Holding a Successful Press Conference
Holding a successful press conference can provide an efficient and powerful way for greater visibility for your organization. But for a press conference to be truly successful, a great deal of preparation and planning is required.
Tips for a Successful Press Conference
While many press conferences are held under urgent circumstances, some are planned months in advance. Regardless of the amount of time you have to prepare, these tips can help you achieve your goals.
Focus Your Message
The most important step in any media event is to know your target audience and the message you want to convey. You should work with your communication team and coaches to develop a compelling core message that tells your audience what you need them to know. A successful press conference requires a topic, an occasion, or an announcement that is of interest to the public and that the media would consider extremely newsworthy.
Prepare Your Speakers
Don’t go to the trouble of hosting a press conference if you’re not also going to prepare your speakers. They need to practice delivering their press statement, before attempting to handle difficult questions.
Alert the Media
Your press conference won’t accomplish much without the cooperation of the media. Reach out to the media contacts you have, and provide as much detail as possible about the press conference, including when and where it will be held, who will be speaking, and why. The day before the event, it’s wise to follow up with key media contacts by phone, to remind them. You may also want to schedule advance interviews with certain media outlets and select executives.
Scheduling the Press Conference
There are some circumstances (usually during a crisis) when you are unable to schedule your press conference ahead of time. However, when the event is planned, you will have the ability to choose the day and time. We recommend scheduling press conferences mid-morning (after 10 a.m. but before noon) on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. Choose a location that complements your message. For example, if you are announcing a new CEO, holding the press conference at your corporate headquarters might make sense. If you are donating a large sum to a charity, holding the press conference at the charity’s headquarters would be most logical.
Press Kit
A press kit is an essential takeaway for media professionals. It reiterates your press conference message while providing additional detail and contact information. Your press kit can be as simple as a one-page summation, or it may be something more extravagant. At the very least, include:
The names and titles of your speakers, along with a headshot and short bio of each
A fully-developed press release focused on the same core message from the press conference
A short description of each organization involved in the announcement
Contact information for those attendees who have additional questions
The more information you provide the media, the easier it will be for them to do your story justice. Bottom line: You need to make it easy for them to write a story.
The Day of the Event
A company representative should be available to greet media professionals as they arrive. This person should be responsible for introducing speakers, managing questions and answers, and drawing the conference to a close as expediently as possible. It is especially important to have a professional public relations representative manage the event, if the situation has the potential to become volatile, such as during a PR crisis.
The Room. Test equipment to make sure everything is working from a technology standpoint, ensure that there is adequate seating, and provide a place for photographers or camera people to position themselves. It’s customary to – and appreciated when –light snacks and drinks are provided.
Start on Time – and End on Time. Start as close to your appointed time as possible, even if all of the media you expected to be in attendance are not there.
Registration and Sign In. Knowing who attended is critical for your ability to follow up, develop further relationships, and monitor media stories arising from your press conference. Hand out your press kit as each sign in.
Press Conference Guidelines
Keep each speaker on point, and keep the entire event under an hour. We suggest hiring a videographer to record your press conference so that you can use the video on your own website or for media outlets that were unable to attend. It may also be useful for marketing purposes.
After the event, follow up with the invited media. Thank the members of the press who attended, and offer to provide more information or clarification if needed. For those who were unable to attend, consider whether or not you need to offer them the opportunity to speak individually with one of the press conference speakers.
A press conference is a formidable tool for gaining visibility for organizations of all sizes, but it does require planning and preparation to achieve success.