Photographing a startup event often starts with details that are difficult to plan on paper. Some events are remembered longer than others – sometimes it’s the people that make the difference, sometimes it’s the atmosphere, and sometimes it’s the venue that naturally enhances the character of the meeting. This was the case with one of the editions of Aula Polska, which was held at the headquarters of BNP Paribas in Warsaw. This event well demonstrated the importance of a well-thought-out space for business and startup meetings, as well as the right conditions for networking and conversations.

Aula Poland – a relationship-based startup event
Aula Poland is an initiative that has been bringing together founders, entrepreneurs, investors and people actively involved in the startup and technology industry. This is not a classic conference based solely on lectures. Just as important as the stage here are the backstage conversations, the meetings after the speeches and the exchange of experiences between participants. Having photographed Aula Polska for several years, I have had the opportunity to observe how a cohesive and conscious business community is forming around this event.

BNP Paribas headquarters as a venue for a business event
The BNP Paribas headquarters turned out to be a very well-designed venue for a startup event. The conference space is modern, bright and functional. The large room allows for comfortable seating of participants, and the proportions of the interior are conducive to both lectures and event photography. From the event organizer’s perspective, this means a smooth flow of the event, and from the photographer ‘s perspective, it means the possibility of reportage work without interfering with the dynamics of the meeting.

Light, stage and conditions for event photography
One of the key elements of this implementation was light. The room was evenly lit, which was important when photographing speeches and interactions between participants. The stage was designed for clear presentations and natural photos of the speakers, without sharp contrasts or visual display problems. The projector provided good visibility of the slides, which is often a challenge in conference photography.

Networking and documentary-style coverage of the startup event
The Polish Assembly Hall is alive not only on stage, but especially between speeches. It is in the breaks and backstage areas that the most interesting conversations, short meetings and longer discussions arise. The space of the BNP Paribas headquarters was naturally conducive to this, without the need for artificial zones. I associated the character of the place with large conference facilities, such as the Narvil, where comfort and functionality support business events.

Photography of startup events – a reportage approach
When photographing startup and business events, I work in a reportage and unobtrusive manner. I focus on relationships, emotions and natural interactions between participants. In the case of the Polish Auditorium at BNP Paribas headquarters, this approach allowed me to capture the authentic atmosphere of the meeting, without staging or artificial interference with the event.

Why such venues matter for startup events
Startup events benefit greatly from the context of the venue. The space is not just a backdrop – it influences the way the talks are conducted, the dynamics of the meetings and the overall impression of the participants. The BNP Paribas headquarters, as a modern and high-standard venue, naturally supported the professional yet open atmosphere of the Polish Hall.
For event organizers, this means greater comfort and better focus for participants, and for guests – the feeling that they are taking part in an event that is polished at every level. From the perspective of an event photographer, such locations have another advantage: they allow you to focus on documenting relationships and interactions instead of technical compromises. Good light, a clear stage and a logical layout of the space make the photos better reflect the nature of the event and are later readily used in business communications.
That’s why photographing a startup event at such venues is not just about recording the proceedings of the meeting, but about building a visual story that realistically supports the image of the initiative and the people behind it.
Summary of implementation
This edition of the Polish Auditorium was another example of an event that doesn’t need an extra setting to photograph well. A well-designed space, an informed startup community and the natural rhythm of the meeting resulted in material that is a record of the real relationships and energy of the event. It’s realizations like this that show that event photography in the startup industry is all about understanding the context and careful observation, not just documenting the scene.
Startup event photography – see a selection of photos from the event in this Auditorium



















































































































