Holding a press conference is one of the fastest and efficient ways to get your message out to the public. Careful preparation is needed to ensure your story will be picked-up by the right group of media covering your industry. The following tips should guide you in organizing a successful press conference.

1. Newsworthy story – A significant story will entice the media to publish or air your story.

2. Time and location – If you want to land on the evening news or the next day’s paper, be aware of the media’s deadline and cut-off for filing of stories. Accessible location should be considered at all times as the media attends to a number of events in a single day.

3. Invitation and preparation – Reporters and editors are typically assigned to a particular news beat or area to cover. Get familiar with the assigned reporters and editors of media agencies. For presscon invites, utilize e-mail for the reporters and fax for the editors. Media invites should be sent out at least one week before your scheduled presscon. Make sure to follow up two days before the event.

Digital and hard copies of materials should be provided in a press kit to ensure accurate information.

4. Credible Resource Speakers – Identify resource speakers who can best present your story. It is wise to keep speakers at a minimum for a more focused and intimate discussion. Make sure to brief the speakers about the company’s key messages prior to the presscon.

5. The Conference Proper – Necessary logistical preparations should be observed and should be in order prior to a presscon. The following logistical tools should be inspected: sound system, parking, food, give-aways and program should be in order. Remember that reporters and writers attend press conferences because they find the story newsworthy, not because the publication space is paid – with this in mind, efforts should sbe exerted to make the media’s job easier.

A presscon should not run more than an hour. The moderator’s job is to keep the discussion informative and interesting by providing additional information apart from those already written in the press kit.

For sample press releases, log on to BrandSpeakAsia’s Press Release Section here