On-location headshots for LinkedIn at your event or conference in Barcelona
How to set up on-location headshots at your event or conference: space, headshots per hour, delivery to attendees and sponsor branding.
By Juanjo Vega Santa-Cruz · Noomadik
On-location LinkedIn headshots are one of the things attendees appreciate most at a professional event. Almost everyone needs a good profile photo and hardly anyone finds the time to get one. Offer it at your conference, trade show or client event and they take away something useful they will use for years, while your event gains one more reason to attend.
This guide explains how it works, what you need and how to organise it so the queue doesn’t go on forever.
What on-location headshots involve
We build a small headshot set at your event: a neutral or brand-coloured background, professional lighting and a photographer taking headshots of attendees who drop by. In a few minutes each person has their photo taken and later receives it edited and ready for LinkedIn.
Unlike a photocall, the focus here is the person, not the brand on the backdrop. It is a carefully lit individual portrait, with the same light and framing they would get at an office shoot.
Why attendees value it
- It is genuinely useful. A professional profile photo is something most people keep putting off.
- It is quick. Five minutes between two talks, with no travelling or booking.
- Its value lasts beyond the event. The photo stays on their profile long after the last session.
- It gets people talking. The queue becomes another networking spot.
And for the organisers there is an added bonus: when attendees post their new photo, they may well mention where it was taken.
Space and location
How much room you need
About 3 × 4 metres for the background and lighting, plus space for people to wait without blocking the way. We need a power socket nearby and, if possible, a small table for bags or badges.
Where to put the set
- Near networking, the coffee area or the exhibition: that is where people have free time.
- Visible but not in the middle of a narrow corridor, so the queue doesn’t get in the way.
- Away from the main stage, so the flashes don’t distract speakers or the audience.
Headshots per hour and managing the queue
How many headshots per hour
At 3-5 minutes per person, including getting into position, several shots and choosing an expression, you can comfortably take 12 to 20 headshots an hour. The real pace depends on peaks: people pile up during breaks and the set goes quiet during talks.
Booked slots or first come, first served
- First come, first served: more spontaneous and simple. Works well at mid-sized events.
- Booked slots: via the event app, a form or a QR code on the badge. Recommended if you expect high demand or a very senior audience that won’t want to queue.
- Mixed: some booked slots and free gaps for walk-ins.
Either way, a support person at the set helps a lot: they collect names and emails, explain how photos will be delivered and manage the queue.
Collecting each person’s details
To get each photo to its owner, you need to know whose it is. The most practical approach is to scan the badge or note the name and email before each portrait. Remember to tell attendees what that data is used for and point them to the event’s privacy policy.
Delivering the photos
There are several options, and it is best to decide when preparing the proposal:
- Later delivery: each attendee receives their edited photo by email in the following days.
- Delivery during the event: if on-site editing is planned, a first version can be sent the same day, while the attendee is still thinking about the event.
- Private gallery: all the photos in one link, organised by name, for the organisers to distribute.
Whatever the system, ideally you deliver a square crop ready for LinkedIn plus a high-resolution version.
Sponsor branding
On-location headshots make a good sponsorship asset. Some ways to integrate a brand without spoiling the photo:
- Signage next to the set: “Professional headshots, courtesy of…”.
- Branding in the delivery email or on the gallery where photos are downloaded.
- A discreet element in the space, such as the waiting table or the floor.
What we don’t recommend is putting the logo on the portrait background: if the photo is going to be the attendee’s profile picture, nobody wants someone else’s brand behind their head.
How it fits with the rest of the coverage
A headshot set at your event doesn’t replace event photography. Usually one photographer stays at the set and another covers talks, networking and atmosphere, coordinated by the same agency. That way attendees get their portrait and the organisers get their full gallery. If you are wondering how that kind of coverage is priced, we explain it in how much a corporate event photographer costs in Barcelona.
And if your event is a large trade show such as MWC, the headshot set can sit on your own stand: we cover how to organise that kind of shoot in our MWC Barcelona guide.
To sum up
On-location headshots are simple to set up, take up little space and leave attendees with a useful memento of your event. If you would like to include them at your next conference or gathering, see our corporate portraits and conference photography in Barcelona pages, or request a quote.
