Useful Tips for Organising a Business Press Conference

Small business owners can use press conference as a cost-effective promotional tool. Organising successful events does not require spending your budget to the last penny and the news coverage you get is akin to free advertising.

Choose a newsworthy topicThe topic a press conference is organised for should be newsworthy. It must be of significant interest to the general public so that the media outlets show interest in covering it. Good topics include new product launches, store openings or announcements about new appointments.

Date, time, and locationCheck your community and business calendar to ensure the date of your press conference does not conflict with other events that may steal the thunder.

Planning in advancePlanning the press conference sufficiently in advance will give you enough time to write an impactful press release and take appropriate media outlets on board. The initial press release must explicitly mention why the event is worthy of news coverage.

Following the press releaseDistribute the press release to media outlets at least a week before the event. Make a personal phone call to assess interest of media contacts in covering the event. This will also enable you to provide the reporter with background or inside information to encourage their interest.

Distributing press kitIncluding a press kit for each media outlet in attendance will help. The kit should include company history, biographies of business owners or promoters, photographs for reprint and a copy of the press release.

Appointing a representative for coordinating activitiesA company representative should be appointed to greet reporters as they arrive for the conference. They would also coordinate photo opportunities and interviews with company promoters.

Highlighting key elementsSpeakers in the conference should be brief with remarks and highlight the key elements of the topic. When the address is over, the floor should be open for the questions. Even after the media attendees have left, a company representative must be appointed to answer the follow-up questions.

Messages of thanksSend personal messages of thanks to media attendees to your press conference the day after the event. The courtesy will help maintain better media relations.

You may also ask a public relations and management company in India to assist in organising the press conference. Leveraging their skill-set, they will ensure organisation of a successful event.

Author of this article recommends India InfoMedia Pvt. Ltd. that is a leading name in perception management, corporate communications, and crisis management companies India.