Covering the Perseus Group retreat in Whistler

Three full days at The Westin Resort & Spa, a crew of four, and photo and video of everything happening at once.

Client: Perseus Group
Location: The Westin Resort & Spa, Whistler
Coverage: Three full days
Crew: Two photographers, two videographers

An internal company retreat only happens once a year, and everything worth remembering tends to happen at the same time.

Perseus Group brought its team to Whistler for a three-day retreat at The Westin Resort & Spa, and asked us to cover all of it: main-stage keynotes, breakout sessions, team challenges in the ballroom, a treetop ropes course, and a trip up Whistler Mountain, with photos for the team and a recap film of the whole event.

That meant planning the crew around the schedule rather than the other way round.

Four people, every room

We brought a crew of four: two photographers and two videographers. On a single-track event that would be generous. On a retreat where sessions, breakouts, and activities overlap, it was the difference between covering the program and choosing which half of it to miss.

When the schedule split, so did we, into two pairs of one photographer and one videographer each, so every simultaneous event had stills and footage at the same time. When the whole group came back together for the moments that mattered most, all four of us were in the room, covering it from different angles.

Working in pairs also meant the recap film had real material from both sides of every split, not just the room the camera happened to be in.

Three days in Whistler

From the main stage to the treetops to the top of Whistler Mountain: 28 frames from three full days with the Perseus Group team. Select any photo to open the full gallery.

Speaker at The Westin podium on the main stage of the Perseus Group retreat — **Main stage**Keynote sessions

The Perseus Group team cheering together on Whistler Mountain with the Coast Mountains behind — **Team photo**Whistler Mountain

Perseus Group colleagues cheering during a team challenge in the ballroom — **Team challenge**In the ballroom

Two colleagues building a spaghetti and marshmallow tower during a team activity — **Build challenge**Team activity

Attendee raising a hand during a breakout session at the Westin Whistler — **Breakout room**Session in progress

Perseus Group colleagues posing together at an outdoor reception in Whistler — **Outdoor reception**Whistler Village

Perseus Group team members posing in front of the Olympic rings on Whistler Mountain — **On the mountain**Whistler's Olympic rings

Perseus Group team hiking an alpine trail under a chairlift on Whistler Mountain — **Alpine hike**Whistler Mountain

More from the retreat

Ballroom set with round tables under a Welcome to Whistler screen — **Ballroom**Welcome to Whistler

Wide view of the full ballroom during a Perseus Group main session — **Main session**A full room

Speaker with a microphone on the lit main stage — **Main stage**Speaker

Audience members laughing during a session — **Main stage**In the audience

Speaker presenting with a microphone in front of coloured curtains — **Main stage**Speaker

Attendees listening during a main-stage session — **Main stage**In the audience

Attendee concentrating during a team game with red cups — **Team challenge**Game time

Attendee balancing a ball on a spoon held in his mouth — **Team challenge**Balance game

A team celebrating in front of the EPIC backdrop — **EPIC**Team photo

Team member climbing a tall tree on the treetop course — **Treetop course**Climbing

Team member crossing a high-ropes log bridge in the forest — **Treetop course**High ropes

A Perseus Group team member riding a zipline through the forest in Whistler — **Treetop course**Ziplines and ropes

Colleagues playing lawn games at an outdoor reception in Whistler Village — **Outdoor reception**Lawn games

Attendee laughing with colleagues at the outdoor reception — **Outdoor reception**Catching up

Large group photo of the Perseus Group team in Whistler Village — **Team photo**Whistler Village

Colleagues waving from inside a gondola cabin — **Gondola**Heading up

Team member cheering in the gondola station — **Gondola**Ready to ride

Group hiking along an alpine trail toward the mountains — **Alpine hike**Whistler Mountain

Two hikers taking in the view of the Coast Mountains — **Alpine hike**The view

Headshot stationStudio portrait

A headshot station between sessions

Alongside the event coverage, we set up a headshot station on site. Retreats are one of the few times a whole team is in one place, well rested and dressed for it, which makes them the easiest moment to refresh everyone's profile photos.

Same lighting, same background, same framing for every person, so the headshots work together on a team page, in email signatures, and on LinkedIn.

The recap film

The whole retreat in one film, cut from footage shot by both videographers across all three days.

Behind the scenes

Two of the four crew who covered the retreat, plus a quick look at one of the setups from the week.

Saeede, Threshold Studios photographer, on the treetop course in Whistler with a camera — **Saeede**Photographer

Jayson, Threshold Studios videographer, with a camera gimbal on Whistler Mountain — **Jayson**Videographer

On set

Planning photo and video for a company retreat

Size the crew to the busiest hour. Count the most things happening at once on your agenda, not the number of days. That number decides how many people you need.
Pair photo with video. A photographer and a videographer working together cover a room completely and give the recap film stills-quality moments to cut to.
Book the headshot station into the agenda. Put it near the main room and mention it at the opening session so people plan a few minutes for it.
Agree on the recap early. Decide on length and where it will be shown before the event, so the crew shoots for it from the first morning.

Planning a company retreat?

Tell us where you're going and how many things run at once, and we'll send a tailored quote within three hours.

Get a quote Or email sam@thresholdstudios.ca

Covering the Perseus Group Retreat in Whistler