Confidential exhibits and prototypes: what must stay out of the picture

What can be confidential on a stand

Confidential does not only mean the covered prototype in the corner of your stand (booth). In practice, sensitive details end up in photos and videos in less obvious places:

• prototypes and pre-series models that only selected customers may see;
• new features or components that will be announced later;
• screens showing software, dashboards or customer data;
• price lists, order forms and meeting schedules on the counter;
• whiteboards and flip charts in the meeting room;
• customer projects and logos of customers or suppliers you may not name;
• type plates, labels and serial numbers that reveal specifications.

This guide describes working practice from trade fair shoots. It is not legal advice. For the content of confidentiality agreements and questions of trade secret or patent protection, talk to your legal department or a lawyer.

Sort exhibits into clear categories

The simplest tool is a short list everyone understands. Before the show, the product manager or another responsible person puts every exhibit into one of four categories:

Mark the categories on the stand plan and in the shot list, ideally with a photo of each exhibit. Add the list to the briefing for stand staff and interpreters, so everyone works with the same limits. Name one person on the stand who decides in case of doubt. Your photographer should never have to guess.

NDA and agreements with the photo and video team

If truly confidential products are on your stand, put the expectations in writing before the show. Many companies use their own non-disclosure agreement (NDA). In plain terms, such an agreement usually answers these questions:

• What exactly is confidential, and until when?
• Who on the production side may see the material, including editors who are not on site?
• How are raw files stored and transferred, and who has access to download links?
• May the provider show images in a portfolio or showreel, and if so, from when?
• What happens to the files after delivery: kept, archived or deleted?
• What applies to material under embargo?

Ask your provider before booking whether they will sign your NDA and how they handle files. Pixer, for example, works with a small crew on site and a remote editing team, so an agreement should cover both. Have the wording checked by your legal team. The general rules on usage rights for trade fair photos apply in addition.

On the show day: shooting around secrets

• Walk-through with the crew. Before the first shot, show the photographer or videographer every exhibit with a restriction.
• Cover or turn. Whatever must never appear stays covered or faces away from the aisle while the camera works.
• Neutral screens. Switch screens to a neutral loop while filming close to them. Laptops not in use stay closed.
• Clear counters. Price lists, order forms and appointment lists go into a drawer.
• Brief interview partners. Agree beforehand what not to mention. A recorded answer can be cut, a sentence in a live stream cannot.

If a prototype is to be unveiled during the show, plan the reveal as a fixed moment: time, place, who removes the cover and where the camera stands. Until then the exhibit stays covered for everyone, including the crew's test shots. The unveiling itself is often the strongest picture of the day.

Visitors and other exhibitors carry phones too. You cannot control every picture taken in a public hall, which is why covering is more reliable than asking. Photo rules for visitors differ between shows and venues, so check the organiser's exhibitor manual. A small sign on a sensitive exhibit and a friendly member of staff usually achieve more than a discussion. The reverse applies as well: your own crew does not photograph confidential items on other stands, see other stands in the frame.

Review, embargo and archive

The last safety net is the review before anything is published:

1. The responsible person checks every selected photo and every video version, zoomed in on screens, labels and backgrounds.
2. Anything critical is flagged in the revision round. Every Pixer package includes two revision rounds, the right moment to remove a detail or a scene.
3. Ask for embargo material in separate folders, with the release date in the folder name.
4. Download links go only to the people who need them.
5. After the launch, embargo material moves to the normal archive with a note on its status.

Retouching can remove a label afterwards, but it is safer not to shoot it at all. For long-term storage, our guide on archiving trade fair photos shows a folder structure that keeps rights and status easy to find.

The short version

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