Confirming supplier arrival and induction requirements in the booking

The photographer's work begins before the first photograph. At many venues, suppliers need to arrive at set times, collect passes, follow a route and sometimes attend a briefing. If these steps are not in the booking, coverage can start late and everyone feels the pressure.

This guide belongs to our overview of booking event photography and agreeing the scope.

What might the venue require?

Requirements vary widely, and we do not assume which apply to your venue. Common examples include:

• advance registration of names, sometimes with identity details
• passes or wristbands collected at a desk
• a safety, fire or security briefing
• a specific entrance, loading bay or lift
• limits on equipment, tripods or cases
• check-in with a named person
• arrival before the guests, with a cut-off time

Ask the venue or the organiser for their supplier instructions, in writing. Our guide on confirming photography access before committing to a booking covers what to ask before booking, and the venue photography checklist lists the usual questions.

How should arrival be recorded?

Put the details in the booking:

1. Arrival time. When the photographer should be at the venue, and when coverage begins.
2. Entrance and route. Where to enter, park and unload.
3. Meeting contact. Who will meet the photographer, and their phone number.
4. Requirements. Passes, briefings and anything to bring.
5. Delay plan. Who to call if entry is held up.

Do this in the final brief if you can. Our guide on recording the final photography brief before event day describes how.

Why separate arrival from coverage start?

Arrival and coverage start are different moments. A photographer may arrive at 4pm to register, brief and set up, while coverage begins at 5pm when guests arrive. If the booking only states the coverage start, the photographer may not be allowed in on time, and the first moments may be missed.

State both times. If a briefing or induction takes place before coverage, say how long it is expected to take. If it runs over, the coverage plan should say what happens.

What if something delays entry?

Delays happen: traffic, a long security queue, a missing pass or a door nobody has opened. A delay plan saves time. Name a contact who can be reached on the day and who can authorise entry. Agree what the photographer does if the person is unreachable.

Our guides on the crew being delayed on event day and on the venue restricting photography access on the day explain what happens if the plan breaks down.

An example scenario

For example, imagine a corporate event in a convention centre. The venue requires suppliers to register names two days before, collect passes at the loading dock at least ninety minutes before doors, and attend a ten-minute safety briefing.

The organiser sends us the venue's instructions. We confirm the crew names, and the booking records arrival at 2.30pm, pass collection at the dock, a briefing at 3pm and coverage starting at 4pm. A named venue contact and phone number are listed. On the day, the briefing runs on a little, and coverage begins on time.

What equipment and bags will be checked?

Some venues inspect bags at the entrance or limit what suppliers may carry in. Cases, stands and lighting equipment may need a specific route or a lift. Ask the venue whether there are size limits, weight limits or items that need prior approval. Tell us early, because a rule on stands or cases can change how the crew packs. Our guide on photography where tripods or light stands are restricted explains how such limits affect the work, and the answer should be written into the plan.

What if requirements change?

Venues update their rules, and organisers change plans. Ask to be told if anything changes, and recheck close to the date. The venue-access change and recheck tracker helps you keep track of what was confirmed and when. Our guide on venue conditions that affect event photography gives a broader view.

What we confirm

We confirm the arrival time, entrance, meeting contact, venue requirements and delay plan in writing, together with the date, venue, crew, deliverables and quotation. If the venue changes any requirement, we update the record and tell you which version applies.