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PR Guide |
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Computers in Libraries 2001 Washington Hilton & Towers Washington, DC March 14-16, 2001 |
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March 2001 |
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Dear Public Relations Colleague: |
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Thank you for participating in
the upcoming Computers in Libraries 2001. This year’s event will be the
largest 100% pure communications solutions business trade show. Based on
location and interest, we expect the excitement surrounding the show to
attract hundreds of working media. This guide contains many
important details about public relations activities at the show. To help you
better target those journalists who will pre-register for the show, we have
asked them to specify areas of interest and their affiliations’ URLs. We hope
this information will be useful. Your public relations team is
always ready to help you in making this show a very successful event. Call us any time. Have a great
show! |
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Bob Miko |
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Director of Public Relations |
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Show |
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203-378-2803 |
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Table of Contents
(Clicking
on the diamond goes to the specific topic or returns here)
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Designing
Your PR Campaign for the show Establish Your Trade Show Publicity
Objectives First
and foremost, establish your campaign objectives. This show will be the
leading forum for publicizing new products and services, meeting with members
of the media to discuss your company's position, promoting new alliances and
announcing company restructuring. Determine your objectives and develop a
plan to reach them. |
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After
setting your objectives, decide which media you should target. Review
computer, trade and business publications to learn who covers your company's
beat. You may want to purchase an editorial directory or editorial contact
management software to develop a comprehensive list of reporters. Your
list of reporters should be continually updated. Establish a good working
relationship with them, and ensure they receive your press releases, are
familiar with your organization's top management, and promptly honor their
requests for more information or interviews. Find out how each reporter
prefers to be contacted (phone, fax, e-mail or postal mail). As we
post the show's pre-registered press lists to you, determine the press you
should target. Many reporters will register on site, so we will not have
these names prior to the show. It is usually inappropriate to send your news
to the entire press list. Most
reporters have specific beats. Please be sure to research the reporters and
publications on the list we send you. We have included the media's URLs to
make it easier for you to find out information, and have asked journalists to
include their specific beats, which should help you target them more
effectively. We
recommend you inform other reporters on your targeted media list about the
show and invite them to attend. Remember,
the working press is competitive. Journalists compete internally for space in
their publications, on the wire and for airtime and, now, for Web space. You
have to earn the journalist’s interest and support for your efforts. Journalists
have to become your advocates with their editors and employers. You cannot
influence all of them, not even all of them at one show. So select a list of
journalists that you can enlist to become your advocates and get to know
them. |
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The
Press Kit A
typical press kit contains press releases, a company profile, executive bios,
product photos, a business card, and even a diskette. Often, the typical
press kit contains too much information. With
100+ exhibitors at the show, a journalist would have to hire a caddie to cart
around the entire contents of every press kit. Reporters need to find the
"hard" news quickly and easily. It is imperative your press kits be
concise and include the most important information on top. The
foundation of a press kit is a well-written press release, which should
include the following:
Dateline
information. For example, a press announcement being released at the show
should read, "May 16, 2000, National Online Meeting, New York, NY."
We encourage the use of the the show dateline on your press releases. It
makes it easier for editors to identify the event, location, and timeframe of
your press release. The
most important information should be in the first paragraph. Ask
the following:
Make
sure that your press kit folder has your company name on the front. Place a
sticker on the kit with your booth number. Business
Wire and the Virtual Press Office will post Electronic Media Kits (EMKs) on
their Trade Show site (www.businesswire.com/tradeshow). These electronic media kits may contain
news releases, photos, graphics, audio, and more. The Business Wire Trade
Show Web site will be bookmarked and promoted to media prior to and during
the show in the Press Center. How
many press kits for the show and where to ship them? There
will be over 100 working press at the show. The press kit library will have
space for your kits. You will be able to restock the supply of press kits
through the show. We recommend 50 to 100 kits shipped (for the largest shows
we recommend up to 200, seldom more) to the show. You should have them
delivered to your booth and then bring them to the press center. Journalists
who pick up your kits in the press center are a prime goal. You should keep a
significant percentage of kits at your booth. And, most important, you should
have a handful in your briefcase to personally hand out to the working press.
