Capturing the Memories at Your Event

It's time for your annual holiday party or the national sales meeting or whatever event it is you sunk all your time and energy into organizing. And because you spent so much of your work life focused on this company event, you want to make sure to capture the memories on film. Should you use videography and photography?

What Videography Has to Offer

It used to be the only choice was to capture your moments on video using a hand-held camcorder. Nowadays, however, because the picture and sound quality are so much better, many experts recommend using digital format or DVD which allows for more creative control. In fact, using digital allows for creative alterations to the content such as going from color to black-and-white and even using sepia tones. Or you can slow scenes down or fade them out for dramatic purposes. And experts indicate that scene transitions are smoother using digital technology.

Using Traditional Photography

Polaroids were once the rage because the photo arrived almost instantly allowing you to have an immediate record and to know if you captured the right memory. And while the quality of standard photography was generally better, you were taking a risk on not knowing the quality of your pictures until the film was developed. Now with the advent of digital cameras, you get the best of both worlds. You get standard photography quality added to the benefit of instant viewing. Plus the additional bonus of choosing which pictures to delete and which to save, reducing waste. What photos bring that videos don't are those snapshot moments, the portraits, and groupings that people like to keep in picture frames on their desks or walls.

How to Use the Memories You Create

Depending on which method you choose, there are a variety of options on how you might want to share the memories after the event.

Idea 1: Streaming Video

Want to share the highlights of the event with employees? Now you can post a mini-movie on the company Intranet or webpage and allow employees to enjoy a recap of the "best of."

Idea 2: Website Snapshots

If you choose to use photos instead of or in addition to video, you still have the option of posting them online.

Idea 3: Front Page News

Snapshots are a perfect edition to a cover story in the company newsletter. Or better yet, if your company newsletter is small, devote an entire issue to the event.

Idea 4: Is this the Prom?

If you want to capture the spirit of an event, arrange to have portraits taken of guests in an environment that is representative of the theme. If it's the holiday party, how about a snowy, winter scene? Or if it's a company picnic and barbecue, consider having guests pose behind pre-fab pictures of a beach bum and mermaid. Make sure each guest gets a copy.

Idea 5: Bulletin Board

Does your company have a central location where important information is posted? Consider sectioning off a portion to display photos or creating a whole new area for sharing.

Idea 6: Mix it Up

What better way to remember an event then to share a slide show at next year's event. Create memories by mixing mediums together - a little video, a few stills - use your imagination.

Idea 7: Scrapbooking

The great thing about scrapbooks is that if even just a few photos are collected from each company event, within the course of a few years you will have captured wonderful memories.

Idea 8: Let Everyone Get into the Picture

Everyone has a different point of view. By placing disposable cameras on all the dinner tables or handing them out at the door, you can let employees create their own memories. One final decision you will need to make: professional or amateur. Which you choose will depend on budget. While professional videographers and photographers won't necessarily know all the players in order to pick out those special moments, you'll get a much better end product and not take away from another employee's enjoyment of the event.

Whatever your final decision, remember capturing memories is your ultimate goal. And if you have any other great ideas about how to capture and share the memories of a company event, be sure to let us know.