Trade Show Photography

Trafic Design, is a Quebec company specializing in corporate design and branded environments for business.  Trafic contacted me to document their promotional exhibit design at the 2017 NTEA Work Truck Show, the largest event in association history.  It featured more than 500 vendors with nearly 12,000 attendees, occupying all 566,000 square feet of exhibit space in the Indiana Convention Center.
Trafic’s client, Ranger Design, is a commercial van outfit manufacturer for mobile professionals.  At the exhibit, attendees were able to view Ranger’s latest innovations in person and have questions answered in detail by knowledgeable staff. Ranger’s exhibit also employed touchscreen technology to digitally outfit trucks to fit their clients’ unique needs. Ranger Design had more than a dozen employees at the show and seven fully equipped trucks on site.Trafic’s goal for the shoot on was to feature the design, flow and functions of the booth. With that in mind, I aimed to highlight how Trafic’s design facilitated interactions between Ranger’s products and employees and their target customers visiting the show.Three hours were allocated for the shoot and we broke it into three segments:

1. Scouting – Due to situational constraints (the Truck Show & exhibits weren’t set up until the day of the event) a separate scouting trip wasn’t possible. I arrived before the convention floor opened to have a brief walk through with Trafic’s president to discuss a few of the key features and design elements of the exhibit.

2. Exhibit Design – Before the exhibit hall opened to the public I shot for about one and a half hours focusing on taking wide, medium and detail shots of the booth’s design, features and branding.3. Environment in Use – Once the doors opened to the public, I spent about an hour documenting how attendees moved through and experienced the space in order to really showcase how Trafic’s brand experience for Ranger Design and their clientele. 

I focused on attendees’ engagement with the products, Ranger employees and interactive elements of the exhibit.  I also briefly shadowed Ranger’s CEO to document his interactions with customers on the trade show floor.As with many of my shoots, this job required me to be able to move quickly and inconspicuously so as not to distract from the company at work.  I kept my gear to 2 camera bodies and 4 lenses, which I wore on me at all times. The Indiana Convention Center is properly lit and I knew from past experience that no additional lighting would be necessary.Trafic’s product and service shows best in real use. My approach is a practical solution provided in real time without the use of models or expensive staging, saving the company money and time while producing images that capture the full experience of a Trafic branded environment. Are you ready to show your business in action? Contact us now to schedule a consultation. 

 

Author: Zach Dobson

Zach Dobson is a documentary and commercial photographer based in Indianapolis. He holds a degree in journalism from Indiana University with a concentration in photography. Since starting his business in 2006, Zach has focused on documenting people’s lives and businesses in action. Zach’s client list includes the Indiana Pacers, Coca-Cola, the AARP, ZipCar, Indiana University, Visit Bloomington, Hamilton County Tourism, Land O’Lakes, RIOT LA Comedy Festival, Indianapolis Public Schools, Indiana High School Athletic Association. Zach is a Professional Member of the American Society of Media Photographers [ASMP]. He resides in Carmel, Ind. with his wife and business partner, Courtney, and their five children.

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