Las Vegas, NV is more than entertainment and bright lights! It's a growing hub for entrepreneurs, creatives, nonprofits, and business leaders who are shaping the city's future every day. As a business owner, photographer, and founder of London Howard Photography LLC, I’ve learned that real growth happens when you step outside your comfort zone and intentionally engage with your city and the people building it alongside you.

I’m excited to be part of Las Vegas' business and community synergy, and I've had the honor of photographing and highlighting impactful events, conferences and businesses such as NAACP, Women of Power by Black Enterprise, NAB, WPPI, NACW and many more. I’m also a vendor for NV Grow and a proud MBE-certified business, experiences that have reinforced why showing up truly matters.

Here are seven reasons I believe you should get involved in your city, too.

1. Your City Is Full of Opportunities Waiting to Be Seen When you attend business conferences and community events, you gain access to conversations that don’t happen online. These rooms are filled with decision-makers, innovators, and collaborators who are shaping the future of the city in real time. Being present allows you to see opportunities before they become headlines, and sometimes before they even become ideas.

2. Visibility Builds Trust, Not Just Exposure People do business with people they recognize and trust. Showing up consistently at local events allows others to see your professionalism, values, and commitment firsthand. As a photographer, my presence has helped turn conversations into collaborations and relationships into long-term partnerships.

Visibility isn’t about being seen once, it’s about being remembered.

3. Conferences and Meetups Expand Your Perspective Every conference I’ve attended—from NAB to WPPI to Women of Power, has stretched how I think about business, leadership, and impact. Exposure to different industries and voices challenges assumptions and sparks innovation. You leave inspired, informed, and better equipped to grow.

Growth happens when you’re willing to listen.

4. Community Engagement Strengthens the Local Economy As a NV Grow vendor and MBE-certified business, I’ve seen how intentional community involvement fuels economic development. When business owners support local initiatives and supplier diversity programs, money circulates locally and opportunities expand collectively.

Your success doesn’t exist in isolation, it’s connected to the health of your city.

5. Your Presence Can Open Doors for Others Representation matters. When I show up as a woman-owned, minority-owned creative business, I know someone else is watching and realizing what’s possible. Community events create opportunities to mentor, encourage, and uplift others who may not yet have access or visibility.

Sometimes showing up is an act of leadership.

6. Real Relationships Are Built in Real Spaces Online connections are valuable, but in-person relationships are powerful. Business meetups and conferences allow you to connect beyond profiles and emails. Shared experiences create stronger bonds, clearer communication, and trust that can’t be rushed.

Community grows when people connect face to face.

7. You Become Part of the City’s Story Every city has a story, and those who show up help shape it. By attending and supporting community and business events, you’re not just observing growth, you’re contributing to it. As a photographer, I get to document these moments, but as a business owner, I’m also invested in the outcomes.

Being involved means leaving a legacy, not just a footprint.

Final Thoughts Getting involved in your city isn’t about being everywhere, it’s about being intentional. Business conferences, meetups, and community events have helped me grow, connect, and serve in ways I never imagined. They’ve reminded me that success is richer when it’s shared and more meaningful when it’s rooted in community.

If you’re looking for your next level of growth, I encourage you to start locally.

Show up. Get involved. Your city is waiting.

~ London H.