A conference photography brief is a one-page document that tells your photographer who matters, what the photos are for and when you need them. Send it ten days before your Brussels event, and the photos come back sorted and ready to post.
- The nine things every conference photography brief should include
- How to handle photo consent at an event full of EU-bubble attendees
- What to ask for on delivery, so speakers and sponsors can post the same evening
- What to check with SQUARE, The EGG or Tour & Taxis before the day
Why a brief matters more in Brussels
Brussels hosted 329 international association meetings in 2025, second only to Vienna, after four years at number one in the Union of International Associations ranking. Around 2,470 international associations have their headquarters here (Belga News Agency). So your attendees have seen a LOT of conference photos (lectern, logo wall, a row of laptops, repeat).
Most conference photos prove people were there. The good ones show why it was worth going.
The brief is what makes the difference, because it tells us which 40 photos out of 900 your team will actually use, and for what.
We could turn up without one and photograph everything that moves. You’d get 1,500 images and spend a week hunting for the one where your Secretary General isn’t mid-sneeze (we’ve all been there). A brief takes you about 30 minutes to fill in, and it saves that week.
What to put in your conference photography brief
Nine items cover almost every conference we photograph. Copy them into an email, fill in what you know, and leave the rest blank (we’ll ask).
1 What the photos are for
List every place they’ll end up: LinkedIn during the event, the website, the annual report, the sponsor report, next year’s sales deck. A press release wants one strong speaker image; a sponsor report wants their logo in the room, with people in front of it.
2 The programme, with times and rooms
Send the final agenda with room names. If the keynote moves from 09:30 to 09:45, tell us; that’s the 15 minutes we’d otherwise spend photographing an empty stage.
3 The people who matter, with a photo of each
Speakers, board members, sponsors, your own leadership: a name list with a small headshot next to each. Recognising someone from a 2017 LinkedIn photo, across a dim plenary hall, at 30 metres, is a skill (but one we’d rather not test).
4 Sponsors, and what they were promised
A stand, a branded session, a logo on stage: we need to know. They will ask you for proof, and you’ll want to send it the same week.
5 Must-haves and nice-to-haves
Keep the must-have list to five to ten moments: the group photo, the award handover, the minister arriving. Everything else is nice-to-have, and we cover as much as the day allows.
6 Consent and the no-photo list
How attendees were told about photography, and who asked not to be photographed. More on this below.
7 Delivery: when, how sorted, what sizes
“Five photos for LinkedIn by 18:00” is a brief. “Asap” is a wish (we’ve all sent it).
8 Practicalities on the day
One contact person with a phone number, access badges, where to leave bags, the dress code, and whether the venue Wi-Fi can handle sneak-peek uploads.
9 Your brand guidelines
Your logo, colours and two or three photos you like. They tell us more about the look you want than any adjective would.
A conference shot list you can copy
This is the shot list we start from for a one-day conference. Delete what you don’t need and add your must-haves on top.
| Moment | What we photograph | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Arrival and registration | The venue filling up, first coffees, name badges | Comms team, next year’s sales deck |
| Opening and keynote | The speaker from three angles, the audience reacting | Speaker’s LinkedIn, press release |
| Panels | Each panellist speaking, the moderator, the whole panel together | Speakers, website session pages |
| Networking breaks | Small groups mid-conversation, the moment just after the handshake | Attendees’ LinkedIn, recruitment |
| Sponsors and stands | Stands with people at them, branded sessions, logo on stage | Sponsor report |
| Details | Signage, lanyards, programme, catering, the room before doors open | Social posts, organisers, the designer |
| Group photo | Board, speakers or all attendees, with a fixed time slot | Website, annual report |
Half of networking happens just after the handshake. That’s the half we photograph (the handshake itself, everyone already has).
Photo consent at Brussels events
If you have a data protection officer, ask them to sign off the wording; this guide is practical advice, and your DPO knows your own GDPR obligations.
Sessions under the Chatham House Rule, or closed-door meetings, go on the no-photo list too. Tell us at 08:00; finding out from a raised hand at 14:00 is awkward for everyone.
Delivery: photos people can post while the event is still news
A conference is news for about 48 hours. After that, nobody posts “great to be at…” anymore. So we plan delivery around that window:
Sort-by-use is the part most organisers didn’t know they could ask for. Speakers get their own folder, sponsors get theirs, and your comms team stops forwarding WeTransfer links for a week.
Venue checks: SQUARE, The EGG, Tour & Taxis
Every Brussels venue photographs differently, so ask your venue contact these four questions and pass the answers on:
- Can the photographer reach a balcony or a raised point for wide shots of the main room?
- Is the stage lit for a camera, or only for the room? (They are not the same thing.)
- Where is natural light, for breaks and group photos?
- Are any areas off-limits for photography or for equipment?
SQUARE sits on the Mont des Arts, next to Brussels Central station, in the former Palais des Congrès built for Expo 58. The EGG is a modular venue near Gare du Midi, set up for anything from 2 to 999 people. Tour & Taxis is a former customs site whose Sheds, Gare Maritime and Maison de la Poste now host trade shows and conferences (UIA venue overview).
Send us the date, the venue and roughly how many people. We’ll reply with questions, a draft shot list and one fixed price.
Send us your event dateFAQ
How far ahead should we book a conference photographer in Brussels?
As soon as you have the date. The brief can wait: send it about ten days before the event, once the programme and speaker list are final.
Can the same person film a recap video?
Yes. We shoot photo and video on the same day, so you brief one person, and the 60-second recap reel uses the same moments as the photos.
How fast are the photos delivered?
Sneak peeks the same evening, and the full set within 48 hours, sorted per person, session and sponsor.
Which languages do you work in?
English, Portuguese and Greek, with Dutch in progress. International rooms are where we feel most at home.
Do you cover events outside Brussels?
Yes, across Belgium and Europe. Travel is charged at cost and stated in the quote.
PS: the Palais des Congrès under SQUARE was built for Expo 58, the same world’s fair that gave Brussels the Atomium. Every conference in that building is technically held in a 1950s vision of the future (the Wi-Fi has since been updated).
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