Corporate events come in all shapes and sizes, but every so often a project comes along that pushes your skills in the best possible way. That’s exactly what happened when I was booked to cover the RLDatix Connected Health & Care Summit 2025 and the RLDatix Awards Ceremony at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole, right next to the NEC.
This was a two-day hybrid shoot with over 400 people in attendance, a packed conference schedule, multiple breakout rooms, a full awards ceremony, and a marketing team that needed imagery in real time. It was a demanding project, but exactly the kind of environment I thrive in. Fast-paced, varied, and full of opportunities to create strong visual content.
In this article, I’ll take you through my full experience of shooting the event, my workflow, the equipment I relied on, and how I handled the combination of photography, videography, and same-day delivery under tight deadlines.
Why Corporate Event Photography & Videography Matters
Corporate events can easily blend into one another, especially when they take place in large conference venues. However, the RLDatix Summit was a clear reminder of why event coverage matters. These types of events bring together industry leaders, innovators, and teams who don’t often get to meet face-to-face. They’re also a chance for organisations to communicate their values, showcase change, and celebrate the people behind the work.
High-quality visual coverage serves several purposes:
- Documenting keynote talks, discussions, and announcements
- Providing content for marketing, social media, and internal communications
- Celebrating achievements through award ceremonies and recognition
- Creating long-lasting assets that organisations can use throughout the year
- Capturing genuine emotion and connection in a professional environment
For RLDatix, the 2025 Summit and Awards Ceremony were major dates in their calendar, so my role was to create a strong mix of documentary-style photography and promotional video content across two intense days.
Arriving at the Venue – A Quick Recap of the Setup
The Birmingham Hilton Metropole is a familiar sight for large conferences. With direct access to the NEC complex, it’s ideal for events with hundreds of attendees and multiple rooms running simultaneously. For this project, RLDatix made full use of the space:
- A large main conference stage
- Several breakout rooms running workshops and smaller sessions
- A central networking area
- A dedicated marketing room used for rapid editing and delivery
- A separate space for the RLDatix Awards 2025 on the first evening
This layout meant I had to stay mobile. My two-camera hybrid setup was essential for keeping pace with the schedule and covering both stills and video without missing anything happening elsewhere in the venue.
The Gear I Used – Reliable Tools for Fast Paced Events
I always tailor my equipment to the job. For this type of event, reliability and speed take priority over anything else. My main setup for the two days included:
- Two Sony A7IV mirrorless bodies
- Sony 24-70mm f2.8 GM II – my workhorse throughout the summit
- A selection of prime lenses for tighter portraits and low-light work
- DJI RS2 gimbal for smooth video sequences
- Multiple high-speed SD cards for fast buffer clearing
- A laptop stationed in the marketing office for immediate editing and export
The A7IV remains one of the most dependable hybrid cameras available. The autofocus is quick, skin tones are consistent, and switching between photo and video modes is seamless. For events where things change rapidly, those small details make a huge difference.
The 24-70mm GM II did a lot of the heavy lifting. It allowed me to capture wide establishing shots, tight stage moments, natural interactions, and product details without constantly changing lenses. When I needed something more stylised or specific, the primes came out. Especially for clean portraits or detailed close-ups during networking sessions.
Day One – From Early Morning to Midnight
A 16-Hour Day of Non-Stop Coverage
Day one started at 8:30am and didn’t wrap up until midnight. These long days can sound overwhelming from the outside, but when you’re in the thick of it, it becomes a rhythm. There’s always something happening:
- Keynote speakers
- Panel discussions
- Workshops and breakout sessions
- Networking breaks
- One-to-one sessions
- Exhibition stands
- Candid interactions between teams
The main conference stage was the heartbeat of the day, but the breakout rooms added variety and depth. They allowed me to capture everything from technical discussions to hands-on demonstrations.
Key Speakers & Moments
Day one featured an impressive lineup of speakers, including:
- Tracie Burton, Director of Jet2holidays Operations
- Sir Jeremy Hunt, MP & former Chancellor of the Exchequer
- Matt Lindley, ex-RAF pilot and keynote speaker
Each of them brought something different, which made my job more interesting. Large keynote stages require a mixture of wide establishing shots, mid-length photos for social media, and close-ups that capture personality and expression. Having the gimbal ready allowed me to capture smooth video pans of the audience and the speakers without interrupting the flow of the talks.
Real-Time Editing – Working With the RLDatix Marketing Team
One of the most unique aspects of this event was the requirement for fast turnaround images. RLDatix wanted to publish photos throughout the day, meaning I couldn’t wait until the evening to start editing. Instead, I broke the day into short cycles:
- Capture key moments from a session
- Pull back to the marketing office
- Select the strongest images
- Edit on the fly
- Upload to the marketing team as the event unfolded
This is where preparation truly pays off. My colour profiles, editing presets, and workflow are designed to be fast without compromising quality. The goal is always to maintain consistency while still delivering images rapidly enough for live updates.