The kits that you give out yourself are the ones that really count. |
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Show
Graphics and Dateline Show
logos, ads and other graphic files along with instructions on how to download
them are available on our Web site at http://www.pacificdialogue.com. (Go to the press registration page and
copy the logos at the top or bottom of the page...if you need directions on
how-to, call. Again, if you need help, call.) |
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Press
releases should be datelined with the show name. These
logos include images with the words "See Us at (show name)" that
you can display on your Web site, along with banners that can be used in your
press kits or other printed material. |
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Press
Releases Too
many press releases are pure advertising. Stick to the basics, remembering
the purpose of the press release is to present "news," not to
advertise. Journalists are not going to believe that your product is
"going to revolutionize the field." Keep
press releases to no more than one page in length. Journalists are always
pressed for time. You must get their attention quickly, or risk not getting
any at all. They want facts, not a short story. E-mail releases are a growing
trend, keep them short. Keep your press releases in a simple format, don’t
send them as attachments (what you can read on your machine will be computer
code on someone else’s, especially when they are on deadline). Do not
send large GIF files that will take forever to download. (Always be aware of
the size of the file you send. Some systems won't accept it, some won't
accept more than one attached file at a time. You can ask me what it felt
like to shut down the email system of Mecklermedia by sending out the press
list for Fall Internet World '97. The CIO at the time wanted to strangle me,
fortunately senior management thought it was funny). When
you are announcing a new product for the first time, include a white paper
detailing the product. This serves as a reference guide so journalists can
understand how it works. Always
provide a name, address, phone number, and e-mail address on all your press
materials. This will make it easier for journalists to get in contact with
you. Include
a bulleted fact sheet, especially, if you are announcing the release of a new
product:
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Send
press kits to those reporters and freelance writers who request them. It can
become very expensive for you to send press kits to every journalist on your
list! A press release can be compared to an "appetizer," while the
press kits are the "entree." Journalists may not be ready for the
main course in the beginning — they need to warm up to it. |
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Correspondence Never
call journalists to ask if they received your press release. Remember that
they receive dozens and one press release can be hard to distinguish from
another. You might send an e-mail reminder, but be ready to be tagged for
"spamming." Call only if there are errors in your press releases.
So far many reporters regard e-mails as friendly, phone calls as intrusive
and faxes as acts of war. |
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The
worst situation is a press conference without any press. Even if you've
called, faxed and e-mailed all pertinent information to your targeted media,
there is so much to see at the show that journalists will not have the time
to attend each and every conference. Remember
the following in deciding whether or not to hold a press conference:
If,
after reviewing the above criteria, you decide to hold a press conference,
remember:
Areas
will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. We cannot guarantee
exclusivity. Press conferences will be scheduled in overlapping times. Two
companies who want to hold press conferences first on Wednesday morning may
be scheduled "against" each other. Time
slots are 45 minutes in length. No
conferences will be scheduled during the keynote addresses Wednesday (9:00
a.m. - 10:00 a.m.), Thurssday (9:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.) and Friday (9:00 a.m.
- 10:00 a. m.). We
provide a schedule and overview of press conferences to the media, so when
reserving the room, please include a brief description as to the nature of
the announcement. Press
conferences should be used to break news. Please
note: There are a limited number of press conference areas available on a
first-come, first-served basis. We cannot guarantee area availability for the
time and date you request, and we reserve the right to change your press
conference area (if that happens, and it might, we will make sure the word
gets out about the shift). Although
we make every effort to inform journalists about your press conference, it is
your responsibility to ensure attendance. The
deadline for reserving press conference rooms for inclusion in the tip sheet
is Monday, January 17th. The tip sheet is sent to all pre-registered press. To
reserve a press conference room, please contact: |
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Bob Miko |
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(203) 378-2803 |
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Tips
for a Successful Press Conference
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We
provide press conference areas free of charge to exhibitors. Designated
areas are available for press conferences during the entirety of the show.
