Conference photography combines several types of photography into one package. To do it well requires spinning a few plates and keeping an eye on all of them.
Most conferences will have keynote speakers, and you’ll want shots of them in action onstage, along with audience interaction and reactions. They’re the marquee signings, probably the reason a lot of delegates signed up and so you’ll want to show who was there speaking, along with how well they were received.
There will undoubtedly be breakout sessions for networking, and you’ll want shots showing people interacting. Chat, the exchange of business cards and details, laughs over a coffee. Shots of all this shows what a great occasion you put on, and how good and beneficial it was to be there.
Larger conferences might have trade stands displaying services and equipment, so they need to be featured. Photos of these serve two purposes. They’re a nice thank you to send on to the companies who booked stalls; and, alongside the shots of the room busy and bustling with activity, again act to show what a useful show you’ve put together.
The event might run over a couple of days, including a dinner for VIP guests and delegates. As you’ve put so much time into organising that part of the occasion, you’ll want photos to show what a success it was, of course. The mood might be slightly different (as who isn’t more relaxed outside office hours?), but the aim is the same – to show people relaxed, enjoying the occasion, talking and making new connections, and listening intently to the invited speaker.
The overall impact of great conference photography is simple. It’s to show off the great job you did in putting together a brilliant event. It shows off the different facets, makes clear how busy it was (which is great for future advertisers) and how great the atmosphere was. Photos of attendees engaged in active conversations do a great job of showing why it’s worth booking for the next one.
Ultimately, good conference photography creates the marketing material to help you fill the next show, by showing off the success of the previous event. It proves your worth as a planner and how you can deliver an event that succeeds in lots of different ways.
If you have a conference coming up and would like photos that show how brilliant a job you’ve done, please get in touch to give me some details and to obtain a quotation.
