First there was Speed Dating. Now comes 8-Minute PR. Inspired by
the popular dating network, in which singles jump from table to
table for a slew of "mini-dates" in one night, 8-Minute PR brings
together eight business executives and eight journalists for a
meet-and-greet. Executives have just eight minutes to do their
spiel on company news and then - BRINGG, BRINGG - a bell will ring
signifying it's time to move on to the next person. "They could
talk about issues in the industry, trends. They could talk about
baseball if they want, it's just a way to start a conversation,"
says Sharon Barclay, general manager of Blanc & Otus Public
Relations, which created 8-Minute PR.
The event kicks off tomorrow night (April 13) in Boston. Senior
IT execs from a bevy of tech firms, including Computer Associates,
Netcelera and iRise, will have 8 minutes to tell their stories to
reporters from Network World and IDG News Service, among others.
"Journalists are sick of PowerPoints," Barclay says. "I'm not
convinced that's the best way to tell your story and, besides, if
you can't tell a story in eight minutes you may not have a story."
There is no cost for journalists to attend the events. The fee for
companies is $1,000, which includes two hours of media and
messaging coaching beforehand and the guarantee of meeting eight
members of the media in one night. Barclay says she's hoping to
expand 8-Minute PR into consumer, healthcare and other vertical
markets. Contact: [email protected];
www.8minutepr.com.