Vegas is built for big moments—and vertical video is how those moments get seen fast. This guide shows how to plan 9:16-first coverage on the show floor, then spin it into branded video production for Reels, TikToks, Shorts, Stories, LinkedIn posts, email assets, and even your website—without re-shoots.
Why vertical wins at conferences right now
- Most viewing is mobile. Roughly three-quarters of video plays happen on phones, so filling the phone screen is table stakes.
- Vertical gets more completion and engagement. Field studies and platform roundups consistently show higher completion/engagement vs. horizontal on mobile.
- Shorts/Reels/TikTok are the distribution engine. YouTube Shorts alone sees tens of billions of views daily; Reels and TikTok dominate casual consumption.
Put simply: for tradeshow attention in 2025, shoot vertical first and let everything else cascade from that master.
The Vegas twist (and how to prep)
Conventions here are noisy, bright, and fast. Build for speed and consistency:
- Plan a 9:16 master. Frame every interview/booth moment so key text, faces, and product live inside a 9:16 “safe box.” You can crop out to 1:1 and 16:9 later, but not the other way around.
- Design “silent-first.” 85%+ of social video is watched muted; use captions, big callouts, and on-screen beats that read in 3 seconds. (Your editor will bless you.)
- Batch your captures. Stack interviews, product b-roll, customer quotes, and hallway vibe in 30–60 minute blocks between sessions.
- Light simply. One on-camera LED + a small softbox on a stand is enough for clean verticals; favor backdrops with depth (aisles, diagonals).
Capture once → repurpose everywhere (the workflow)
1) Pillar capture (on-site)
Think “pillar content” in the GaryVee sense: 20–40 minutes of raw video (vertical). That gives you many “micro” clips for every platform afterward.
- 3× founder/executive soundbites (30–45 sec each)
- 3× customer mini-testimonials (15–30 sec)
- 5–8× product demos / hands-on b-roll (5–10 sec beats)
- 1× booth walk-through (30–60 sec)
- 1× “day recap” (30–45 sec)
2) Micro-content slicing (post)
From the pillar, cut 20–40 assets:
- TikTok/Reels/Shorts (9:16): 6–12 clips (7–30 sec)
- LinkedIn (9:16 or 1:1): 4–8 clips + 1 sizzle
- Stories: 6–10 quick beats w/ stickers & CTAs
- YouTube (16:9): 1 recap (crop from 9:16 master), add lower-thirds
- Sales enablement: 3–5 quiet, text-first clips for email landing pages
That single capture day fuels a month of distribution. (This is the “pillar → micro” model in practice.)
3) Automate distribution where it helps
Use repurposing tools/workflows to version and push out across channels (captions, aspect ratios, burned-in branding).
Formats & specs that travel well
- Master: 9:16, 1080×1920, 30 or 60 fps, bitrate 8–12 Mbps
- Safety crop: Keep text/logos inside center 1080×1350 (so a 1:1 cut still works)
- Captioning: On-brand subtitles (SRT + burned-in for Stories)
- Hook first: Put the outcome/benefit in second 0–2; hold the eye with motion every 2–3 seconds (pans, cuts, or kinetic text)
Storylines that perform on the floor
- “What’s new” micro-demo: one pain point, one movement, one result in <20s
- “Before/after” booth story: split screen of old vs. new workflow
- Customer POV: “I used this at [Company]—here’s what changed in a week.”
- Speaker clip: strongest 8–12 seconds from your talk + on-screen quote
- Social proof montage: queue line, packed demo, partner logos popping in
Short-form builds attention; deeper formats (blog posts, case videos) build trust—use both.
Real talk: vertical vs. horizontal at conferences
- Vertical (9:16): Native to mobile feeds; occupies more screen space, which aids attention and completion.
- Horizontal (16:9): Still best for keynotes/LED walls and YouTube long-form; crop a horizontal from vertical only if the subject sits centrally and you shot wide enough.
- Decision rule: If distribution is primarily social in the first 14 days post-event, shoot vertical master and plan your 16:9 recaps as intentional secondary edits.
Budgeting: where the ROI hides
- One crew, many outputs. Pay for an agile shooter + producer/editor, not five separate “deliverables.” Your run-of-show turns that into dozens of assets.
- Prioritize capture time over gear. Tight schedule? Cut lenses, keep the operator.
- Measure what matters. Track CPV (cost per view), CTR to demo/lead form, and watch-through on the first 3 seconds—where vertical video typically wins. (Higher completion on mobile vertical is widely reported across studies.)
Distribution map (Vegas edition)
- During event: post 2–4 verticals/day (Reels/TikTok/Shorts). Tag the conference & venue; join official hashtags.
- 48 hours after: drop a 30–45s recap (vertical + 16:9), then 5–10 micro-clips across the next 2 weeks.
- 30–45 days after: compile a case blog + email roundup embedding best clips; pin a “Start here” Reel on IG and a Shorts playlist on YouTube.
- Hitting the next Vegas show? Re-run top performers as “As seen at [Conference]” with fresh hooks. (Digital marketing shows here lean heavily into social/video—see DigiMarCon Las Vegas.)
Mini playbook: 60-minute capture that scales
- Hook bank (10 min): Record 8 fast openers (“We cut setup time by 40%—here’s what changed…”)
- Customer quotes (10 min): 4 people × 2 lines each
- Product beats (20 min): 10 shots of hands-on use (each 5–7 sec)
- Founder POV (10 min): 2 takes × 30–45 sec
- Atmos/vibe (10 min): crowd, signage, transitions, gimbal moves
This yields ~25 micro-pieces plus one recap, all from a single 9:16 master session.
Common pitfalls (and quick fixes)
- Logos/text too close to edge: Keep a 100–120 px margin in 1080×1920.
- Mixed color temps: Lock WB at ~5200K; don’t let auto-WB hunt under expo lights.
- Audio chaos: Lav + on-camera shotgun; record a 10-second room tone for cleanup.
- No CTA: End with one next step (QR to demo, DM “DEMO” for link, or booth number if posting live).
FAQ
Q1: Is vertical only for short clips?
Ans: No. You can run 30–60s explainers vertically and still crop a clean 1:1 or 16:9 recap if you frame smartly. Completion rates tend to favor vertical on mobile.
Q2: Do we still need horizontal?
Ans: Yes—keynotes, websites, and screens often prefer 16:9. Solve this by shooting vertical master and planning a few intentional horizontal deliverables.
Q3: How many pieces can one conference day produce?
Ans: A single pillar capture commonly yields 20–40 micro-assets with a repurposing workflow.
