Event Photography and Videography for Dubai Chamber Sweden Office Inauguration Event
Date: October 9, 2025
Location: Grand Hôtel Stockholm
When the Dubai Chamber International inaugurated its first Scandinavian representative office, they chose Stockholm—and the Grand Hôtel’s historic salons overlooking the water—for the ceremony. It was a day of handshakes, ribbon-cutting, and warm conversation under crystal chandeliers. Our team at Film8 was there to tell the story in images and moving pictures—quietly, neatly, and fast.
The Crew
Shawn Ho — Photographer
Haochang Li — Videographer
Zhanyi Xing — Editor (on-site quick cut)
Our Approach: Classic venue, modern workflow
Grand Hôtel rooms are gorgeous—and tricky. You get big windows with bright daylight on one side and warm chandeliers on the other. We arrived early to scout angles and set a light plan that respected the venue’s ambience:
Light balance, not domination. We used soft, off-camera LEDs as gentle fill to keep skin tones natural while preserving the golds, blues, and wood textures of the room.
Brand-first composition. We framed the ribbon-cutting with clean symmetry and generous negative space so the Dubai Chamber brand wall reads clearly at a glance.
Discreet storytelling. Most of the day we worked handheld with a 24–70mm/70–200mm combo to stay nimble and invisible, capturing genuine interactions rather than staged moments.
Same-day delivery pipeline. While Shawn and Haochang kept shooting, Zhanyi started ingesting, culling, color-matching daylight/tungsten shots, and building a same-day highlight cut.
What the Photos Show (and how we made them)
Buffet table with florals
Hospitality & detail
Backlit windows, white tablecloths, and gold vessels are a dynamic-range test. We exposed for the highlights, added a whisper of fill, and kept the whites crisp without losing the Stockholm waterfront outside. The result: clean, editorial-style hospitality coverage that feels premium.
Five principals on a blue backdrop
Ribbon-cutting moment
A symmetrical, full-length hero image timed to the instant all scissors and eyes align. Soft fill lifts faces; the brand wall and floral pedestals “bookend” the frame so the photo looks press-ready straight out of camera.
Profile row
Audience focus
Side-lighting from the key panel gives shape; shallow depth isolates faces while still hinting at the ornate walls behind. It reads like a still from a documentary—engaged, thoughtful, present.
Groups laughing by chandeliers
Networking candids
Here we leaned into back-rim light from the fixtures and added subtle fill so expressions pop without flattening the ambience. It’s lively and unforced—the kind of frame people love to share.
Registration
Welcome desk portrait
An environmental portrait that folds in the hotel’s patterned doors and warm lamps, communicating “organized and inviting” in one glance.
Two delegates in discussion
Corridor conversation
Graphic panels and wood inlays become design elements. We waited for mid-gesture to catch an authentic, business-forward moment.
What We Delivered
Edited event photos (fully retouched, color-consistent set) covering venue, ribbon-cutting, audience, networking, details, and environmental portraits.
One on-site quick-editing highlight video (same-day delivery). Haochang shot gimbal-smooth walk-throughs, reaction shots, and the ribbon-cut; Zhanyi edited on location so the client could publish while attention was hottest. You are invited to watch the video from below:
Social Performance (first wave)
The launch posts show strong early traction across institutional LinkedIn pages:
Government of Dubai (51,283 followers) — ~72 reactions, 4 comments, 3 reposts (~0.15% engagement on day 3).
Embassy of Sweden in the UAE (3,670 followers) — 17 reactions, 1 repost (~0.49% engagement within 4 hours—fast early velocity).
Dubai International Chamber (7,797 followers) — ~61 reactions, 2 comments, 7 reposts (~0.90% engagement by day 3; notable share rate).
These are healthy numbers for B2B, and the share/repost ratio suggests the visuals traveled beyond immediate followers—exactly what timely delivery is meant to unlock.
Final Thoughts
Launching a new office is about more than a ribbon; it’s about signaling presence and partnership. Our job was to make that signal unmistakable—elegant, brand-true, and ready to publish today. If you’re planning a corporate event in Stockholm or across the Nordics and want visuals that respect the room, the people, and the timeline, Film8 is ready to roll.