Event Recap of November 15th, PR Tips from the Pros

Tribeca Three Sixty shared their spectacular venue with ISES on Tuesday November 15th for our program, New Year, New You: PR Tips From the Pros. Guests enjoyed a generous array of cheeses, spreads, roasted vegetables and passed hors d’oeuvres (baby lamb chops!) as the lights reflecting in the Hudson River. With anticipation building, the gorgeous vista reminded attendees that anything is possible in NYC.

Our panel of experts included Moderator, Jim Eber, Principal at Inner Monster; Lynn Hoppe, Director, 310 Communications; Heidi Krupp, CEO, Krupp Kommunications; and Joseph Panetta, Left of Center Consulting. Jim Eber kicked off the discussion by posing this question; “Why still events? In today’s Social Media world why are events still so relevant?” He believes people still feel the need touch and experience meeting and greeting personas; it is pivotal that your event’s objective and message are clear to the attendee in order to ensure their experience. Jim shared a 3000 year-old proverb to illustrate his finer point: “Tell them and they may forget; show them and they may remember; involve them and they will understand.”

Joseph Panetta agreed and added that, in the end, Public Relations is about storytelling. How does your story stack up against all the others? He explained that the average reporter receives 700 messages a day. How do you differentiate your story from all the others?

o Problem solve for the media, make their job easier.
o Don’t take “No” personally? Don’t confuse rapport with friendship.
o It’s about mirroring. Look at who is successful [in your industry]. What can you do, what can’t you do? What makes you unique?

The panelists emphasized not to lose sight of your event’s/client’s message. What is your target? To whom are you speaking? It is more important and ultimately more effective to target the right 1000 relevant people than 10,000 random ‘nobodies.’

Heidi Krupp and Lynn Hoppe recommended using the tools you have. Facebook and Twitter can help you connect with your market if used creatively.

o Always add value. Do more than just promote your events.
o Thought leadership is about putting what you do out there for critique. Have a position. Care about it.

So, how do you find the right publicist or agency for you? In a word: chemistry. And remember the old business adage: “Advertising is what you pay for. Good PR is what you pray for.”

However you decide to promote your events don’t forget to involve your audience, tell a great story and create a spectacular experience so that clients and press always remember who you are and will come back to you!

Special thanks to Sara Mulz and Tribeca Three Sixty; NY’s Best Photography and Staging Techniques for providing A/V services.

Contributed by Sue Phillips, President Scenterprises.