Conference Photography at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium for the Chartered IIA

Back for a second Chartered IIA conference

This was my second year photographing the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors' annual conference. Last year's event was at the QEII Centre, so it was lovely to be called back and particularly exciting to find myself working at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this time.

My previous visit to the stadium had been as a Leicester City supporter. I think we let in four goals that day, so the less said about that the better. Interestingly, I'd had match-day hospitality in the same part of the stadium that was now being used for the conference, and seeing exactly the same spaces working in such a different way was fascinating.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium has a reputation for being one of the most advanced stadiums in the country and the conference facilities were impressive. The event was spread across four floors, so this was never going to be a day spent standing beside one stage waiting for speakers to appear.

By the time I finished, my watch had recorded more than 22,000 steps.

Covering much more than the main stage

The main conference programme was only one part of the day. My coverage also took in breakout sessions, the exhibition, sponsors, delegates networking and the different spaces being used throughout the stadium.

For a conference like this, I want the finished set of photographs to show what it was actually like to attend rather than simply becoming a succession of people speaking on a stage. That means continually moving between different parts of the event and deciding where I need to be next.

There were some particularly interesting subjects being discussed during the day. Sessions included the impact of artificial intelligence on the industry, a conversation with Anita Asante OLY and a presentation on habits and productivity.

According to the Chartered IIA, it has supported the internal audit profession in the UK and Ireland since 1948 and now represents more than 10,000 professionals. It is also the only internal audit organisation in the world with a Royal Charter and the authority to award chartered status.

The variety within the programme is useful photographically too. A wide view establishes the scale of the event, but I also need closer photographs of speakers, reactions from the audience and the interactions that happen away from the formal presentations.

Exhibition, networking and the bits between sessions

The exhibition was busy throughout the day and gave me another completely different part of the conference to cover. These areas matter because so much of a conference happens between the scheduled sessions: delegates meeting each other, conversations with exhibitors and the chance encounters that are difficult to represent with stage photographs alone.

There was also a sponsored coffee stand, which I appreciated more as the step count continued to rise. I must confess to having a couple of oat flat whites to keep me going.

Small details like this are part of the event as well. Sponsors have invested in being there, so photographing their presence alongside the wider conference gives the client a more complete record of the day.

Photographing an event across four floors

Working across such a large venue means I have to think ahead. If something useful is happening four floors away, I can't realise that two minutes before it starts and expect to be in the right place.

I'm constantly balancing the main programme with the less predictable photographs happening around it: audience reactions, conversations, interactive sessions and the general atmosphere of the conference.

There is also the production surrounding an event of this scale. Screens, lighting, cameras and staging all contribute to what delegates experience, and I like the finished photographs to acknowledge that wider operation rather than pretending the conference consists only of speakers and an audience.

That breadth is what comprehensive conference photography should provide: keynote speakers when they matter, but also the people attending, the exhibition, sponsors, details, audience participation and enough of the venue to establish where everything took place.

Making the most of Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

One of the best visual features of this particular conference was the way the Chartered IIA and its sponsors used the stadium screens. Their branding looked fantastic displayed around such a large venue and gave me opportunities to place the conference very clearly within Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

There was one thing missing though: Premier League quality grass.

The stadium was already being turned around for the weekend's NFL matches. Tottenham Hotspur explains that its natural grass football pitch is divided into three enormous sections which can retract beneath the South Stand to reveal a separate artificial surface underneath for NFL games and other events. The club says the grass surface takes approximately 25 minutes to move in or out of position.

That ability to transform the stadium helped make the venue particularly interesting to photograph. I had previously seen part of it operating as match-day hospitality; this time the same building was hosting a substantial professional conference across four floors.

Conference photography in London

Large conferences rarely happen in one room or consist of one type of photograph. At Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, my coverage brought together the main programme, breakout sessions, exhibition, networking and sponsor activity, creating a record of the conference across four floors.

Twenty-two thousand steps later, I’d definitely earned those oat flat whites.

Explore my conference photography, or get in touch with your conference date, venue and coverage requirements.