Trade show photography for Bacchus Wine Merchant at Walk on the Wine Side

Bacchus Wine Merchant is a wine distributor. They booked me to photograph one of their trade shows, an event called Walk on the Wine Side. They wanted photos they could use to promote their future events, for public relations, and for industry materials that show how they help the industry. This is how I approached the day, and the shot list I'd use for any trade show.

The brief: photos that sell the next event

A trade show only lasts a day, but the photos keep working long after it. Bacchus wanted to show people what their events are like, so the next one is easier to fill. The brief covered four things:

Everything was photographed at the event itself. There was no separate product shoot. The bottles were photographed on the stands, in ice buckets and on the tables, exactly as guests saw them.

Wine event photography: the venue set-up

I photographed the set-up too: rows of clean glasses, the grazing station, and the welcome table with the event card and Bacchus booklets. These shots are easy to miss once the room fills up, and they are the ones that show the care that went into the event.

The stands and the people tasting

Once guests arrived, the room was a walk-around tasting, with producer stands around the room, each with its own banner. I moved between the stands and photographed the moments that tell the story: a pour, a laugh across the table, someone reading a price list with a glass in hand.

Candid photos work best at events like this. People are busy talking and tasting, so I stay out of the way and wait for the moment. When someone looks up and smiles, that's the shot that makes the next guest want to come.

The bottles, on the day

A distributor's event is really about the wine, so the bottles needed their own photos. I photographed them where they were: lined up on the stands, chilling in ice tubs, and in rows wrapped in foil. Shooting close, with the busy room soft behind, gives product photos that still feel like an event.

The masterclass

Alongside the stands, Bacchus ran a seated masterclass. The tasting sheet on each table read Masterclass: Magical Margaret River. I photographed the presenter showing the wines to the guests, and the details on the tables: the sheets, the glasses and the notes. For industry materials, talks like this show a distributor sharing what it knows, not just selling.

A shot list for photographing a trade show

If you're running a trade show, this is the list I'd start with. Share it with your photographer before the day, and add anything specific to your event.

Before guests arrive

Stands and branding

People

Talks and masterclasses

Get a mix of wide shots and close details. Wide shots show the scale of the event. Details give you photos for social posts, newsletters and printed material for months afterwards.

Corporate event photography in Sydney

I photograph trade shows and corporate events across Sydney. My event photography packages are $297, $497 and $797, and an extra hour is $157. See event photography in Sydney for what each package includes.