(Tuesday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.) Press conferences
will not be scheduled during keynote sessions. Rehearsal time is also
available, call for scheduling. |
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Banners
and Signage All
areas are decorated with show banners, including show logo on the podium.
These cannot be removed. Individual corporate signage is welcome. The signs
must be set up immediately before and taken down immediately after your press
conference. Freeman Decorating can make signs for your press conference.
Orders should be placed before the show (see Freeman contact information
below.) |
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Each
press conference area will be set with the front half of the room school room
style, and rear half in theater style (capacity varies with each room from 40
to 125 seats). Along the rear walls will be tables for press kit distribution
and catering. We will also provide a table immediately outside the room for
press registration. Additional
tables are available (i.e., for demonstrations) on request. For assistance in
room set-up and specific furniture requests, contact Freeman Decorating in
advance of the show. Order forms are in the Exhibitor Service Manual. Freeman
Decorating can accommodate most requests on site (but they need more than 10
minutes before a press conference starts). Be aware you are taking a chance
not only on timing, but also on supply. Much of Freeman's furniture and
equipment is brought in from outside warehouses and takes a business day to
arrive at the show. Contact
Freeman by May 4th for discount orders on decorating and furniture
reservations. |
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Contact: |
Exhibitor Services |
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Freeman Decorating |
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Catering Catering
is available from NY Hilton's house caterers. You must contact them directly
with your catering needs. Be aware of the limitations of these press
conference rooms and the need to be able to change the room from one company
to another. In the 50 minutes we allow for presentations, a full-course
dinner might seem like a good idea, but its execution in a press conference
room in the time allotted is not possible. |
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All food and beverage must be arranged through: |
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In the
Press Center located in the New York Hilton Hotel we have computers,
printers, copiers, fax machines, telephones and refreshments for the working
press. This area is reserved for registered press ONLY. We will have an area
just outside the Working Press Room for exhibitors and press to meet for
interviews in a "neutral" location, away from other reporters who
have to file stories on deadline. The Center contains a "library"
so exhibitors can present their press kits and other information directly to
the press. The press uses these kits for background information on your
company, to find a contact for interviews, product information, etc. Again,
access to the library is available to working press only. When you deliver
your kits to the Press Kit Library, staffers will place them alphabetically
in press kit bins. The Public Relations department strives to provide working
journalists with all the tools required to obtain, review and disseminate
news from the show. |
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The PressRoom and its facilities
are provided exclusively for the working press. This area is used by
journalists to review materials and write and file reports from the show. To
provide comfortable working conditions with a minimum of distractions,
exhibitors and other attendees are not permitted in this area. To assist the media in filing
stories from the show, we provide the following: |
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Telephones, Fax Machines, Copier. |
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Workstations with word-processing. |
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Dedicated T1 Internet access, and phone lines for dial-up access from laptops. |
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Located
in the Press Center is the Press Library. It is the resource for working
journalists to obtain exhibitors' press kits. They are arranged
alphabetically by company name. The
Library is limited to working press only. Be
prepared to bring 75+ kits to the show. Do not ship them to the Library.
