What is Corporate Event Photography and Why Do I Need It?
I LOVE getting together and celebrating with people! Sometimes I think the business world can get stuck in a “stuffy” vibe and we forget that we’re allowed to have FUN! Expressive, purposeful and eye-catching photography can tell your event’s story about and the experience your guests will have.
Yup – your guests are going to sit down criss-cross-applesauce in the reading circle and learn about your story. The events you host are an experience – and they’re a GREAT way to showcase what makes your business special.
YOUR EVENTS ACT AS A PLATFORM TO SHOWCASE YOUR BUSINESS.
Hosting an event is a way to give your guests a taste of what it’s like to work with you. You can integrate pieces of your brand into your event so they walk away feeling like they got a soul-filling experience.
This is an excellent opportunity to drive home your brand in an immersive, real life event.
lifelong businesses are built on connections
Sure it’s a ribbon cutting ceremony – but you invite people to celebrate opening your doors with you. It’s a company Christmas party – but you’re really SHOWING your employees how much you appreciate them and what they’ve done over the past year. It’s a fundraising event to raise money for your nonprofit – but the people who are affected by the money you raise are why you’re putting on the event.
You don’t just cut a ribbon by yourself and tell no one – you don’t just sip eggnog alone and hope your employees feel appreciated – you don’t just raise money for the hell of it. It’s the PEOPLE! And THIS is why event photography matters. It matters that you capture those genuine moments of celebration, of appreciation, of passion, so you can show the world how much you love the people who matter most to your business.
HERE’S A LOOK AT ONE OF THE MANY 7-ELEVEN GRAND OPENING EVENTS THAT I PHOTOGRAPHED LAST YEAR.
WHAT CAN I DO WITH THE IMAGES?
I’m so glad you asked! Did you know that on average, there are 94% more total views attracted by content containing compelling images than content without images? Yup!! Your images can make a HUGE difference in your ability to build an audience for your business!
I’m here to open your eyes to the endless possibilities of event photography. Here are a handful of examples so you can get a better sense of how different events can be assets to your business
Ribbon Cutting -
Local media – Seriously – go for it! Make the big announcement in your local newspaper (online or print or both!) Depending on what city you live in, there are usually multiple outlets to submit your article. This is a great way to announce to the surrounding community and other vendors that you’re open for business!
Website – This is an easy place for you to share your grand opening, ribbon cutting photos! You could create a blog about the event, create a special landing page or post them in a gallery so your customers can see the celebration!
Fundraising Event –
Advertising – If you host an annual event this is a PERFECT place to use photos! Advertising with engaging photography pulls in new leads, donors, sponsors, prospects, volunteers and more. You can visually tailor your ads to speak to the audience you’re targeting. Plus, they are unique to you, so you won’t find a competitor’s ad with the same image.
Community Partnership – Showing images that speak to your guest’s experience can build new relationships with vendors, sponsors and donors. Ensure them that they’re in store for more than just shelling out cash – show them the full value of why they want to come to your fundraising event year after year!
Awards Ceremony –
Newsletters – You gave love to the award winners at your event – but now you can put the cherry on top by giving them ANOTHER huge shout-out in your monthly newsletter, along with the photo of them winning at the event! Take this moment to SHOW them they are deserving of this award and you appreciate them! Watch your award entries increase next year!
Networking Opportunities – Having photos of other professionals in your industry receiving awards at your event is a chance to establish positive connections with other community members. Build a network of awesome humans who LOVE what they do and know you’re paying attention – and might just award them for their accomplishments!
Internal Employee Event –
Intranet – This is an awesome platform to highlight your event! Your employees can see how much fun everyone had at the event and feel even more excited for the next event! Everyone always looks to see if they were captured and shares their stories of the event. This is a great way to boost employee morale and show appreciation.
Incentive for future employees – Wouldn’t it be terrific for your HR team to have some GENUINE photos of employees loving their life at work!? This is a perk for your business to show the real-life ways your team has fun together and why your business is a place they want to work!
The Whole Caboodle –
And, of course, there’s the ever looming “content is king”… Social Media! ALL of these types of events are perfect content to elevate your social media platforms! Build your following with your ribbon cutting, show off how fun your fundraising events are, highlight how awesome it is to work with you through your employee events, and give kudos to those who won awards at your event! The possibilities (and content) are endless!
WHY DO I NEED PHOTOS OF OUR EVENTS?
I have two answers for you:
1. You need “the shot.” You need the photo of you cutting the ribbon. You need the photo of the keynote speaker. You need the shot of the audience engagement.
2. You need the moments in between. This is the answer that I truly believe speaks back to your brand – which is the REAL reason why you need to have your events captured. Even more than “the shot,” you need the shaking hands, the “long-time-no-see” hugs, and the small talk and laughs over cocktail hour. You need those CONNECTIONS of your people. Their emotions speak volumes to your brand. It speaks to the kind of experience they have with you and what NEW people can expect to experience with you.
Events are such a wonderful opportunity to capture how you make people feel – which I believe is the biggest part of your brand. Those amazing evenings you host for employees, clients and collaborators are the perfect opportunity to capture genuine feelings about your business.
LET’S BRING THIS HOME…
If you’re hosting events this year, and want to capture the people, connections, and experiences they have with you – I’ve got the photographic lens you need to fully capture your event. I would love to work with you to capture your story and tie it to with your brand. Let’s create visual magic and have some FUN! Shoot me an email here, or book a call if wanna chat in person. TTYS!