5 Things I Bring to Every IRL Event to Create Months of Content
5 Things I Bring to Every IRL Event to Create Months of Content
If you’re traveling to a conference, speaking event, mastermind, brand trip, podcast recording, or really ANY event for your business, please do not just show up, post a few Instagram Stories, and go home. 😂
One of the most underrated content strategies is learning how to make your IRL life work harder for your online brand.
I travel a lot for work, and over the years I’ve gotten way more intentional about how I approach these trips. I’m not trying to spend the entire event with my phone in my hand, but I AM thinking ahead about the content I can capture while I’m already dressed, already in an interesting location, and already surrounded by people and experiences I wouldn’t have access to at home.
Because a three-day event can give you content for WEEKS or even months if you know what to capture.
So whether you’re heading to a conference, speaking on a stage, attending a networking event, or traveling for your business, here are five things I do to make every IRL event work harder for my content.
1. I Plan the Content Before I Even Pack
The biggest mistake you can make is showing up and thinking, “I’ll just remember to grab content while I’m there.”
You won't. 😂
You'll start talking to someone. Your session will begin. You'll be running to dinner. Suddenly it's 10 PM and the only thing in your camera roll is a blurry picture of your lunch.
Before I travel, I think about the content opportunities that specific trip gives me that I can't recreate at home.
That might include:
Travel-day B-roll
Walking into the venue
Behind-the-scenes clips
Getting ready
Outfit shots
Speaking footage
Audience reactions
Quick interviews
Photos with people I'm meeting
Establishing shots of the city or venue
Little candid moments throughout the day
And here's the important part: I don't need to know exactly what I'm going to DO with every clip yet.
I'm building a content library.
That five-second clip of you walking into a conference might become B-roll for a Reel three months from now about confidence, entrepreneurship, networking, visibility, or something completely unrelated to the event.
Capture now. Package later.
2. I Bring a Mic I Can Actually Carry Everywhere
If there's one piece of creator equipment I prioritize when I'm traveling, it's good audio.
You can have gorgeous video, but if no one can understand what you're saying, you're probably not going to use it.
That's why my DJI Mic comes with me.
It's small enough to throw in my bag, easy enough that I'm actually going to use it, and I can pull it out for a quick interview without turning the moment into a full production.
This is especially important if you're planning to interview people at an event. Conferences are LOUD. There are people everywhere, music playing, conversations happening around you, and approximately 900 other noises your iPhone microphone will happily pick up. 😂
You do NOT need an elaborate camera setup to create great content at an event.
In fact, your phone + good audio can get you incredibly far.
Best for: Man-on-the-street interviews, quick expert conversations, Reels, talking-head videos, podcast clips, behind-the-scenes content, and filming in loud event spaces.
3. I Capture WAY More B-Roll Than I Think I'll Need
This is probably the biggest thing I wish more business owners did when they're somewhere interesting.
FILM. THE. B-ROLL.
Walking down the street.
Opening your laptop.
Putting on your badge.
Walking into the venue.
Sitting in the audience.
Getting coffee.
Laughing with someone.
Setting up backstage.
The hotel.
The city.
Your shoes walking into the event.
Yes, I'm serious. 😂
These tiny moments seem completely insignificant while they're happening, but they're GOLD when you need visual content later.
Your B-roll doesn't have to be posted in real time. You can use it weeks or months later underneath a voiceover, trending audio, educational Reel, personal story, or promotional post.
I still use my phone constantly, but when I want smoother, more elevated footage without carrying a giant camera setup, I love my DJI Osmo.
It's small enough to actually travel with but gives you that polished, smooth video look that makes simple B-roll feel much more elevated.
Because the best camera isn't the fanciest one.
It's the one you'll actually pull out of your bag and USE.
4. I Treat My Outfits Like Content Assets
Okay, hear me out. 😂
If I'm going to be at an event for three days and I'm already getting dressed up every day, those outfits are becoming CONTENT.
Different looks can make content captured during the exact same trip feel like it came from completely different days, shoots, or campaigns.
And between speaking events, conferences, podcast interviews, dinners, brand shoots, and creator events, I do not want to buy an entirely new wardrobe every time I travel.
That's one reason I love FashionPass.
I can rotate new pieces into my closet for trips and events without buying something I'm going to wear once for content and then stare at for the next three years. 😂
It also gives me more variety when I'm intentionally batching photos and videos during a trip.
If you know you're going somewhere with multiple events, think about your outfits BEFORE you leave.
What could you wear for your speaking content?
What would look good for interviews?
Could you grab photos in another outfit before dinner?
Could one look become the visual for several pieces of content later?
You're already there. You're already dressed.
Get the content.
Use code CHC for a discount on FashionPass.
5. I Never Depend on Event Lighting
You know what you cannot control at an event?
The lighting. 😂
Sometimes it's gorgeous.
Sometimes you're standing under fluorescent convention-center lighting wondering why you suddenly look like you haven't slept since 2017.
So I always want a small mobile light in my bag.
You don't need to carry around a giant ring light or recreate a studio setup. A small portable light can make a HUGE difference when you're trying to grab a quick talking-head video, interview, hotel-room Reel, or piece of content in a dark event space.
And this is really my rule for all of my event gear:
If it's too annoying to carry, I'm probably not going to use it.
Your IRL creator kit should make capturing content easier, not turn you into a traveling production company.
Don't Just Attend the Event. Make It Work for Your Brand.
The goal isn't to spend your entire conference filming.
And it's definitely not to come home with 847 random videos in your camera roll that you never look at again. 😂
The goal is to be intentional.
Before your next IRL event, ask yourself:
What can I capture here that I can't capture sitting in my office next week?
Maybe it's an interview with someone you've wanted to meet.
Maybe it's professional footage of you speaking.
Maybe it's B-roll in a new city.
Maybe it's photos with people in your industry.
Maybe it's a personal story that happens while you're there.
Capture those moments while you have access to them. Then come home and package them into content over time. A three-day conference doesn't have to create three days of content. It can create three MONTHS of content if you're intentional about what you bring home.
And yes, you'll probably still come home with 847 random videos in your camera roll.
I certainly will. 😂
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