Marriott Wardman Park

Washington, DC

Thank you for participating in the upcoming CSI 2004. This year’s event will be the largest 100% pure computer security event. 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.

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.

Develop A Targeted Press List

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.

Increase Your Visibility Using Key Communications Tools

Press Releases — If you will have a significant news announcement or are demonstrating a new product, inform the media about it with a press release before the show. (Let us know so we can help publicize it as well). This allows reporters to plan on attending your press conference or product demonstration, and they may even cover your news in show previews.

Media Advisory — A brief, one-page "who, what, where, when, and why" about your show activities, is an effective last-minute reminder to the press.

Press Conferences - See below for detailed information.

Follow-up Press Release — After you've announced your key product, service or industry news, we encourage you to send out a press release during the show. Representatives of Business Wire will be on site to assist with wire service distribution.

Press Interviews or One-on-Ones — To meet with specific members of the press for informal one-on-one meetings, you can use the speaker/press room.

After the Show — Follow-up with the media you met by sending requested information or a simple thank you. Also, send information to the media whom you did not meet.

IMPORTANT: Contact the Media before the Show

To ensure that reporters are aware of your show activities, contact them before the event. Reaching reporters before the show increases your exposure, and makes it easier for the reporter to learn about your product, review your idea, and schedule an on-site meeting.

The Press Kit

A typical press kit contains press releases, a company profile, executive bios, product photos, a business card, and even a CD. 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:

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.

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.

Show Graphics and Dateline

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.

Tips From Journalists

Every publicist’s main objective is to help journalists cover and write about the products of your client/company. The goal is to convince journalists to be your advocate with their organization. Only they can fight their boss for air, space and ink. This comes with long-term relationships and real "news."

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:

Press Kits

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.

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.

Press Conferences

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 Tuesday (8:45 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.), Wednesday (9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m.) and Thursday (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 Tuesday, October 26th. The tip sheet is sent to all pre-registered press.

Tips for a Successful Press Conference

Press Conference Facilities

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.

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. GES can make signs for your press conference. Orders should be placed before the show (see GES contact information below.)

Area/Room Set-Up

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 GES in advance of the show. Order forms are in the Exhibitor Service Manual.

GES 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 GES's furniture and equipment is brought in from outside warehouses and takes a business day to arrive at the show.

Catering

The Press Center

In the Press Center located in the Santa Clara Convention Center we have telephones and refreshments for the working press. This area is reserved for registered press ONLY. We will have an area just outside the Working PressRoom 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.

Working Press Room

Press Kit Library

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 100+ 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.) PR 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.

Independent Press Centers

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!

Message Boards

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.

Media List

The list of pre-registered press for show will be posted on a bi-weekly basis beginning Friday, September 12th. The final list will be sent on Friday, November 5th.

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 Tuesday, November 2nd. 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.

Wire Service Distribution

BusinessWire

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.

Virtual Press Office

Virtual Press Office is the official on-line news service at the CSI 2004 - November 8 - 10 in Washington, DC. 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 $480, 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.

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, November 8 - 10 in Washington, DC, 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 Santa Clara 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.

Luce Press Clippings

The Next Generation of Internet Monitoring and Web Clipping for Public Relations, