The next trade fair is coming up, and now you are wondering whether you can show your own corporate film there to a large audience? In this article, we explain what you need to bear in mind and when you are better off choosing an alternative.
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Trade fair alternatives: the free eBook (in German)
During the Covid pandemic, trade fairs could not take place for a long time. Trade fair alternatives helped companies keep generating sales despite the crisis: with various live formats or on-demand videos, trade fair appearances could be held in a modern and appealing form.
Corporate film vs. trade fair film: the difference
A film is a film. Or is it? Not quite – the classic corporate film in particular differs from the trade fair film in several important respects.
What is a corporate film?
“Corporate film” is often used as an umbrella term for all kinds of company film: presentation film, industrial film, product video – all corporate films. Strictly speaking, though, the corporate film is a distinct type of film in its own right.
Unlike other types of company film, a corporate film aims to promote your company’s image, mainly through values conveyed to the viewer through emotion. Its primary goal is not to illustrate your company, your products or individual work steps. In some cases these can be a means to an end, but what counts in the end is that your company is associated with the values in the corporate film.
An average corporate film is 2 to 7 minutes long and costs roughly between 10,000 and 50,000 euros. Information is usually conveyed through a voice-over, interviews and text overlays. The footage must also carry the values and emotions of the script and story, and actors and extras can be used to give the corporate film a personality.
- promotes your image
- conveys values and emotions
- not to be confused with company films, product videos etc.
Example of a corporate film:
What exactly a corporate film is and how it differs from other film types.
What is a trade fair film?
Trade fair films are specialised for the usually crowded and noisy conditions of a trade fair. The primary goal of a trade fair film is to stand out among the many other stands. After all, at trade fairs you mainly want to win new contacts and customers – and these people still have to decide to come to your stand. If a strong trade fair film already attracts attention and sparks interest from a good distance, it helps your trade fair appearance enormously.
- should draw people’s eyes to your stand
- spark interest
What means does a trade fair film use?
A film that only works with a voice-over has no chance against the noise at a trade fair. That is why a trade fair film does without voice-over or interviews altogether. But noise isn’t the only obstacle for your corporate film at a trade fair. Visitors are flooded with stimuli from every corner: colourful lights, large screens, unusual designs and crowds of people all shorten every visitor’s attention span.
A good trade fair film counters this with an eye-catching selection of impressive images and animations that work without text or voice-over and make an impression from near and far. Every shot has to meet these criteria, from the first frame to the last.
Direct comparison
| Trade fair film | Corporate film |
| Main goal: attention | Main goal: building an image |
| Focus on images | Focus on story and emotion |
| Must work without sound | Usually combines images with voice-over |
When can you show a corporate film at a trade fair?
It is quite possible to show your corporate film at a trade fair. First of all, make sure you have a licence for your corporate film that allows you to show it at trade fairs. Then ask yourself whether it also works without sound and whether the shots are consistently strong enough to stand out compared with other stands.
- Do you have a usage licence for showing it at trade fairs?
- Does the corporate film work without sound?
- Are the images visually appealing and eye-catching?
By their nature, most corporate films are designed in such a way that not all three of these points apply. But there is a way you can still show your corporate film at a trade fair: by re-editing it into a format suited to a trade fair appearance.
You can show a corporate film at a trade fair if it meets certain criteria and you have a trade fair licence for it.
Adapting your corporate film for a trade fair
Depending on the source material, your corporate film may already have the potential to become a trade fair film. Shortening and re-editing turns the corporate film into a version that takes the particular requirements of a trade fair film into account. It is important to use the most expressive images, which can be understood without sound and are visually appealing.
Ask the advertising agency or film production company that made your corporate film. The cost of a re-edit is much lower than having a completely new trade fair film made. It is important to inform the film production company about the exact layout of your stand and, for example, the aspect ratio of the screen on which the trade fair film will be shown. You should also discuss so-called “splash screens” as eye-catchers with the advertising agency or film production company – for example animated overlays, text or colours.
Checklist for re-editing your corporate film:
- Check the existing material for eye-catching and visually impressive images
- Commission your advertising agency or film production company to re-edit it
- Share the requirements for the trade fair film, e.g. sizes and aspect ratios, audience, background, hall lighting
- Also consider animated splash screens as eye-catchers
Conclusion
Can you show your corporate film at a trade fair? Yes, in rare cases that is possible. In most cases, however, at least a re-edit and/or some editing will be needed.
Your corporate film may well provide the strong shots a successful trade fair film needs and also work without sound. But a corporate film is rarely designed for this and is therefore not ideal for trade fairs.
You don’t have to have a new film shot straight away, though. Re-editing your corporate film into a trade-fair-ready version is a cost-saving option that can make your trade fair appearance a success without much effort.
You might also be interested in:
- The corporate film – everything companies need to know
- Where should I show my corporate film? How to reach the most customers
- Corporate film costs – how much does a good corporate film cost?
- When you DON’T need a corporate film: 10 examples
- Aerial footage prices – what do drone shots really cost?
