Briefing stand staff: dress, posture, conversations on camera

Why your team is the real subject

A trade fair stand without people is just architecture. The team is what makes it a place where something happens. That is why your stand staff decide whether the photos later work on your website, in LinkedIn posts and in sales decks.

Most problems in trade fair photos have nothing to do with the camera: folded arms behind the counter, three colleagues looking at their phones at once, one person in a hoodie next to two in suits. None of this can be fixed afterwards, but a short briefing prevents it. Hold it the evening before or in the morning before doors open, with the whole team.

A briefing is not acting school. Nobody should pose. The aim is for your team to behave naturally and look professional while a camera happens to be nearby. For international teams, it also helps to agree which language the stand works in and who handles which visitor groups.

Dress: consistent, calm, camera-friendly

Consistent clothing tells visitors and the camera straight away who belongs to the stand (booth). It does not need to be a uniform. One clear rule is enough.

• Match the colours: plain shirts, blouses or polo shirts in a colour that suits the stand and stands out from the back wall.
• Avoid fine patterns: narrow stripes and small checks shimmer on video, known as moiré.
• No other brands: large logos of other companies on jackets, caps or bags distract.
• Consistent name badges: same position, same height, easy to read.
• Pack a spare: a second top per person for multi-day shows or the coffee stain at 10 a.m.
• Comfortable shoes: if your feet hurt after six hours, it shows in the photos.

Posture on the stand: open to the aisle

Body language works the same way for visitors and for photos. What looks inviting in person also works in an image.

• In front of the counter, not behind it: the counter is a barrier. Standing in front of it makes people approachable.
• Facing the aisle: never stand with your back to visitors or in closed little groups.
• Phones away: set up a fixed spot in the storage room for calls and emails.
• Eat and drink elsewhere: coffee cups and snacks belong in the storage room, not on the counter.
• Hands free: no folded arms, no hands in pockets. A product or tablet in hand works better.

These rules are not only for the photos. A stand that looks open in an image also looks open to the buyer walking past.

Conversations on camera: just carry on

The best conversation photos happen when nobody notices the photographer. Tell your team clearly: when the photographer is close, simply continue the conversation. Do not look into the lens, do not smile on command, do not stop talking.

• When explaining a product, show the product rather than only talking about it. That gives the image content.
• Hold a tablet or catalogue so both people look into it, not only one.
• If a visitor does not want to be photographed, respect it and give the photographer a quick sign.

Agree on a simple signal, such as a small hand gesture. A confidential customer conversation does not need a camera next to it. Whether and how you publish photos showing recognisable visitors is something to check with your data protection contact. Our guide on conversation photos at the stand explains how natural shots come about.

Interviews and statements: prepared, not memorised

For on-stand interviews you need one or two people who enjoy speaking. It does not have to be the managing director. What matters is that they know the subject and can talk freely.

1. Send two or three questions in advance: what are you showing at this fair, who is it for, what is new?
2. One key message in one sentence: the line that must appear in the film.
3. Bullet points, not a script: memorised answers sound stiff on camera.
4. Choose the language: English, German or both, depending on who the film is for.
5. Pick a quiet moment: usually the afternoon, when there are fewer visitors.

At Pixer we record interviews with a wireless microphone in a quiet corner of the stand and can subtitle them in English, German, Arabic or Persian. More in our guide on on-stand interviews. If customers at your stand want to talk about your product, a dedicated testimonial video is worth considering.

The 15-minute briefing

A good briefing is short and happens before the show, not in passing in the aisle. This order works well:

1. The goal of the fair and what the photos and videos should do afterwards.
2. Who is on the stand when, and who is the contact for the photographer and videographer?
3. Dress and name badges.
4. Posture on the stand and the rules for phones, food and bags.
5. How to behave during conversation photos, and the signal for confidential talks.
6. Who gives interviews, on which questions, at what time?
7. When the team photo happens, so everyone is there.

Give the team photo a fixed time, ideally just before or after a shift change when both shifts are on the stand. See our guide on the team photo at the trade fair for positioning tips.

The short version

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