Chicago & Phoenix Director of Photography, Cinematographer, Drone Pilot, and Video Production
AXPONA: Official Show Photography and Video Production
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Project at a Glance
Client: AXPONA
Event: AXPONA 2026 — North America's largest hi-fi audio and music show
Venue: Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center, Schaumburg, IL
Services: Official show photography, post-show sizzle reel, exhibitor promo reel, attendee promo reel, social ad production
Team: Jamie Link Photography — 3-person production crew
Relationship: 11 years covering AXPONA; 2026 marks first year as official photo and video production partner
Overview
AXPONA is one of North America's largest high-fidelity audio and music shows, drawing thousands of attendees and hundreds of exhibitors to the Renaissance Schaumburg Convention Center each spring. The event spans multiple floors, dozens of dedicated listening rooms, and exhibitor spaces representing some of the most respected names in audio.
Jamie Link Photography has covered AXPONA as a photographer for 11 consecutive years. In 2026, that relationship expanded into something larger. For the first time, Jamie Link Photography took on the role of official show photo and video production team, responsible for capturing the entire event across both disciplines and delivering a multi-format content package to support the show's marketing through the end of the year and beyond.
Production Scope
The 2026 AXPONA contract covered complete event photography and a tiered video production schedule with staggered deliverable deadlines:
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Full show photography across all exhibit spaces and common areas
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Post-show sizzle reel (approx. 60 seconds, 16x9 and 9x16) — delivered the Tuesday or Wednesday immediately following the show
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Exhibitor promo reel (90 to 120 seconds, exhibitor testimonials and b-roll) — delivered by April 24
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Attendee 2027 promo reel (90 to 120 seconds, attendee testimonials and b-roll) — primary edit delivered by summer 2026, with 2027 branding updated by September
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Audio Enthusiast social ad (30 seconds, 15 seconds, and 6 second bumper — 16x9 and 9x16) — requires 2027 branding
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Car Audio social ad (30 seconds, 16x9)
Coordinating a Multi-Crew Production Across a Large Show
Shows the size of AXPONA create a specific set of production challenges that a single photographer or videographer cannot solve. Hundreds of exhibitors are spread across multiple floors and dedicated rooms. Attendees cycle through continuously throughout the day. Testimonial subjects need to be identified, approached, and filmed on the spot. Still photography and video capture need to happen simultaneously without competing with each other or disrupting the show floor experience.
For 2026, Jamie Link Photography brought in a three-person production team to handle the full scope. The team divided responsibilities across photography coverage, video capture and b-roll acquisition, and on-camera testimonial interviews with both exhibitors and attendees. That structure allowed every area of the show to receive proper coverage without sacrificing image quality or missing key moments.
The compressed post-production timeline added another layer of complexity. The sizzle reel was due within days of the show closing. That meant sorting, selecting, and editing from a large volume of photo and video content under a hard deadline, with no buffer for reshoots or additional capture. The production workflow had to be planned in advance to make that timeline realistic.
Exhibitors and Brands Featured
The 2026 show included exhibitors across the full spectrum of the high-fidelity audio market. Photography and video coverage included spaces from brands such as Focal, Deus, Legacy Audio, SVS, T+A, Emotiva, IASCA, and Quintessence Audio, among many others across the full exhibitor roster.
Exhibitor Video Feature
Deliverables
The full content package produced for AXPONA 2026 includes:
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Full event photo library — complete still coverage of exhibitor spaces, show floor activity, and attendee engagement
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Post-show sizzle reel — 60-second edit in both 16x9 and 9x16, released within days of show close
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Exhibitor promo reel — 90 to 120-second video featuring exhibitor testimonials and production b-roll
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Attendee 2027 promo reel — 90 to 120-second video built primarily from attendee testimonials and show coverage b-roll, with 2027 branding finalized by September 2026
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Audio Enthusiast social ads — 30-second, 15-second, and 6-second bumper versions in both 16x9 and 9x16
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Car Audio social ad — 30-second cut in 16x9
Work With Jamie Link Photography
If your organization produces an annual conference, trade show, or industry event and needs a production team that can handle both photo and video at scale, the conversation starts with understanding your event format, your content goals, and how you plan to use what we create. Contact Jamie Link Photography to discuss what official show coverage looks like for your event.
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