Content Capture for Conferences
TIPS & CONSIDERATIONS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR CONFERENCE PHOTO AND VIDEO CAPTURE TEAM
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Many event planners & producers are in the throws of conference season; some in the final leg of the race and pulling their last tricks out of the magic hat days before going live, while others are putting pen to paper and just beginning the planning process to execute in Q1.
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Regardless of where you are at in the process, for many, the consistent mantra throughout is:
GET. $HIT. DONE.
The to-do lists are long and the details are a-plenty, and so staying organized, efficient and nimble are some of the key factors for success.
STEP #20 ON YOUR TO-DO LIST
Somewhere between step 1 and 1 million ;) is to secure photography and/or videography to capture the experience as a tool to hype up attendees throughout the event, for marketing purposes, or proof of execution. Unfortunately, however, along with this seemingly minor to-do on your list comes a subsequent checklist of items to cover off on:
Research local photographers & or videographers
Vet the proposed content creators
Brief the team member(s)
Outline expected deliverables
Manage the team member(s) on-site
Oversee post production & delivery
Organize & archive final content for future use
RELIEF IS IN SIGHT
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A survey by EventMB reports that 56% of event planners cite long hours as their biggest immediate concern. In an effort to ease some of the stress that may arise in the cumbersome task of securing a photographer and/or videographer for your event, we’ve pulled together our favorite insider tips on how to set yourself up for success and ensure you receive content that ladders up to your goals.
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Check out our actionable guide to ensure you get what you need out of your photo and video team on site.
THE TIPS & CONSIDERATIONS:
1. FIND A PHOTOGRAPHER AND/OR VIDEOGRAPHER WITH THE RIGHT SKILLSET
If you’re anything like I was as an event producer, you’re able to look at a portfolio for a potential content creator and identify good vs. bad, but anything beyond that doesn’t necessarily fall within your expertise.
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The “beyond that” is largely what differentiates an exceptional content creator vs. someone who will simply get the job done. In this case, the phrase “there’s more than what meets the eye” couldn’t be more appropriate. O Hello Media takes a significant amount of time when sourcing and vetting team members to join our global roster, as finding a match based on all of the qualifications takes patience and a thorough approach.
Here are the other considerations to factor into your decision / the selection process:
Find someone who has a vibrant personality. There is a finesse required in order to strike the balance between engaging with your event attendees to encourage interaction, while also avoiding disruption and respecting their organic experience. Typically, a content creator who is engaging, outgoing and extroverted will feel comfortable approaching attendees respectfully.
Athleticism is a plus. Seriously, though, if your potential photographer or videographer loves to wear a Fitbit and track his/her steps in a day, you’ve got a winner. As you well know, conference days are LONG and involve a ton of walking around enormous convention centers. Working with someone who understands that and is able to sustain the arduous physical aspect of the job will set you up for success.
Dig deeper into the individual’s portfolio to pull out more specific skills such as an ability and keen eye for not only the macro shots, which will help to showcase the scope and scale of your large program, but also the micro. Those little details are part of what you so thoughtfully created and shouldn’t be passed over such as signage, decor elements and staging.
Don’t have time to source & vet the right team member(s)?
Relax - We’ve got you covered!
2. Allocate the Appropriate Staff
Many clients come to us requesting one (1) photographer or videographer for multiple 14-15 hour days. While one team member may feel appropriate because there isn’t a need for simultaneous coverage such as full documentation of two breakout sessions happening at the same time; 15 hours for one individual is an extremely taxing ask, which ultimately puts the quality of your final content at risk. Hiring the right skilled and professional content creators can be an expensive investment and so to maximize that spend, it’s important to ensure you set your allocated team up for success so as not to risk the final product. Splitting up the hours across multiple team members keeps fresh eyes behind the lens to produce consistent content whether it’s hour 1 or 15 of the day.
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3. Be super clear on your deliverable requirements
15 hour days also mean that you’re going to receive A LOT of footage and/or still imagery. On average, our team shoots about 100 images per hour….that could be up to 1,500 shots per day which are all fantastic. We’re willing to bet, however, that you won’t require all 1,500 for your needs.
Spend the time in the pre-production phases before the event to outline exactly what you want. This way, you’re not only managing the # of images you receive at the end of the day, but the content creator can also be efficient with his or her time on site and focus only on what’s super important to you. This will furthermore streamline the final delivery process, as often there is a need for tight turn arounds on the content so you may use it in a general session slideshow or for social media.
THE NEXT STEP
While it may seem like a daunting task, taking the time to think through these considerations specific for your corporate event or conference will ultimately maximize your content capture budget because you’ve left no room for error. Your content creators have one shot (pun intended) to get the content you need, and if you miss the mark, your spend has ultimately been wasted.
Utilizing our tips will ensure that your spend is not only worth it, but that you’re also getting the content you need to showcase your hard work, bolster your internal recaps, and utilize the visuals as fodder at your next war room meeting to figure out even more ways to wow your attendees next year.
To augment these tips and considerations, we’ve also pulled together an actionable guide to further ensure you get what you need out of your photo and video team on site.
OUR GUIDE WILL WALK YOU THROUGH:
ENLISTING THE DREAM TEAM AND STAFFING ACCORDING TO YOUR NEEDS
ELEVATING YOUR SHOT LIST
HOW THOUGHTFUL PLANNING CAN PUT YOU AHEAD OF THE GAME