Trade-fair photography

A fair day has two entirely different halves, and mixing them gives you the worse version of both. Between eight and nine, before the doors open, the stand is finished, the lighting is on and nobody is standing in front of it — that is the only window for architectural and product frames of the stand itself. From nine it is about people: conversations, demonstrations, the team in motion. Both belong in the same day, but in that order rather than interleaved.

The administrative half is regularly underestimated. On your own stand you may photograph freely within its footprint; aisles, hall views and outdoor areas need accreditation from the organiser, and another exhibitor’s stand needs their consent as well — including when it only appears in the background. We apply for the accreditation, but it takes several days’ notice. Three hundred edited photographs, with a press and social media set delivered the same evening.

Before the fair we need three things from you: the hall plan with your stand number, a list of the moments on the stand worth photographing — client meetings, a product demonstration, a press appointment — and one person on the team who can answer questions on the day. Have the stand finished the evening before, with boxes and packing film cleared away and screens showing content rather than sitting on standby. Cost follows duration; a second fair day, or a second photographer for a press conference running in parallel, is priced up front. The organiser’s accreditation fees are third-party costs and appear separately in the quote.

Trade fair photographs end up in press releases, trade publications, on LinkedIn and in planning the next stand, and those purposes belong in the written confirmation because the rights of use follow them. Many frames include visitors and clients who have no contract with you, so conversation partners who are recognisable in the foreground are photographed only with their agreement — a question that takes one sentence on the stand. Enquire through the form with the fair, the hall and the date; the fixed price comes by phone or email, and the earlier you ask, the less the accreditation deadline matters.