In a show week, trade editors get more press releases than they can run, and the photo often decides which make it. Here is which shots they need, how to deliver and caption them, and when to send what, in Germany and at home.
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Trade editors sort quickly during a show week. A release with a usable photo can go straight into an online story, a newsletter or a print page with little effort. A release without a picture, or with an unusable one, means extra work: asking, waiting, perhaps finding a generic image. Editors only do that when the news is genuinely strong.
Usable means the photo tells the story, is technically clean, available in high resolution, correctly captioned and cleared for editorial use. That is where many trade fair press releases fail. Not because of the product, but because of a phone snapshot, a 200-kilobyte file or a missing caption.
International exhibitors usually have two audiences: the German and European trade press at the show, and the media in their home market. Both need the same photos, but different captions, different languages and different timing. Plan for both before you fly in.
Editors look for pictures that make sense without much text. For a trade fair release, these shots work:
What rarely gets printed: rows of twelve people staring at the camera, pictures where the logo is bigger than the product, collages, heavily edited composites and selfies. Shots where other exhibitors' products or logos are clearly visible cause problems too.
Think about the editors' layouts as well. Online portals often crop lead images wide, magazines may need a portrait format for a column or a cover. Leave space around the subject when shooting so the picture can be cropped either way without losing anything.
| Item | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Resolution | Full-resolution original for print, plus a smaller web version |
| Format | JPG; every key shot in landscape and portrait if possible |
| Editing | Colour and exposure corrected, no filters, no text overlays |
| File name | Company, show, subject, for example company_show_product.jpg |
| Delivery | Download link to a folder instead of large email attachments |
Large attachments end up in spam filters or fill inboxes. Send the release with a small preview image and link to the folder with the originals. Put the pictures in the press area of your website as well. Many organisers also let exhibitors place releases in the press centre or an online press box; the conditions are in the exhibitor manual.
Every photo needs a caption that makes sense without the release: who is in the picture, left to right with name and job title, what is happening, at which show, when. Add the credit line you want, such as your company name. For home-market media, write the caption in their language yourself; do not rely on editors to translate names and titles correctly.
Before sending, make sure you are allowed to pass the images on. That has two layers: the photographer's usage rights and the consent of the people shown. At Pixer, usage rights are unlimited, so you can release the photos to the press without a separate agreement. Consent from visitors, partners and your own staff is yours to obtain. More in our guide to image rights at trade fairs.
Add a short line to the release such as: photos free for editorial use with credit. Then nobody has to ask.
Mind the time difference for your home market: a launch at 11:00 in Düsseldorf is already late afternoon in China and early morning on the US East Coast. Prepare the release in both languages before you travel, so on the day only the photo has to be added.
The bottleneck is almost always the first show day. Agree with your photographer which shot is needed by when. With our trade fair photography packages the first photos usually arrive the same day, so the launch release goes out with a real picture from the show. How to prepare for journalists visiting your stand is covered in press and influencers on the stand.
Put together one folder before the show that you can share with editors and the press centre. It should contain:
The last point is often forgotten. An editor with a question on a show day who reaches nobody simply takes the next release.
Editors use pictures that work without long text: product, application, person, moment.
Photograph the new product on a neutral background before the show, so the preview has a picture.
Every key shot in both formats, originals via download link, no heavy attachments.
Who, what, where, when, left to right, in the language of each outlet, plus the credit line.
The photographer's usage rights and the consent of the people shown must both be in place.
Agree which shot is delivered by when, and allow for time zones in your home market.
Usually JPG at full resolution for print and a smaller version for online. Supply every key shot in landscape and portrait and share the files through a download link.
For a quick social post, yes. For trade magazines, rarely. Soft detail, mixed light and low resolution are the usual reasons a picture is not used.
Everyone who can be recognised, including visitors, partners and your own staff. Get consent before the shot, or at the latest before you send the picture out.
Yes. Usage rights are unlimited. Use whatever credit line you prefer, for example your company name.
A link to a short video helps online editors but does not replace the photo. A 30-second clip without speech is the easiest to embed in any language.
For the German trade press, German or English; for your home market, your own language. Keep the photos identical and adapt the captions.
Planning a launch or an announcement at the show? We photograph your stand and usually deliver the first pictures for your press release the same day.
We reply within 24 hours. During a show week, WhatsApp is fastest.
