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Photo-Me USA was represented at the SPREE Trade Show (Specialty Retail Entrepreneur Expo) in Boston this weekend, billed as an “exceptional showcase of exhibitors that ranges from manufacturers, wholesalers and turnkey concept companies to property managers, mall developers and retail service providers.”

I visited Gary Gulley and Bill Lichtenwalner at the booth on Saturday, chatted about photobooths, and snapped some photos in the new DS-21. Gary was kind enough to meet me outside and get me into the show with my very own “Photo-Me USA” Exhibitor Pass, letting me become an honorary representative of the company for a day — or at least an hour.

The booth, a traditional ‘dip and dunk’ machine with new exteriors, was on display in an exhibition hall full of water-massage beds, healing rocks, and personalized chilkdren’s music.

Instead of a traditional painted exterior, the DS-21 is covered by posters set into metal frames, so the exterior of the booth can be changed easily and doesn’t require expensive re-painting. A flat screen tv is set into the exterior on the front side and on the end; at the time I came by, the tv was playing the recent “CBS Sunday Morning” segment on photobooths, but would normally be used for advertising. The segment had played so many times in succession that Bill and Gary could quote lines from it at will. “Why do they have to say ‘cheesy photobooth’?” Gary asked. I agreed — Charles Osgood, time to check your script.

It was a pleasure for me to meet Gary and Bill and talk about booth locations, the history of the company, and the recent convention. I’ve got a few new booths to check out the next time I’m in New York City, and now the world knows to look out for a DS-21 at a mall near you…