Press kits should be delivered to your booth and carried to the Library
drop-off point (located at the entrance to The Press Kit Library.) Call
Center staffers will place your kits in the bins we provide. Deliver 50 kits
to the Library. Keep 25 at your booth for journalists who visit you there,
and keep some kits in reserve. Check with Press Kit Library staff regularly
to determine if you need to resupply your kits. |
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Exhibitors
may rent an entire facility outside the Exhibit Hall, either with us or in
another building or hotel to serve as a "nerve center" for media
relations, as a working press room, to hold press interviews, or to stage
product demos. If you
are setting up an independent press center, whether it's in your booth, the
Hall set aside for meeting rooms, another room in the Center or offsite at
your hotel, we need to know in advance about where your location will be for
show. Journalists will be caught up in the brisk pace of the show and need to
find your space without a hassle or coming back up to the PressCenter in
confusion. It would not look good for you if journalists miss appointments in
a large convention center because they cannot find where you are! |
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Message
boards for the exclusive use of exhibiting companies will be available inside
the Press Center. These
boards can be used to post information (no larger than 8 1/2" x
11") regarding press conferences, special events and for leaving
messages for journalists. They
are not intended for posting press releases. |
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Media
List The
list of pre-registered press for show will be posted on a bi-weekly basis
beginning Friday, December 31st. The final list will be sent on Thursday, May
12th. The
list will be posted as a tab-delimited text file for you to download www.pacificdialogue.com/teleast_plist.htm. This text file can then be imported into
the database or word processing program of your choice. There will be no hard
copy of this list available. (I have said that I would not fax one to my
mother if she was exhibiting, and as an alumna of ATT she took offense to the
suggestion that I would waste paper sending a fax). For
questions about the list, please contact: |
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Bob Miko |
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(203) 378-2803 |
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Press
Parties and Events Tip Sheets Immediately
prior to the opening of the show, a series of "Tip Sheets" will be
sent to all pre-registered press containing a complete listing of press
conferences, keynote addresses, special events, and highlights of new
products and services being introduced at the show. The
deadline for this information is Monday, May 8th. If you are planning a
special event (i.e., cocktail party, dinner, reception, etc.) and are
planning to invite the press, please notify Bob Miko (see contact information
below). In addition, make sure invitations are available in the Press Kit
Library — deliver these when you deliver your press kits. (See "Press
Kit Library" for additional information). Also, you can post invitations
on the message boards. To
ensure that we have your information for consideration, please send a brief
description (no more than 50 words) of your event or your new product to: |
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Bob Miko |
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(203) 378-2803 |
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Deadline for information is Monday, May 8th. |
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BusinessWire Business Wire and Virtual Press Office are
the official international media relations wire services for the show. All
news, photos, video, audio and spreadsheets issued via Business Wire will be
posted to the news site, available inside the Press Center and on the World
Wide Web, at www.tradeshownews.com. Show headlines will also be issued to
registered show journalists. (Business Wire's Trade Show and Conference News
Site now has its own URL, www.tradeshownews.com). Business Wire provides the following
services in advance of and during show: Exhibitor Previews - You will be contacted
directly by Business Wire, requesting a 100-word profile of your company
and/or products by e-mail. All profiles will be sent out over Business Wire's
Trade Show Global Circuit, high-tech trades and the IDG World Circuit at no
charge, one week prior to the show. News Dissemination Services - Business
Wire's news dissemination services will be available on site in the Press
Center to exhibitors at the show. News can be disseminated via fax, modem,
e-mail or the Internet. Business Wire will also offer special Trade Show
circuits to exhibitors should you want to issue releases, Electronic Media
Kit, video, audio or photos before, during and/or after the show. NEW SHOW PRODUCT INFO: Smart News Release - For a true multimedia
news release, you may include streaming video, streaming audio,
photos/graphics and/or spreadsheets with your news release. Smart News
Releases are posted to the BW/ show news site, with recaps e-mailed to
registered show journalists. The text releases are issued on BW's wire
circuits to media and posted to more than 700+ databases. PhotoWire - Business Wire is able to issue
photos alongside your news releases via the Associated Press photo network.
