A business relocation celebrated with customers and partners

A relocation is a story with a before and an after. Customers remember the old premises, partners know the old address and staff carry habits from one place to the other. A celebration marks that change and thanks the people who came with you.

This page sits within our guide to commercial opening and milestone photography. It focuses on a move celebrated with customers and partners, and connects to our page on new premises and established company history in one event.

What is the transition?

Define it. Did the business move across the street, across the country or into a different type of premises? Is everyone moving, or only part of the team? Did the services change?

The photographs should be able to carry this story. A gallery of a polished new space says little, while an image of a long-serving customer shaking hands with the owner at the new door says a lot. Decide which relationships and which moments best tell yours.

How do you describe the new site accurately?

A relocation event often sits between phases. Some departments have moved, others have not. Some equipment is in place and some is on order. The risk is a record that makes the move look more complete than it is.

Write down what is true on the day: which services run from the new site, which areas are open and which are still being finished. Share it with us and use it in captions. Our page on opening photographs when surrounding work remains unfinished shows how to frame the record around what is complete.

Who are the people in the story?

Relocations usually involve long relationships. A customer who has used you for years, a landlord from the old site, a supplier who helped with the move and the staff who packed boxes at night all deserve a place.

Make a short list of names and roles, ranked by importance. Our guide to providing accurate names and roles for important event participants explains what to share. Tell us who has agreed to be photographed, and who has asked not to be.

A hypothetical example

For example, imagine a family-run engineering firm moving to a larger unit. A celebration is held on a Friday evening, with customers and suppliers invited to tour the new workshop and office before a short speech at 6.30pm.

The firm tells us that the workshop is fully equipped but that the second floor is still empty. The plan marks the second floor as closed, lists six long-standing customers by name, and sets coverage from 5.45pm to 8pm. The firm decides not to photograph the old premises, but to include a framed photograph of the old building on display.

How do you handle old and new together?

If the old premises are part of the event, agree access and timing with whoever controls them. A farewell moment at the old site, followed by a journey to the new one, needs two schedules and sometimes two crews.

Often it is simpler to bring the old site in through objects: a sign, a photograph, an item that moved with you. Decide how much history the event carries. See new premises and established company history for more on this.

What should you tell the photographer?

• The date, the new address and the programme.
• What is complete at the new site, and what is not.
• Which customers and partners matter most, with names.
• Areas that are open, limited or closed.
• Whether the old site features in the event.
• How captions should describe the move.

Hours, crew and deliverables

A relocation celebration is typically an evening or an afternoon. Hours depend on the guest flow and the number of areas shown. We confirm date, venue, crew and deliverables in writing and do not assume extras such as video, a second photographer or coverage at the old site. Ask what can be included for your date.