Short vertical videos are the fastest way to take a trade fair to the outside world. This guide covers how long a clip should be, what the first seconds look like, how subtitles and music work, and how to post to three platforms at once.
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Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts and TikTok look the same at first glance: upright, full screen, one swipe to the next video. For exhibitors that means one well-made clip can run on all three. The differences lie in the setting and in what viewers expect there.
| Platform | Typical setting | What suits a trade fair |
|---|---|---|
| Instagram Reels | Brand, products, stories from the same account | Product in hand, stand walk-through, behind the scenes |
| YouTube Shorts | A channel with longer videos | Excerpts from interviews and talks that point to the full video |
| TikTok | Entertainment and trends, also beyond the trade audience | Reactions, before and after, the people behind the product |
The table is a guide from practice, not a fixed rule. Many B2B exhibitors also post vertical clips on LinkedIn, where the mobile app shows them large. And in some home markets other platforms take the place of these three; for mainland China, for example, the same vertical master file also works on Douyin or WeChat Channels. The basis is always the same: clips filmed upright, not cropped landscape footage. Why that matters is explained in vertical clips (9:16) from the show.
All three platforms now accept far longer videos than make sense for a trade fair clip. The limits change regularly, so check them in the app before uploading. For planning, a different question matters more: how long does the idea carry?
These are figures from experience, not platform rules. A short clip watched twice beats a long one that gets swiped away halfway. If an interview gives you more, cut two clips rather than one long one, and put the full film on YouTube or your website.
In a vertical feed, people decide within seconds whether to stay. The opening has to show what the clip is about immediately, without a run-up. Four openings work reliably at trade fairs:
What does not work: a logo animation, a wide shot of the hall, a slow fade-in. The logo belongs at the end or in your profile picture. Show name and stand number sit better in the post text or as a small overlay after the opening. Plan the hook during the shoot: the videographer needs to know which shot will open the clip.
Many short videos are watched without sound, especially during office hours or on the move. Subtitles are therefore standard, not an extra. The apps' automatic captions are a stopgap: technical terms, product names and accents are often misheard. Burned-in subtitles checked in the edit look consistent and are correct.
For international exhibitors the language question decides who the clip reaches: English for the global audience, plus a version for your home market. Pixer delivers interviews and subtitles in English, German, Arabic and Persian. How to plan multilingual versions is covered in multilingual subtitles for show videos.
Trending audio inside an app is often licensed for that app only. If the same clip is used on your website, on LinkedIn or as a paid ad, it needs music cleared for that use. The safe option is a clip that works without music, for example with original sound from the stand. More in our guide to music in trade fair videos.
Choose a cover that still makes sense in your profile grid: a face or a product, with three words of text at most. Covers are cropped in the grid, so keep text and main subject in the centre.
A first line with a statement, then show, hall and stand number. Add the show's official hashtag if there is one and a few industry hashtags. Long hashtag lists look random in a B2B context.
During the show, one clip a day is enough; spread the rest over the following weeks. If your audience is in another time zone, post when it is morning there. At Pixer, vertical clips are part of every trade fair package: one in Basic at €990, two in Professional at €1,490, three in Full Day at €1,990, each delivered within 24 hours after the show ends. Details are on our trade fair video production page.
Reels, Shorts and TikTok use the same clips filmed upright.
Usually 8 to 45 seconds, set by the idea, not by the platform limit.
Movement, a question, the result or a face in the first two seconds.
Burned in, centred, one language per version.
App audio is often cleared for that app only. Website and ads need cleared music.
One, two or three vertical clips, depending on the package.
Yes, if you upload a clean file without watermarks and adapt the post text for each platform. Swap any in-app music for cleared music first.
The platforms allow longer videos than make sense. For trade fairs, 8 to 45 seconds has proven itself, depending on whether you show a detail, a small story or an answer.
For a spontaneous story, perhaps. For clips that represent your company, checked, burned-in subtitles are safer, because technical terms and names are often misheard.
It depends on your industry and audience. Brands that also reach end customers tend to benefit more than pure industrial suppliers, for whom LinkedIn and YouTube are usually the more obvious choice.
Your team or your agency, at the show or at head office. We deliver finished files with subtitles; you decide on timing, text and channel.
Yes, usage rights are unlimited. Music and the people shown must be cleared for advertising, though.
Want a finished clip for every show day? Tell us the fair and the dates and we will plan openings, subtitles and delivery times with you.
We reply within 24 hours. During a show week, WhatsApp is fastest.
