How to earn PR success with your events

I have talked a lot about how to utilize social media for planning events, but Public Relations is just as important. While reading PR News online (http://www.prnewsonline.com) I came across a great article I would like to share with you! The article titled “6 Tips for PR Success with Your Events” http://www.prnewsonline.com/water-cooler/2013/04/01/tis-the-season-6-tips-for-event-pr-success/by Scott Van Camp provides tips for public relations.Camp mentions the difficulty in creating a “live” event that arouses the attention of potential clients and stakeholders. She stresses the importance of face-to-face communication for the public as social media outreach, that is why I found this article so intriguing and beneficial. She also supports and stresses the idea that interaction with customers helps purchase intent. This article also provides us with statistical evidence that 95% of event participants will be more likely to purchase a service, or product that has been promoted according to a Mosaic study. Camp provides us with steps to help one plan, execute and communicate an event so your target audience has no other option then to remember it because, it will be unforgettable. This article provides us with 6 easy tips for utilizing public relations, which are very informative. For instance, these tips are listed below such as:

“1. Evaluate Your Event for a Strategic Fit: Events need to be consistent with the organization’s brand, meshing with business goals, objectives and outcomes. The event must match your company’s values and business priorities.

2. Secure Leadership Buy In: Identify key executive sponsors of the event and schedule briefings with them. “Be ready to demonstrate your event’s value to them with a business case,” says Gage Lofgren.

3. Pre-Plan and Promote the Heck Out of Your Event: Promote speakers ahead of time to your contacts through emails, blogs, and social media. Pitch to media in advance and amplify presence onsite through the display of artwork, demonstrations and videos. Have trained PR team member’s onsite to staff interviews and follow-up with media and stakeholders.

4. Make Events Interactive and Memorable: During conferences and meetings minimize the use of PowerPoint. Also, shake up the event with something unexpected (a surprise guest speaker or a flash mob gathering, for example). Build in unique activities and events that make your event stand out.

5. Extend the Event: Invite key journalists and bloggers and offer previews to a few select reporters. Facilitate an expert meet-and-greet to attract media PR and attendees. Create an event-specific mobile game for attendees and offer added-value items at the event.

6. Share Your Event Results: Offer event surveys to participants that are fun and interactive. Send a recap to all stakeholders sharing survey findings and other metrics. And be sure to highlight how PR contributed to the bottom line via your event (http://www.prnewsonline.com/water-cooler/2013/04/01/tis-the-season-6-tips-for-event-pr-success/)”

Next time I have to plan an event I will also focus on my public relation face-to-face skills, along with my use of social media to make my event also unforgettable.