Part Two of Two
As we discovered in the first installment of our advice for event management, advance work is the name of the game in making sure the media are motivated to attend your event.
Giving the press good hooks, clarifying expectations about the event, and providing some with exclusive access are among the keys to getting them there. But once the press is in
the house, most event managers say, it is important for PR pros to keep their eye on the prize--the stories that reporters will produce. Most experts (and journalists) advise
doing more than wrangling the herd and putting out fires. You have to help the media write their stories by providing them the assets, the hands-on experience, the ideas, and the
targeted information that gets them in the door, out the door and on deadline with a story that makes it past the editor's desk. In short, your job, is to make their job
easier.
Stagger Your Media: Trade shows often attract media from different angles such as product-oriented trade press, market-driven business reporters, and trend-oriented local and
general media. To keep messages targeted to a particular media audience, and keep speakers themselves focused on that particular target, try staging the media arrivals to
different days or parts of the day, says Linda Lyon of Gelphman Associates. Trying to cover trade, market and general media interests in one meeting diffuses the messages and
bores entire segments of the media pool.
Disperse Your Media: Marc Scott, VP marketing, Homebanc, warns not to segregate media at one table or section during meals and other special events because that's not where the
stories are. "Sprinkle [them] around the event and place them with key executives or people impacted by what your event is about." This gives them the opportunity to cultivate
their own exclusive takes on the event.
Cut to the Chase: At trade shows, media are short on time and averse to templated spiels, warns Jennie Schleuter, managing editor for consumer tech magazine publisher Bedford
Publishing. "They want to see the new products, play with them, learn about them, perhaps talk to someone about them--but not be hounded--and then move on."
All Media Are Created Equal: "It's a huge mistake to treat [some media] differently," says Iana Dealey, director of PR, Brogan & Partners. Respect the specific needs of TV,
print, etc., but in terms of giving access and attention, never discriminate by media type or market. Dealey, who was a publicist for gold medal skater Michelle Kwan on her return
from Nagano, recalls giving all media access to Kwan on a first come, first served basis. Otherwise, "you put yourself in a position where the smaller media won't cover you," or
you unintentionally snub foreign press that could be enormously important, she says.
Hold Hands: Try to assign PR "hosts" to specific reporters to ensure that the media know their point person for requests and that you help manage the experience. TV crews tend
to need and appreciate PR tour guides to make sure they get their shots, while print reporters like to be left to explore on their own, says Tracy Quan, executive director,
corporate public relations, Kerzner International. Quan handles multiple media events for the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas.
Write the Story: Before, during and after an event, have numerous story angles available for the press both in the advance and event kits. At Thorpe & Company, Jodi
Paradise, account supervisor, and Marichelli Heredia, account executive, have been handling the Miami Boat Show for many years, and they have learned to write five story ideas for
each press audience (trade, general, business media, etc.).
Cover It Yourself: It is fast becoming commonplace for major trade shows and media events to hire their own video and audio crews, photographers and writers to produce all of
the necessary media assets a reporter might need. This also serves as an excellent safeguard against bad weather or a hard news story drawing press away at the last minute. Alert
press who cannot cover the event that the material is available for use.
Assets, Assets, Assets: Giving the press key media assets, head shots, venue shots, or even images and transcripts from the event itself frees them to cover the gist of the
story and not worry about the details of getting quotes right or having enough shots for their voiceovers, says Quan.
She hands out b-roll of her Atlantis venues at the beginning of an event and her own b-roll covering the event as reporters leave. Radio loves trivia to fuel the banter, so
pile it on in their fact sheets. Post speech and Q&A transcripts to a press area on the Web as soon as possible, both to make quotes available and ensure their accuracy.
No Voyeurs: Let the press experience the event, not just observe it. At the Miami Boat Show, reporters could ride in a speedboat. At Quan's Atlantis resort, reporters are
encouraged to become an honorary seakeeper at the aquatic zoo. Too many press hanging in the media center means that they need to be involved with something in the main event
area. "You need to interact with them. Give them story ideas," says Paradise.
Logo Management: On podiums, make sure your company or association name and logo are up high so that they can't be cropped out easily, says Scott. On background banners, use
numerous smaller logos rather than a single large one, so that some instance of the brand image gets through in shots no matter what the angle.
Reconnaissance: When dealing with a new venue, don't just check the facilities long before the event. Test drive the directions and check parking facilities for media
(especially TV/Radio vans).
911: In press and event kits, always give press an emergency contact person, phone number, or place at a venue to ensure that they come to you if they have any problems.
Follow Up: Reporters are often the recipients of plenty of "junk mail" from show sponsors and other attendees who conduct mass mailings ("Sorry we missed you") following a
major event. Less common is much more valuable follow-up from show organizers.
Inform reporters about how and with whom they can follow-up after the event. Be sure they have a directory with key exhibitor names and numbers. And no matter how tempting it
is to spend the days following a major event recuperating, take a few moments to check in with key media and make sure they got everything they needed. An easy email survey
designed specifically for reporters could be an invaluable tool in crafting future events.
Cut the Cheese...Please
Fresh from her dizzying dance with Comdex, one of the most overwhelming of trade shows, Bedford Publishing's Jennie Schleuter warns PR pros to avoid at all costs "silly
gimmicky things that are rather insulting to everyone's intelligence," and remember that the press is not a boys-only club.
One vendor's barely-clad Austin Powers fem-bot models turned her off completely, especially since "I couldn't figure out what they had to do with the products." If you want to
draw attention, try doing it with the product, she recommends. She applauds another vendor, Olympus, for its dazzling display of digital photography from Africa. "They drew people
in without being silly."
Event Management To-Do List
- Manage press expectations up front
- Distribute targeted, comprehensive background kits weeks before event
- Prep speakers (know what they are saying and when they will meet with press)
- Manage and schedule the press experience
- Create all media assets necessary to creating a finished story
- Provide pre-show, in-show and post-show emergency contacts.
(Contacts: Lesley Bellus, 954/964-9098; Iana Dealey, 313/874-8586; Linda Lyon, 510/487-8672; Marichelli Heredia and Jodi Paradise, 305/446-2700; Tracy Quan, 954/713-2633;
Jennifer Schleuter, [email protected]; Mark Scott, 404/459-7452)