Consent for on-stand interviews: template and practice

Why an interview needs its own consent

An interview is more than a photo. The person is on screen for a long time and in close-up, their voice can be heard, and they say something that will be linked to their name and often to their employer. The recording is edited, subtitled and used on several channels for months, sometimes in several countries. Do not rely on legitimate interest alone here. The safe route is written consent. The background is explained in our guide to image rights at trade fairs.

This matters most for people who are not your employees: customers, distributors, partners, trade visitors. If questions come up later, they have no reason to be generous. Clear consent answers the questions before anyone asks them.

This guide is practical guidance, not legal advice. The template below is a starting point that your legal team or data protection officer should adapt to your company. If your head office is outside the EU, involve whoever handles data protection for your European activities.

What the consent form must cover

• Who: the name of the company responsible for the recordings, with contact details.
• What: video and audio recording of the interview, plus any photos taken at the same time.
• What for: specific purposes such as website, social media, show film, presentations, newsletters, advertising. The more specific, the better.
• Where: if the material will be used in particular countries or regions, for example your home market, say so.
• How: shortening, editing, subtitles and translation, a name caption with job title and company.
• How long: without time limit or for a set period. Decide this deliberately.
• Withdrawal: a note that consent can be withdrawn at any time with effect for the future, and where to send the withdrawal.
• Voluntary: a note that taking part is voluntary.
• Privacy information: a link to your privacy notice.
• Signature: name in capitals, place, date, signature.

If a fee or anything in return has been agreed, include it in the form. For minors, parents or guardians sign.

A template to adapt

The wording below is deliberately simple. Adjust the parts in square brackets and have the text checked before you use it.

Consent to video, audio and photo recording

I agree that [company, address] may record an interview with me in picture and sound on [date] at [name of trade fair] and take photos of me. The recordings may be shortened, edited, subtitled and translated, and shown with my name, job title and company.

The recordings may be used for the following purposes: [website, social media channels, show film, presentations, newsletters, advertising] in [countries or regions, if relevant]. Use is permitted [without time limit / until date].

My participation is voluntary. I can withdraw this consent at any time with effect for the future by email to [address]. Content already published will then be removed where possible. Information on data protection: [link].

Name, job title, company, place, date, signature

On the stand: when and how to sign

1. Send it in advance: customers and partners receive the form a few days before the show, together with the interview request.
2. Sign before recording, not afterwards. After the interview the person is in a hurry and the next meeting is waiting.
3. Paper or tablet: both work. Photograph paper forms straight away and file them with the project.
4. A language they understand: offer the form in a language the person reads confidently, at least English and German. Check the spelling of names in Latin script for the captions at the same time.
5. A short confirmation on camera: one sentence such as: I agree that this interview may be used for the communication of [company]. It does not replace the signature but is additional evidence.

For customer interviews, check early whether the person needs approval from their employer to speak publicly about you as a supplier. Otherwise the best line in the film may fail at the approval stage. For questions and sound on your stand (booth), see our guide to on-stand interviews.

Approval, changes and withdrawal

Show customers and partners the finished edit before publication. It takes a day and avoids trouble. Pay special attention to subtitles: a translation has to keep the meaning, and names, job titles and product names have to be spelled correctly.

If consent is withdrawn, it applies to the future. You can no longer publish new material with that person, and you should review existing posts and pages and adjust them where possible. What has already been printed and distributed usually cannot be recalled. In films with several speakers, it helps to build the edit so that one person can be taken out.

Keep the consent forms for as long as you use the recordings, and link them to the project in your archive. Anyone who wants to reuse a clip in two years' time needs to see what it is cleared for.

Checklist for the show day

1. Have the form checked by your legal team, in the languages you need.
2. Send the form in advance with the interview request.
3. Keep printed copies and pens on the stand, or a tablet.
4. Before each interview: check the signature, note name and job title.
5. Record a short confirmation on camera.
6. Photograph the forms in the evening and file them with the project.
7. Send the edit for approval before publication.

At Pixer we conduct interviews in English, German, Arabic and Persian. Send us your form in advance and we will check before each recording that the signature is there. More on short customer statements on our testimonial video page. And once more: this is not legal advice, and the template does not replace a check by a professional.

The short version

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