Conference photography in Barcelona by industry: healthcare, tech, gaming, science and industry

A medical congress and a tech launch can take place at the same Barcelona venue and have nothing in common when it comes to photographing them. The rules change, as do the lighting, the pace, what can be shown and what the client needs to publish. The basics are the same, but each industry has its own particularities and it pays to know them before you write the brief.

At Noomadik we have covered conferences and congresses across every industry since 2010. This guide sums up what changes in each one. If you are looking for the general side (what to cover, team size and deadlines), you will find it in our guide to photo and video coverage for conferences.

Healthcare and pharma

Medical congresses, satellite symposia, expert meetings and pharmaceutical stands. This is the industry with the most rules, and nearly all of them affect the photos.

Compliance and approvals

Many medical societies and pharmaceutical companies have internal rules on what can be photographed and published. Photos usually go through a review by the compliance or medical team before they are released. Ask the client from the outset who approves the images and how long it takes, because that determines when you can publish.

What to keep out of the photos

• Slides and posters: many congresses restrict photography of them to protect unpublished data. Only photograph authors presenting their posters if the rules allow it.
• Product messaging: at pharmaceutical stands, some images may show materials or claims that cannot be shared outside a professional context. It is safer to frame people, conversations and the space, and leave the product for agreed shots.

Speakers and healthcare professionals

At symposia and expert meetings, speakers are often doctors contracted by the pharmaceutical company. Check that their consent to the use of their image is covered before publishing. There is more detail in our guide to image rights and GDPR at corporate events.

At the European Association of Nuclear Medicine congress we photographed exhibitors’ stands: the full stand, the product and the activity with visitors. We also work with healthcare companies outside congresses, for example at the Alira Health offices and the Teladoc Health centre in Barcelona.

Technology, AI and digital

Product launches, keynotes, demos, developer conferences and side events at major trade shows such as MWC or ISE.

LED screens and stages

Tech keynotes rely on huge screens. The challenge is to expose for both the speaker and the screen at once, without banding or blown-out areas. We took care of exactly this, for example, at the INFiLED stand at ISE, with large LED installations.

Demos and product

A demo works in a photo when you can see the person, the gesture and what is happening on the device screen. Ask the product team to tell you which demos matter most and when they take place.

Speed for social media

In tech, announcements go out almost live. The usual approach is to combine deliveries during the day with short vertical video clips for social media. At MWC with Huawei we covered keynotes, agreement signings, the stand and client meetings, spreading the crew across spaces. We have also covered the OPPO Night Gala and the Nothing Phone (3a) launch during MWC, the HPE and Intel client event during HPE Discover, and the Italian pavilion at Smart City Expo. If you are exhibiting at MWC, there is a dedicated guide.

Gaming and entertainment

Gaming conventions, esports tournaments, game launches and community events. Here the photos need to convey energy.

Dark rooms and coloured lighting

Gaming stages tend to work with low ambient light, RGB lighting and bright screens. The crew needs cameras and lenses suited to low light and must know when to use flash and when not to, as at some moments it disturbs players and the audience.

The crowd and the excitement

What gets shared most is the reaction: the audience on its feet, players celebrating, the queue to try a game. Plan the moments of peak tension (finals, announcements, guests) and make sure someone has a good position.

Vertical video

In this industry, social content comes first. Add content creators or videographers who shoot vertically and deliver short clips during the event.

Science, academia and public institutions

Scientific congresses, European forums, institutional conferences and research project meetings.

Plenaries, panels and parallel sessions

The structure is usually fixed: an opening with officials, plenaries, round tables and sessions in several rooms. Decide which sessions are priorities and do a round of the rest. At the European Commission’s S3 forum we covered plenaries, round tables and parallel sessions in several rooms of a historic building, as well as the group photo.

Protocol and official photos

When officials attend, there is protocol: speaking order, official photos, greetings. Ask for the protocol running order and a who’s who, with photos if possible.

Workshops and networking

Funded projects often need photos that show participation: workshops, working groups, the audience. At SmartAgriHubs’ Synergy Days we covered plenaries, panels, workshops and networking throughout the day.

Energy, industry and other B2B sectors

Industry conferences, technical days and presentations for professional clients.

Technical demos and product

At these events the product takes centre stage: machinery, laboratory equipment, materials. It is worth setting aside time for detailed product shots, separate from the event coverage. At Grupo Álava’s technical day, as well as talks and demonstrations, we photographed the equipment for their catalogue and website.

Safety in industrial spaces

If part of the event takes place on a factory floor or in a laboratory, the crew must know the safety rules: PPE, restricted areas and what cannot be photographed for confidentiality reasons. Send them in writing beforehand.

Talks and networking

At Battery Innovation Days, the European battery value chain conference, we covered speakers, panels, the audience, networking and the group photo over two days.

What stays the same in every industry

Whatever the industry, good coverage depends on the same things:

1. A clear brief, with objectives and how the photos will be used. Use our brief template for your event photographer.
2. The programme with times and rooms, and the key moments marked.
3. A list of key people: speakers, officials, executives and sponsors.
4. A crew sized to what happens at the same time, with photo and video handled by different professionals working simultaneously.
5. Agreed deliveries: daily selection, full gallery and video pieces.
6. Image rights sorted at registration and signposted at the venue.

At Noomadik we organise our team of photographers, videographers and content creators according to the industry and the programme, and we coordinate it from the agency so you have a single point of contact.

If you are preparing a conference in Barcelona, whatever the industry, see our conference and trade show photography in Barcelona page or send us the programme.