Fisher Investments 2024 Sales Meeting
J W Marriott - Water Street - Tampa, Florida
Assignment Details
Client: Fisher Investments
Assignment: Corporate Event Photography. Photograph the Fisher Investments 2024 Sales Meeting. Awards Ceremony, Group of 250, and 150 Headshots.
Location: JW Marriott, 510 Water Street in downtown Tampa, FL
Date: August 2024
Assignment Highlights
Being selected to photograph the Fisher Investments 2024 Sales Meeting.
The challenge of orchestrating all of the moving parts of this corporate event with precision.
Arriving early to set up and test the two headshot stations, the extra powerful lights for the group photo, and adjust the placement of the risers, chairs and ladder. Discussing logistics with the event planners and awards presenter.
Seeing all three phases of this event executed flawlessly, exceeding the client's expectations.
Assignment Challenges
Orchestrating 3 events within the client's timeline.
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Photographing the Awards Ceremony:
- Keynote Speakers: Photographing keynote speakers and their impact on the audience.
- Emotional Moments: Documenting the excitement and joy of award recipients as they receive recognition.
- Posed Awards Shots: A seasoned photographers will allow for a 4 second window to take 3 quick photos of each award recipient before moving on to the next.
- Candid Shots: Capturing candid moments of interaction between presenters, recipients and audience.
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Large Group Photo of 250:
- Organizing the Group: Arranging a large number of people for a cohesive and well-composed photograph in a hotel ballroom can be a big challenge. Creating levels with risers and chairs is the most popular method. But with a large group of 250, we are going to need more that 3 levels. The JW Marriott provided one level of raisers, 40+ chairs and a 12 foot ladder. I was told to arrange the group with 2 rows of seated people on the floor level and an additional 2 rows of seated people on the risers. I was able to include one row of people standing behind each group of seated people. I have never attempted this type of an arrangement in my 40 years as a corporate event photographer. I expressed my doubts and concerns about everyone being visible in this unusual arrangement, but my client insisted, so I obeyed her wishes.
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Executive Headshots:
- Efficiency: Managing time effectively to capture 150 headshots without causing disruption to the event schedule. In order to do so, we had two photography stations and two photographers shooting headshots at the same time.
- Consistency: Maintaining consistent lighting and background for all headshots to create a professional look. Both headshot stations were equipped with studio lighting and a gray background.
- Individuality: Bringing out the personality of each individual while sticking to the client's very tight timeline.
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Client Interaction:
- Communication: Clear communication with event organizers and participants to understand their expectations.
- Flexibility: Being adaptable to last-minute changes or requests from the client.
- Professionalism: Representing yourself and your brand in a manner that reflects well on both during interactions.
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Technical Challenges:
- Lighting: Adapting to different lighting conditions throughout the event venue.
- Equipment: Ensuring all necessary equipment (cameras, lenses, lighting, etc.) is prepared and functioning properly.
- Post-Processing: Managing the workflow for editing and delivering a large volume of photos promptly after the event.
Our Solution
Pre-Event communication with the client and the venue was critical. Each component—the awards ceremony, large group photo, and individual headshots—presents its own challenges. Photographing such an event requires expertise and major organizational skills. Communication with the client and the venue was very important. Teamwork made the Dream work!