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8 ways to Maximise PR Opportunities at Trade Exhibitions
“Thanks very much for all your help. It’s been great.”
This is what several clients, industry contacts and the event organisers recently said to the CI Group B2B PR team at the end of International Confex, one of the major events for conference and meetings industry.
For the team, it was the end of a project that had started six months before. Here is some insight into what the team had been doing over that time, making it a good example of what a knowledgeable team can do to help clients make the most of PR opportunities at trade exhibitions.
1. Submitting proposals for conference speaking sessions
With the deadline for proposals in mid-October, (almost six months ahead) the team discussed with several clients about what topics to cover, panel structures and moderators, then drafted proposals, gained approval and submitted them in time for the deadline.
2. Editorial opportunities in preview features
About four months before the event, the team spoke to the organisers about potential PR opportunities in preview features and on websites, asking about deadlines and what content they would like.
3. Once conference session proposals have been accepted…
When two of our proposals were accepted, we had to work with clients to confirm the availability of panellists, draft scripts and potential questions for the moderator and arrange ‘rehearsals’ to discuss how panellists would answer each question.
One week before the event, the organisers asked the team to fill a gap in the schedule by putting together an additional session on sustainability. A panel involving two more expert clients was arranged and another question schedule created and shared with the panel in advance.
4. Arranging face-to-face meetings for clients with journalists
Exhibitions are a great opportunity for face-to-face meetings between clients and the press. The team set up several appointments in advance for clients and made the most of these opportunities on-site.
5. Social media to promote conference sessions and client activities
The team helped to boost the audiences of sessions using social media to increase awareness and sell the benefits to the audience of attending them.
On-site
6. Set up a video and photo-session for client for a news release
Confex provided a good opportunity to bring together Carina Bauer, CEO of the IMEX Group, with the team at ExpoPlatform for a video and photo-session ahead of a partnership announcement issued shortly after the exhibition.
7. Social media posts from the event
Photos of people meeting on stands or speaking at the conference are always popular on social media. The team photographed their clients’ speaker sessions and shared them immediately across social channels.
8. Attend and make notes on conference sessions
By recording and making notes on several sessions where clients were speaking, the content can now be repurposed as editorial articles.
The key to this successful activity is that, through working with event destinations, venues, agencies, associations and media for many years, the CI Group PR team know how to make the most of these opportunities and to deliver results.
If you’d like to know how we can help your organisation, please get in touch!