Traditionally we spend more than one hour at an annual gala, but for the West Michigan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce’s Annual Gala at the JW Marriott, the event organizer, Lilibeth Marvin from Isabel Events & Design, wanted us to focus on a few specific parts with a single hour of photography.

Those specific needs were:

• Great panoramic pictures of the room/audience

• Pictures of Executive Director, Guillermo Cisneros on the stage

• Pictures of the winners on the right side of stage with Executive Director, Guillermo Cisneros

• Pictures of the winners in front of the WMHCC backdrop after receiving their award

• Pictures of the VIP guests on their tables: Executive director, sponsors and special guests

• Group picture of all winners with Executive Director right before the event ends

With specific instructions like these, I knew I could arrive on site, capture what the event planner needed and then provide a collection of images the following day.

The award presentation at the annual gala is the highlight of the night. The Chamber does not inform winners prior to winning. Similar to the Oscar’s, nominees are named from stage and then presenters state, “And the winner is…”

This year, the winners were:

Hispanic Businessperson of the Year: Milinda Ysasi, The Source

Hispanic Business of The Year: Jim Roberts, Jim Roberts Enterprises

Young Hispanic Professional of the Year: Adriana Almanza, GVSU

Multicultural Affairs Non-Profit Champion Award: Bonnie Nawara, GROW

Most Promising Hispanic Business: Mary Alvarez, Tamales Mary

Building Bridges Award: Alison Freas, Herman Miller

In addition to the awards presented on stage, event organizers wanted to make sure they had several options of “wide angle” photos that showed off the size of the JW Marriott Ballroom.

With over 750+ attendees from all walks of life, the event filled the ballroom and the Chamber wanted to ensure images showed those outside their community that they mean business.

The final images the Chamber was interested in was a group photo of all the winners with the Executive Director.

Making sure we could get all the winners together for one final photo following the close of the event was no simple task and after the winners had their photo taken, naturally many of the attendees wanted to have their photo taken as well.

Are you thinking how you might want professional photography at your next event, even if it’s just a single hour?

If you answered YES, the next step is simple: reach out and let us know.

We never want to sell you a solution that does not fit your needs. We will discuss what you’re looking for and determine the most effective way to meet those needs.

We Have Been Helping Clients For 15+ Years. We Seek To Bring Value And That’s Why They Have Us Back Year After Year. Perhaps It’s Time For Your Organization To Experience The Same.

We Are Here To Make You Look Great And Help You Be More Successful. If You're In Need Of A Photographer You Can Trust To Make You Look And Feel Confident, We Would Love To Connect With You.