Want reporters to remember you (and like you) after the trade show? More advice from the experts...
Make your story visual. "Give the media what they need to produce a story," says John Hanks, senior account supervisor with Ballard Communications in Las Vegas. For print,
supply copy and graphics. For TV, offer a VNR and b-roll footage. "Give them something that they can't get at the show. If you're displaying a hunting rifle, supply b-roll of
the gun being used out in the field."
Make your brand visual. Reporters will keep tchotchkes, calendars and other fun, useful items, but will trash cards and email, says Seth Arenstein, editor of CableFax Daily
and CableFax Magazine (both PR NEWS sister pubs). Arenstein's office is adorned with promotional items ranging from plastic legs to lava lamps to desk figurines.
Follow up. A lot of small companies blow their wad on a sexy booth, but then have nothing to say, Arenstein adds, "I usually get bombarded by small tech companies involved in
Internet convergence. But after they've gone to the trouble to meet me, they rarely follow up. Or they'll send me the same press kit that I picked up at the show. Tell me
something new. I need real stories that I can write. I'm a daily and I'm starved for good stuff."
Respect hallowed ground. Don't wait outside the door of the pressroom to pounce on reporters. "That's what press kits are for," says Mike Willins, managing editor of the auto
trade magazine Aftermarket Business. "If I tell you I'll stop by [your booth], I mean it. The press room is sacred territory."
(Hanks, 702/836-3000; Arenstein, 301/340-7788, x2117; Willins, 440/891-2604)