SKC Insights

With Covid-19 regulations easing up in the US, large-scale events and convention centers are back in action. Whether in-person or hybrid, trade shows, and conferences are great networking opportunities for companies to promote their brands and products. With thousands of attendees, most of whom are eager to see, look, feel, and experience, these events put you in touch with a plethora of potential customers, partners, and even investors. 

These conferences are a perfect way to showcase your product in the best light possible to a critical mass of like-minded people. With hundreds of companies fighting for the attention of the attendees, however, you must find a way to make your booth stand out from the rest. This can be with banners, offers of demonstrations, or even just photo opportunities. 

Here are 8 easy tips and tricks we found to help your booth stand out from the crowd.

“See you on Zoom!” How many times have you heard that since 2020? From work to school to social gatherings, our lives have shifted online ­– and so have many PR events. Zoom interviews, online webinars, virtual press conferences and more have largely replaced in-person activities, and this trend shows no sign of slowing down.

At SKC, we believe the advantages of going virtual outweigh the challenges. We’ve organized several online events over the last year, and now we’re letting you in on our secrets!

Here are 8 tips for planning a successful virtual press event:

You've followed all the steps to become a thought leader. You've planned your media event down to the smallest detail. Now, all of your hard work has paid off, and it's your turn to take the spotlight. You might be thinking, I'm ready, now I just need to connect with my audience. Whether you're talking one-on-one with a reporter, hosting a webinar, or giving a keynote speech at an industry event, what can you do to boost your confidence and wow everyone listening?

Here are 5 tips for connecting with your audience:

1. Tailor Your Message

"One size fits all" is nice in theory, but it's not very realistic. Before you publish that PowerPoint, understand what your audience is looking for. What information are they expecting you to provide? What are they hungry to learn? Should you use industry jargon or avoid it altogether? Tailor your messages, your tone, even your delivery style to fit each audience. Taking time to customize your presentation can mean the difference between making a connection and getting a cold reception.

Tradeshows are like marathons. They aren't for the faint of heart. The biggest ones, like CES, run for six days and are packed with early mornings, late dinners, bustling business exchanges, and constant industry buzz. Tradeshows are also popular, albeit noisy, forums for promoting your company, your successes, and your messages. But how can you make sure that your company is not swallowed up by the sea of vendors vying for mindshare and media attention?

Here are 5 ways to grab the CES media spotlight:

1. Be Prepared

While CES 2020 is almost upon us, there’s still time to uncover media opportunities -- from inclusion in tradeshow dailies to exclusive invitations to media events. Do your research on the myriad media and award opportunities for the show. Get your releases ready now so they can be pitched in advance. And now is the time to enlist the expertise of PR pros to refresh your message, update your media kits, and get your executives interview-ready.

Lights...camera...action! The research is done; the presentation complete; the audience assembled; now it's your turn to take the spotlight. You might be thinking, I'm ready, now I just need to connect with the audience. Whether you're talking one-on-one with a reporter, hosting a webinar, or giving a keynote speech at an industry event, what can you do to boost your confidence and wow your audience?

Here are 5 tips for connecting with your audience:

1. Custom Fit like a Glove

"One size fits all" is nice in theory, but it's not very realistic. Before you print that PowerPoint, understand what your audience is looking for. What information are they expecting you to provide? What are they hungry to learn? Should you use industry jargon or avoid it altogether? Tailor your messages, your tone, even your delivery style to fit each audience. Taking time to customize your presentation can mean the difference between making a connection and getting a cold reception.

So, you've decided to hold a media event: a press conference to launch a new product or service that will change the industry (or the world), celebrate a company milestone, merger, or a bi-centennial. Before you send out invitations to guests, especially your media guests, review your checklist and make sure not to miss these five steps. As a host, it is up to you to intrigue reporters to gain their attendance and potential media coverage.

Here are 5 steps to planning a media event:

1. Have a News Hook

You might have organized a well-planned event: you might be disclosing company news, or launching a new product, or providing breakthrough sessions at your conference. Believe it or not, these might not be enough to tempt busy reporters to come to your event. You'll need solid, relevant and timely news hooks. How will your company news or product shake up the industry? What value can you bring outside of what the media can read from your press release? Can your news resonate beyond the conference room and event hall? Be sure to highlight trends, unique aspects of your product or service and demonstrate how your news will transform and elevate these trends. Where there's a news hook - there's a story.