20 questions to ask a trade fair photographer before booking

Why questions before booking save money

A quote usually lists hours and a price. What comes after is often missing: how many images are edited, when they arrive, whether you may use them in print and advertising, what travel costs. That is where the surprises come from, usually after the show, when nothing can be changed any more.

The 20 questions below bring every quote into the same structure. You do not have to ask all of them. Pick the ones that matter for your show and ask for written answers in the quote. That way you compare scope with scope, not hourly rate with hourly rate. If you are flying in from abroad and booking a crew you have never met, this is the easiest way to find out who you are dealing with.

The 20 questions and why they matter

The order follows the job: scope and team first, then delivery and rights, then logistics and costs.

1. What exactly is included in the price, and what costs extra? Only a complete scope lets you compare two quotes fairly.
2. How many edited photos will we receive at minimum? The number of hours alone says nothing about how many usable images arrive at the end.
3. How long will the team actually be on our stand (booth)? Travel, setup and breaks should not come out of the time spent shooting.
4. Are video and vertical clips included, and in which lengths? A highlight video and 9:16 clips have to be planned on the stand from the start.
5. How many people will come, and who does what? If you want photo and video at the same time, you need more than one person on site.
6. In which languages do the brief and the interviews take place? For exhibitors from abroad, this decides whether you need an interpreter as well.
7. When do the first images arrive, and when does the rest? Images that arrive after show week miss social media and the follow-up with new contacts.
8. In which formats and resolutions is the material delivered? Website, social media and print need different files, and converting them later costs time.
9. How many revision rounds are included for video? Without a fixed number, every change request turns into a negotiation.
10. Which usage rights do we get, in time and territory? Rights limited to website and social media lead to extra charges as soon as a catalogue or an ad comes up.
11. May our partners and distributors use the images? International distributors often want to use trade fair photos on their own channels, and that should be agreed in advance.
12. Is the music in the video licensed, including for paid ads? Unclear music rights can lead platforms to mute the sound or remove the video.
13. How do you handle visitors and interviewees who do not want to be recorded? Consent concerns your stand and your guests, not only the photographer.
14. Can you show examples from trade fairs? Trade fair work demands different skills from weddings or studio shoots, and only real show images prove them.
15. Do you know the exhibition centre? A team that knows the halls, routes and lighting loses no time on the show day.
16. Who arranges passes and access to the hall? The rules are in the organiser's exhibitor manual, and without a pass the day starts with waiting at the entrance.
17. How does the briefing work before the show? A short call with a shot list prevents key shots or people from being missed.
18. What happens if the photographer falls ill or equipment fails? A show day cannot be moved, so there has to be a plan B.
19. Fixed price or hourly rate, and which travel and extra costs are added? Otherwise travel, hotel and parking only show up on the invoice.
20. How do you invoice us if our company is based outside Germany? VAT, reverse charge and the payment route decide what your accounts team actually pays in the end.

How we answer the key questions

To show what concrete answers look like, here are ours to six of the questions:

The remaining questions depend on your show, your stand and your programme. We answer them in a call or by email before you book. What each package includes is on our trade fair photographer Germany page.

How to tell good answers from weak ones

The answers often tell you more than the price. Watch for these warning signs:

• Vague delivery times such as "soon" or "to be agreed" instead of a specific point in time.
• Rights for certain channels only, with no word on what an extension costs.
• No number of photos, only hours.
• No trade fair examples, only portraits, weddings or studio work.
• No answer on a plan B for illness or broken equipment.

Good answers are specific, in writing and fit into a comparison table. A provider who answers quickly and clearly before you book usually does the same during show week.

When and how to ask

Ask early, ideally with your first enquiry. Experienced crews get booked up quickly for show weeks, and the later you book, the less choice you have. More on timing in our guide on when to book a trade fair photographer.

Do not send all 20 questions to every provider. Pick eight to ten that decide your show, and include the show, hall, stand number, date and the hours you need. Then put the answers side by side in one table: hours on the stand, number of photos, video, delivery time, rights, travel, total price. How prices are built up is explained in our guide what does a trade fair photographer cost.

If you are travelling in from abroad, three questions matter most: language (6), delivery (7) and invoicing (20). They decide whether the work runs without detours and whether the images are ready before you fly home.

The short version

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