The RLDatix Awards 2025 – Real-Time Delivery Straight From the Camera
The awards ceremony on the first evening brought a completely different energy. After a full day of conferences, the atmosphere shifted to one of celebration. Twelve individuals and organisations were recognised for their achievements over the past year, and my job was to capture the excitement and emotion that came with it.
However, these awards required something extra:
real-time delivery of photos as they were being taken.
To achieve this, I used a reliable live-transfer app connected directly to a secure online platform. As soon as I pressed the shutter, images were uploaded instantly to the RLDatix marketing team.
This allowed them to:
- Share winners’ photos immediately
- Update social media in real time
- Display content around the venue
- Keep engagement high across all channels
It’s not a workflow suited to every event, but when a client needs ultra-fast access, the technology is there. And it works incredibly well when set up properly.
Day Two – A Professional Finish to a Packed Two Days
Day two started at 8:30am and wrapped up at 5pm. It was a more focused day, with deeper discussion sessions and follow-up talks from the previous day’s speakers.
With content already flowing out from day one, my goal for the second day was to round out the full story of the summit:
- Candid networking
- Final breakout room sessions
- Exhibition stands
- Team interactions
- Closing remarks
- Last-minute interviews and footage for the promotional videos
The slightly shorter schedule gave me the opportunity to gather clean establishing shots and detail-rich footage for the long-form videos. By late afternoon, I had everything I needed for the final deliverables.
Final Deliverables – What RLDatix Received
At the end of the project, RLDatix received a comprehensive package covering both photography and videography. The final deliverables included:
Photography
- 1500+ edited photos from across the two-day summit and awards ceremony
- A balanced mix of staged, candid, technical, and environmental images
- High-resolution files suitable for marketing, internal use, and social media
Videography
- Long-form video content covering the summit, speakers, breakout rooms, and atmosphere
- RLDatix Health & Care Summit 2025 Promotional Video
- RLDatix Awards 2025 Promotional Video
- Clean, stabilised gimbal footage captured using the DJI RS2
- Additional clips suitable for year-round marketing
This combination gives the RLDatix team the freedom to reuse the visuals across multiple campaigns, presentations, and online platforms.
What Makes Hybrid Shooting So Effective?
Hybrid shooting, covering both photo and video as a single operator, is becoming increasingly common, especially for corporate events. It’s not simple, but when done well, it offers several key advantages:
- Cost-effective for clients
- Consistent style across both photo and video
- Better storytelling because one person oversees the visual narrative
- Faster delivery thanks to a unified workflow
- Less disruption to speakers and attendees
This project is a perfect example of hybrid shooting used at scale. Two days, hundreds of attendees, high-pressure deadlines, and multiple content streams. All handled using reliable gear, a fast workflow, and a calm, organised approach.
Behind the Scenes – The Part People Don’t See
These events involve a lot more than pointing a camera at a stage. There’s constant planning happening behind the scenes:
- Backing up multiple memory cards
- Planning camera angles for keynote talks
- Identifying the best vantage points in busy rooms
- Maintaining battery and card rotation
- Staying ahead of the schedule
- Communicating with event staff
- Balancing photography and videography priorities
- Managing rapid editing bursts
By the end of day one, I had completed a full day of shooting, delivered several batches of images, covered an awards ceremony, and prepared gear for day two, All before even opening the long-form video timeline.
These are the parts of event work that never make it into the final photos, but they make all the difference when the client sees a consistent set of high-quality visuals.
Closing Thoughts – A Successful Two Days With RLDatix
The RLDatix Connected Health & Care Summit 2025 was one of the most rewarding corporate shoots I’ve done recently. The combination of a large venue, tight turnaround times, hybrid shooting, high-profile speakers, and a strong marketing team created the perfect environment to push my workflow and produce an extensive set of visuals.
Shooting events like this isn’t just about technical skill. It’s about awareness, anticipation, communication, and the ability to adapt quickly. Whether it’s a keynote stage, a breakout room, or a last-minute request for real-time image delivery, you need to be ready for anything.
This project reminded me just how much I enjoy the pace and variety of corporate event photography and videography. No two days are the same, and every event offers something new to capture.
Booking Corporate Event Photography & Videography
If you’re planning a conference, corporate event, awards ceremony, training day, or multi-day summit anywhere in the UK or abroad, I’d love to chat.
Whether you need photography, videography, or a hybrid of both, you’ll get:
- Professional coverage from start to finish
- Fast editing when required
- High-quality images and video crafted to your brand
- A calm, reliable presence who blends into the background
- Experience shooting events of all sizes
To enquire about availability, rates, or project details, simply get in touch through my website. I’m always happy to discuss upcoming events and how I can help capture them.