In addition, all photos are posted on the Business Wire Web site, linked to
your show news. Photos may be issued prior to or during the show. |
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For more information please contact: |
Jim Liebenau |
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Business Wire Trade Show Services |
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310-820-9473 |
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800-237-8212 |
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Virtual
Press Office Virtual
Press Office is the official on-line news service at the National Online
Meeting & IOLS 2000 - May 16 - 18 in New York, NY. Exhibitor press kits
(press releases, product and corporate backgrounders, photos, etc.) will be
made available on-line to enable the media to manage information
electronically. Exhibitors participating in the service will receive a post
show usage report identifying the media that reviewed their information. For
just $400, VPO will upload up to six documents on any length, link to your
home page, email press release headlines to the pre-registered media, archive
the press kit for one year and provide a post show usage report. To be
included in the show Virtual Press Office please contact the VPO sales team
on 973 783 7787 or sales@virtualpressoffice.com. |
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Media
Distribution Services Reach
the Media with PR Materials as Never Before! If you
need to reach the press in advance or during the show, May 16 - 18 in New York,
NY, you should take advantage of a special arrangement we've made with the
nation's largest public relations printing, media mailing and fax service -
Media Distribution Services. MDS has agreed to give a substantial discount
for new clients. MDS is headquartered in New York City and has service center
in major markets nationwide. Most
important, MDS has the most comprehensive media database in the country with
more than 200,000 contacts at more than 50,000 print and broadcast media in
North America, plus all daily newspapers worldwide. It's the only daily
updated database in the PR field. MDS
can print or assemble your news releases, press kits and other information
and disseminate them without delay to editors and program producers by name,
editorial beat and other critical targeting criteria. MDS also has Fast-Fax,
the premier "blast" fax service that allows you to send handfuls or
hundreds of faxes to the press simultaneously in minutes. MDS's
database also covers the U.S. Congress and its staffs, and the country's
leading security analysts. For further information, call MDS at 800-637-3282 |
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Fax: 212-714-9092. |
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mds.ny.cs@worldnet.att.net. |
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Luce
Press Clippings Luce
Press Clippings, one of the world's largest clipping services, will provide a
unique benefit to exhibitors. We have arranged for Luce to give you a
certificate worth $264 -- one month's reading fee. See us in the Press Room
to obtain the certificate and also discuss your current and potential needs
in media monitoring. Clipping service still is the most efficient means of
monitoring the media, including ALL daily newspapers and thousands of weekly
newspapers and consumer, business, trade and professional magazines and other
publications, as well as radio and TV stations. You can obtain clippings
about your company and products and also information about your competitors
and other subjects of interest to you. |
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Contact: |
Arnold Knepper |
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800-628-0376 |
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clip@lucepress.com |
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Exhibitors are eligible to receive a
special free offer from Press Access, the leading provider of information and
automation for public relations. They will receive a FREE, two-week
subscription to Press Files -- the only online source for in-depth editorial
information for PR. With Press Files, exhibitors will have
24-hour access to detailed profiles on thousands of editors, publications and
editorial calendar opportunities. Press Files provides inside information
including editors' beats, responsibilities, background, and working
preferences -- the kind of detail that makes PR efforts really pay off. This is a free trial of Press Files.
E-mail forms are available from Bob Miko or from Press Access |
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Contact: |
Brian Mahoney |
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617-350-3732 |
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bmahoney@pressaccess.com |
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The show offers a diverse array of
important promotional opportunities developed to assist you in maximizing
your exposure at the event. From print advertising, display banners and event
sponsorship, you have the opportunity to attract thousands of attendees to
your exhibit space and make a strong corporate statement about your value to
the industry. This is an unprecedented opportunity to reach thousands of
influential attendees. An abbreviated list of the sponsorship items follows:
For a complete events marketing kit or for
rates on various sponsorships, |
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Contact: |
Carol Nixon |
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609-654-6266 |
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If,
after reviewing the contents of this PR Guide, you find that you have
additional questions or need further information, please feel free to direct
your inquiries to any of the Public Relations contacts below. We look forward
to assisting you in your public relations efforts, and wish you the best of
luck. |
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Bob Miko |
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Director of Public Relations |
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203-378-2803 |
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BusinessWire
| Internet
Wire | Luce | MDS | Press
Access | TSNN | Virtual
Press Office