Events and Press Conferences

What are they?• What is a press conference (P.C)?

This is where the PR team organise an event where they invite the target media with the purpose of telling them “something”

This is a controlled event where the PR team will advise the client on what information is presented, how the message will be conveyed and who will present it.

This is a great opportunity to speak to your target media as a whole

• P.C’s come in many different forms such as one speak to a panel of speakers – it depends on what your goals are.

• P.C’s can be held for breaking news

• Or can take months to organise

• The media will be given a press kit, inside it may contain the following:

Press releaseFact sheetAuthorised quotes and statementsVisual material such as a dvd with clips/photos which have been authorised

What is a press junket?• A press junket is usually associated with the film industry and a lot of

time and money goes into putting a junket together.

• The run up to a film being released and a certain time after, the actors are under contract to work the ‘promotional period’.

• Here they must do interviews with target press either at a large event (similar to the press conference) or one on ones with a journalist.

• Actors generally do not enjoy this as the days are long and they usually have to answer the same questions over and over again.

• Similar to the P.C at a junket the media will receive what is called an EPK - electronic press kit. This contains all the key material the PR’s what the media to report on.

• Brue Willis playing up….

• And this is why actors have a hard time doing junkets

Events and round tables

• Depending on the goal of the day the PR’s might organise activities for the journalists such as a viewing of the film or time spent playing with the product.

• If the goal is to get a review of the product, then more time is spent focusing on having the target media examine / play with the product.

• A spokesperson will introduce special features through a carefully crafted presentation

• There might also be interviews with the makers or VIP.

• Round tables are a good way for a VIP to answer a number of questions in front of a group of journalists. Each journalist will ask a question but all journalists have access to the answer.

Press trips• Press trips are where your target media are invited to go ‘somewhere’

in the hope that they will write about your product and put in your key communications.

New York Times Travel Writer Broke These Travel Writer Rules With Junket

A freelance writer Mike Albo broke the Times rules when he accepted a free all expenses trip to Jamaica.

The trip was paid for by Thrillist and JetBlue

When the Times was approached with concerns that it had broken its own rule in allowing Albo’s work to be published it responded with:

Putting events together• Event organising can be a very stressful part of a PR’s job but it can

also be incredibly fun when things are going well

• First you need to think about what your objectives are and then similar to writing your proposal you need to work out how you are going to reach your objectives – what is your strategy

• You need to think about the location you are going to hold the event in – example: Titanic = think boat!

• You need to think about the theme of the event – is it formal or informal, what information will you give at the event, will there be a special speaker?

• Which media will you invite and why (what is your rational for inviting them?)

• Once you have worked out the logistics to the event you need to start inviting people. Here you need to again be very organised in how you do this.

• You should always think about how you can justify why you have chosen to do an event – they are normally expensive and you can not guarantee coverage so it is risky.

• Always think about rational and how you are going to explain to your client that this is best practice and your campaign needs this.

ActivityPart one:• Design an event that will get your product maximum coverage.• This could be a party, press conference, junket etc.• What are your objective? What is your strategy?• Think about who you will invite.• Fill out the event form and upload to the website

Part two:• In your groups you will need to go in and comment on each others events.• Do you think it is going to work? How well is it planned? If you were the

client what questions would you have? Do you think it will get the coverage the PR wants?