How to Elevate your Event with Photography
Having a professional event photographer at your business event has so many benefits. First of all, it allows you/your employees to enjoy the event/not worry about documenting and getting content. Trust me, you and your employees will thank you for it… you all deserve it! Secondly, you and your company will look so much more professional when having a photographer capture your event. When events have photographers, it adds a professional element. Not every company will invest in a photographer, so if you do, you’ll elevate your brand and event experience. You’re already putting on a good event, you might as well get a professional photographer to capture the hard work. Plus, there is such a difference between phone photos and professional photography. If there are certain event highlights (such as speakers, vendors, or opportunities for group photos), it is definitely best to have a professional get these photos with their professional lighting and eye. Last but not least, it gives you so many high-quality photos to use for marketing (showcasing company culture, future event promotion, newsletters, website, social media, employee highlights, etc.). When you want to stand out from your competitors, it’s so important to have a fresh and scroll-stopping online presence! As a business owner myself, I understand the importance of marketing AND the struggles that come with it… so these photos will instantly give you so much to work with. Click here to learn how to use photos from your event!
At your event, here are three ways your event photographer can help you elevate your event, and ultimately, your brand:
Customized Galleries for Event Attendees
When my clients book me, they receive a personalized gallery link that will be shareable and easy to use for everyone. You and your attendees will be able to go through the gallery to relive the experience with colleagues and peers, and download photos of themselves and the event highlights to share with others on social media! If you have any speakers, vendors, or sponsors, I think they’d also really appreciate getting professional photos of themselves at the event as well! You can just easily forward the gallery link to everyone whether it’s via email, link, QR code, or even texting! This allows you and your attendees to extend the event experience beyond the actual day!
Interactive Photo Opportunities
Who doesn’t love a good photobooth set?! Set up interactive photo opps or booths with backgrounds/props related to the company or event theme. This can engage attendees and create memorable, shareable content for social media. A branded backdrop can create consistency and reinforce brand identity, especially if you use this branded backdrop at every event! I’ve photographed several events that had backdrops with their company logo and/or the event party theme on it. When the event does have a photo opp, I often have event attendees ask me if I could snap some photos of them in front of the backgrounds! I think this really elevates the experience, giving them an option to do something more than talk to other people! An extra perk of having an interactive photo opportunity is the potential for user-generated content. When you are checking people into the event, you can encourage attendees to share their photos on social media, creating a buzz around your brand and event. This will increase the reach and visibility of your brand and event.
Headshots for Attendees
I’ve done this before, and thought it was such a good idea for an event. Offer a headshot station/designated area where attendees can have professional headshots taken during a specific time slot during the event. As professionals who need to consistently sell themselves online and stand out from the competition, it’s important to have a variety of photos of you to share. Headshots can be used beyond just profile photos on LinkedIn and other social media platforms, so it doesn’t hurt to get another headshot taken of you, even if you already have some! This element provides a valuable service to attendees, giving them a bonus gift for coming to your event. I recommend consulting with your photographer ahead of time when booking to see how this can happen at your event, since it will change the coverage and other things. Communicating with your photographer may give you better insight as well, as they might have some tips that will make planning easier (such as helping pick out a spot for headshots) and the experience/event something to remember.
Below are two examples of headshots taken at events - environmental headshots at the venue, and a clean white background setup that I set up!
TIP: Share your event goals, key moments you want to capture, and any specific branding elements that should be highlighted when you inquire and communicate prior to your event. This collaborative approach ensures that the photographer understands your vision and can tailor their services to meet your objectives. Pre-event communication also allows for creative brainstorming, potentially leading to innovative photo ideas!
Whether the event is for an award ceremony, holiday celebration, product launch, seminar, workshop, charity event, employee appreciation, client appreciation, or anniversary celebration, these elements that may be offered by your event photographer can really elevate your event experience and brand. To save you some time, click the button below to inquire!
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