|
by Ian Smith, APR
Southeast Building Conference
 Serving
as public relations director for a
large trade show or business
industry conference can be
overwhelming. It's no easy
feat culling down a three- or
four-day conference with hundreds
of exhibitors, tens of thousands
of attendees and a plethora of
activities and events into
bite-size pieces of newsworthy
information.
But
I believe if you follow these four
easy steps, you're guaranteed good
media attendance and
coverage. First, develop a
targeted media strategy months in
advance; second, identify three
mainstream news angles; third,
host a well organized press room
onsite; and fourth, prepare
post-show press packets for media
who can't attend.
The
first thing you need to do is
develop a targeted trade and
mainstream media list. You
can purchase specialized media
lists and directories from a
number of reputable sources, but
if you're short on cash, try the
Internet or the newspaper and
magazine rack at a local
bookstore. Also get a
detailed list of the mainstream
media in the city and state where
the show is being held, and don't
forget to look up freelance
writers or national organizations
that represent trade media in your
industry.
Organize
your list into sections such as
national, regional, state or local
coverage; business, technology, or
mainstream coverage; freelance,
etc. These groupings will
make targeting simpler later on.
The
second step is to identify three
mainstream news angles from the
conference. Trade media typically
have story ideas in mind, or are
looking for a particular angle
such as technology, new products
or business. But there often
is information that could be of
interest to state and local
mainstream media such as new
technological advances that will
change the way consumers interact
with your industry. Media
notification and pitching really
should begin six months in advance
with a "save-the-date"
post card and then develop into
information packaged more as news
teasers than as news releases.
The
third step is to manage a fully
working press room onsite.
Make the media's job easy by
organizing exhibitor press kits
and a provide a master list of
news events. Offer Internet
connections and phone lines, and
keep the room staffed to
facilitate requests for
interviews. Always bring
industry experts to the press room
and use the room to host media
events, product unveilings and
other activities.
Finally,
there will be media interested in
your show who can't attend.
You should prepare a post-show
press package that includes three
major news stories from the show,
a list of exhibitors and products
and a list of industry issues and
contacts.
These
four easy steps really are the
basics, but once you've been
through two or three annual trade
shows, you will develop the right
media contacts and figure out a
well-timed strategy. The key to
success begins with targeting and
notifying media early on,
facilitating their needs onsite,
and sending post-show information
that can be used in the weeks and
months following the show.
Ian
Smith is the public relations
director for the
Southeast Building Conference,
an annual home building industry
trade show held
in Orlando, Florida that attracts
10,000 people from 12 southeastern
states.
His email address is: ismith@nettally.com
More
Articles | Submit
Your Article | PR
Subjects
About
Public Relations Homepage
Contact Us
|
