Media Wall Photography and Event Marketing

Published on Tue Nov 19, 2024 by David J Colbran

From glamorous red carpet photography opportunities to bold and eye-catching backdrops, media walls or photo walls are essential to any major sponsored event or promotion. I'm sure you've seen them at film red carpet premieres in Leicester Square, well they are everywhere from press conferences, interviews, awards ceremonies, celebrity calls, through to all sorts of corporate and business events.

And I understand why - they are a cost-effective way to promote businesses - both professional photographers on commission but also guests posting their images across social media channels.

Investing in a media wall at your event ensures every photo distributed includes your logo or your sponsor’s brand in the background. Don’t miss this simple opportunity to expand your marketing and public relations reach.

Media walls are commonly designed with, what is called a "step and repeat" logo graphic design that offers a fantastic opportunity that will highlight your brand in high footfall areas. The repetition of logos ensures that sponsors or organisers receive maximum visibility in media shots - I think we have all seen those pop up stands, where when groups are gathered and the message behind is obscured. The Step and Repeat phrase comes from the entertainment industry. But its origin is split between two ideas. The first is that it was used by photographers when they needed an actor or actress to pose in front of specific location during a red carpet walk. They were asked to “step” up and pose in front of the backdrop and the next celeb to “repeat” the process. Perhaps this caught on and informed designers, as they also call it "step and repeat" when they create an image, copy it, and repeat it in a “step” or diagonal pattern for these media walls.

Unsurprisingly Corporate America also jumped on the Step and Repeat bandwagon. Step and Repeats in smaller configurations were perfect and impressive backdrops to a trade show booth or table at conventions. And soon all sorts of event planners seized on the idea that these were a natural fit to attract sponsors for their corporate and charitable events.

Media walls are usually large, rigid, solid standing wall. Some are bespoke, one-offs - built for an exhibition, conference or trade show. I've worked with stand and wall builders who specialise in location builds and they can include all sorts of additions to the step and repeat methods. These can include complex lighting, indents to house product examples, as well as more modern additions such as touch screens and digitally branded games. But the most common media wall is generally sized 8 feet by 4 feet, room enough for 2 or 3 people - these tend to be portable and re-usable and generally within the budget for most organisations. The best of these will include properly positioned lights help minimise unwanted shadows, creating a polished and professional look. Another consideration is the material used for the boards - one thing to avoid is high-reflective surface, as these will reflect any flash used.

Printed media walls are a cost-effective way to promote your business - if you gone to the trouble of designing and manufacturing them, make sure you get some quality photography at your event. I am a Liverpool photographer but also cover all of Merseyside and Greater Manchester - give me a call or drop me an email to discuss.

Author: David J Colbran