{"id":31412,"date":"2026-01-01T18:18:28","date_gmt":"2026-01-01T17:18:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/marcinkrokowski.com\/portfolio\/event-photo-coverage-from-poznan-game-arena-2024-for-intel-or-how-to-show-technology-hidden-in-the-background\/"},"modified":"2026-01-01T18:34:21","modified_gmt":"2026-01-01T17:34:21","slug":"event-photo-coverage-from-poznan-game-arena-2024-for-intel-or-how-to-show-technology-hidden-in-the-background","status":"publish","type":"portfolio","link":"https:\/\/marcinkrokowski.com\/en\/portfolio_en\/event-photo-coverage-from-poznan-game-arena-2024-for-intel-or-how-to-show-technology-hidden-in-the-background\/","title":{"rendered":"Event photo coverage from Pozna\u0144 Game Arena 2024 for Intel – or how to show technology hidden in the background?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Typically, the work scenario for trade fair photographer in Poznan<\/a><\/strong> is predictable and fairly schematic: you enter the hall, locate the client’s giant, monolithic booth that dominates the surroundings, and document this isolated fortress. You’ve got hostesses, you’ve got clear branding, you’ve got the crowd in one place – you take pictures and get out. But what if your client – a global technology giant – turns this model upside down? What if, instead of putting up its own closed fortress, it decides to be the omnipresent “engine” that drives the whole party?<\/p>\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n

Challenge: Photograph something that is “under the hood”<\/h2>\n\n

At PGA 2024<\/strong><\/a> Intel put on just such a multi-layered presence. Yes, the brand had its own dedicated zone, but it was not a lonely island. This booth functioned as an open technology hub, where key partners such as Lenovo, Govee, Thrustmaster and Komputronik presented side by side with Intel. Significantly, this relationship worked two-way – Intel’s technology was not confined to one pavilion, but “leaked” outward, appearing at the brands’ independent booths throughout the hall. Intel hosted the partners at home, but was also a key part of the visual display at their place. This created an intricate web of relationships, where the blue logo was the glue that connected the various fair zones into one ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n

\"Rows<\/figure>\n\n

This is what Intel’s brand presence looked like at PGA 2024.<\/h3>\n\n

Intel adopted an “Ingredient Brand” (component brand) strategy. Instead of competing for attention with a separate, monolithic booth, they integrated with partner zones: Actina, Lenovo, Hiro, Govee or Thrustmaster. For a marketer, this is a brilliant move showing the symbiosis of technologies. For the photographer? This is a logistical and narrative challenge.<\/p>\n\n

My task was not to photograph one location. I had to capture the ecosystem<\/strong>. I had to show that this technology (Core Ultra processors and the AI PC revolution) is everywhere and driving the excitement of thousands of gamers who don’t even know what exactly is “sitting” in their hardware. <\/p>\n\n

The challenge was: how to photograph a processor that you can’t see, so that the customer sees its dominance at the trade show \/ industry expo?<\/p>\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n

How did I embrace it? (Strategy and Implementation) <\/h2>\n\n

As a trade show photographer<\/strong>, I’ve been to MTP before, but this project required more than just knowing the topography of the halls and where they give the best coffee. I had to act like a sniper picking out details in a crowd of 61,000 people.<\/strong> My goal was not to document the equipment (packshots), but to document the impact of<\/strong> the technology on the user experience. <\/p>\n\n

I focused on three strategic pillars:<\/p>\n\n

1 Player Spectrum: From “laser focus” to pure fun<\/h3>\n\n

Instead of looking only for spectacular bursts of joy, which happen less often than we think at tournaments, I focused on the authentic spectrum of player emotions. Intel’s technology drove two radically different stories here. <\/p>\n\n

On the one hand – tournament and simulation zones (Thrustmaster, Actina), where absolute, almost intimate focus<\/strong> reigned supreme. There I hunted for “laser focus”: motionless faces, eyes staring at the screen, hand muscle tension on the steering wheel or mouse. It’s the quiet before the storm you see in the photos. In the background, discreetly blurred, worked the Intel Core logo – a silent guarantor of that stability. <\/p>\n\n

On the other hand – the Intel and Lenovo zone, where technology unleashed pure joy<\/strong>. Here people played “for fun.” My goal was to catch those looser moments: smiles while testing the new Legion Go console, interacting with friends at the retro booths or just having fun with light in the Govee zone. <\/p>\n\n

For the B2B customer, it sends the message, “Our equipment is versatile. It serves professionals who demand perfection, but it also gives a ton of fun to casual gamers.” <\/p>\n\n

\"A<\/figure>\n\n

2. different worlds, one denominator (Lenovo vs. Thrustmaster)<\/h3>\n\n

I had to be as flexible as ever. Each partner is a different aesthetic, a different light and a different “vibe.” <\/p>\n\n