branded Activation Experiences: Immersive, fully branded activations that combine multiple technologies (photo booth, 360 video, AI photos, Glambot) into bespoke experiences for corporate clients and brands, creating upsell opportunities across the service portfolio.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hip Image rents photo booths and video booths for corporate events, brand activations, galas, sports events, and private parties in Calgary and across Alberta. The portfolio includes standard photo and GIF booths, 360 video booths, AI-powered photo booths, Glambot slow-motion video booths, vintage VW bus and Boler trailer mobile booths, roaming photo booths, headshot booths, custom branded activations, and professional event photography. Services include delivery, setup, professional attendants, custom branding, and teardown on-site at the client's event venue.

Product overview

Hip Image offers a comprehensive portfolio of photo booth and video booth rental services for events in Calgary and Alberta. The core offering consists of multiple booth formats including Photo & GIF Booths, 360 Video Booth, AI Photo Booth, Roamer, Event Photography, VW Bus, Boler Trailer, Glambot, Headshot, Backdrops, and Custom activations. The products range from traditional enclosed photo booths to mobile vintage vehicles (VW Bus, Boler Trailer), high-tech 360-degree and AI-powered booths, to fully customized brand experiences. All offerings include professional attendants, custom photo strips, props, digital sharing, and delivery/setup services. The portfolio is designed to serve diverse event types from corporate functions and brand activations to private parties and galas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Photo & GIF Booths Traditional photo booth rental offering both photo strips and GIF capture capabilities for events, with custom backdrops and props, for corporate events, brand activations, and private parties.
• 360 Video Booth Immersive 360-degree video booth rental that captures dynamic rotating video content, allowing guests to create shareable circular video content for events.
• AI Photo Booth AI-powered photo booth that generates enhanced photo experiences using artificial intelligence image processing and capture technology for corporate events and brand activations.
• Roamer Mobile roaming photo booth that moves through events to capture photos of guests in various locations, providing flexible coverage without a fixed booth footprint.
• Event Photography Professional event photography service providing skilled photographers to capture corporate events, galas, and brand activations, available standalone or bundled with photo booth activations.
• VW Bus Photo Booth Vintage VW bus converted into a mobile photo booth, providing a unique retro-themed photo experience for events, pioneered as the first VW bus photo booth concept in Canada.
• Boler Trailer Photo Booth Vintage Boler trailer converted into a mobile photo booth, offering a retro camping-inspired aesthetic for events.
• Custom Photo & Video Activations Fully customized photo and video booth activations designed to specifications, including branded sets, custom backdrops, and bespoke experiences for corporate clients and brand activations.
• Headshot Photo Booth Professional headshot photo booth service for corporate events, conferences, and networking gatherings, providing polished individual portraits on-site.
• Glambot Photo Booth High-end slow-motion video capture booth with glamour effects, popular for red carpet and premium events, newly available in Calgary as of 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ Google reviews (testimonials referencing exceptional service, fun experiences, amazing photos)

Named customers32 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Alberta MetisWorksminorOthersHip Image holds a partnership affiliation with Alberta MetisWorks, as indicated by the display of the Alberta MetisWorks logo on their website. This association contributes to their women-owned and Indigenous business positioning.
• Indigenous MademinorOthersHip Image displays the Indigenous Made logo on their website alongside Alberta MetisWorks, reinforcing their Indigenous business credentials and positioning for diversity-conscious corporate clients and community partnerships.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• The Bash: Event services marketplace connecting customers with photo booth, entertainment, and event vendors across North America. Adjacent to Hip Image as a potential customer acquisition and competitor channel for event rentals.

Broad incumbents

• Groove Jones: Experiential marketing and brand activation agency producing custom photo/video experiences and immersive activations for enterprise brands. Comparable on the custom activation and brand-experience side of Hip Image's premium offering.
• Sparks: Global experiential marketing agency producing large-scale brand activations, trade show exhibits, and corporate events. Comparable to Hip Image at the high end of the custom build / brand activation stack.
• Shutterfly Professional Photography Services: Large-scale commercial photography and event imagery services with headshot and corporate event offerings. Overlaps with Hip Image's event photography and headshot booth products at greater scale.

Direct peers

• Lucky Frog Photo Booth: Los Angeles photo booth rental company offering 360 booths, glam booths, and corporate event activations across a regional US market. Closely comparable service portfolio to Hip Image with a similar enterprise-event go-to-market.
• Snapbar: US-based photo booth rental company offering brand-activated photo experiences for corporate events. Directly comparable to Hip Image in product (photo booths, custom branding, corporate focus) and customer base (enterprise brand activations).
• Pixster Photo Booth: Multi-city US photo booth rental company with enterprise event offerings including custom branding, AI and 360 booths. Directly comparable product mix and customer segment to Hip Image.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/hipimage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hip-image
• Instagraminstagram.com/hipimage
• Xx.com/hipimage

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hip Image