Guest arrivals and branded photo calls at launches

The first half hour of a launch often sets its tone. Guests arrive, greet each other, pose in front of a branded wall and take their seats. It is also when the photographer is most at risk of being stuck: a long queue for the media wall can use up the coverage that was meant for the programme.

This page helps you plan arrivals so that both are covered. It supports our guide to launch and press-event photography.

What is the difference between arrivals and the photo call?

Arrivals are the guests walking in, greeting hosts and moving to their seats. They are candid and quick. The photo call is a posed image in front of a branded backdrop, usually with a queue. It is slower and more controlled.

Both are useful. They need different positions and different timing. Treat them as two separate blocks in the plan.

Setting a limit on the media wall

A media wall can absorb unlimited time. Each guest wants a photograph, and each photograph takes a minute with posing. Ten guests take a quarter of an hour, and a long queue can run through the start of the programme.

To prevent this, set an end time and say who calls it. Some teams run the wall for a fixed window before the programme and again briefly afterwards. Our guide to photography for a step-and-repeat or branded media wall explains the practical side.

Priority guests

Not every guest needs the same attention. A short priority list helps the photographer and the host. It may include speakers, partners, special guests and key media. Others are photographed when time allows.

Guest group	Typical treatment
Speakers and senior hosts	Photographed first, with the product or brand
Partners and special guests	Photographed in small groups, if agreed
Key media	Photographed with a spokesperson, if requested
General guests	Photographed on the wall while time allows

Share the list with the person who guides guests, since the photographer is looking at the camera and not at the queue. Our group photograph planner helps arrange group images.

A hypothetical example

Imagine a launch where doors open at 6pm and the programme starts at 7pm. The team plans the media wall from 6.15pm to 6.50pm, with a priority list of twelve guests. A host guides guests, and the host calls time at 6.50pm.

At 6.50pm the photographer moves to the hall to prepare for the announcement. Guests who arrive after 6.50pm are photographed at the wall briefly after the programme, if time allows. The announcement is fully covered, and the arrival record is still useful.

Overlapping moments

If the media wall and the programme overlap, one photographer must choose. The announcement generally takes priority, because it cannot be repeated. A second photographer could cover the wall, and we confirm in writing whether this can be included for your date. Our concurrent activity and crew planner shows how overlaps affect crew.

Guests and consent

Guests who step onto a branded wall expect to be photographed. If their images will be used beyond the event, such as in advertising, check what the invitation told them. Our guide to permission to photograph and permission to publish explains the difference.

For creators who film their own arrivals, see our guide to launch events where creators film their own reactions.

Questions to settle before the day

• Where will the queue form, and will it block the entrance or the route to seats?
• Who invites guests to step onto the wall, and who thanks them and moves them on?
• Are there guests who prefer not to be photographed on the wall, and how will staff know?
• Which arrival images matter more: the wall, or candid greetings in the lobby?

A clear answer to each question keeps the photographer free to look at the guests instead of managing the line.

What to send us

Send the arrival time, the programme start, the media-wall plan and the priority list. We read the brief, ask what is missing and confirm crew and timing in writing.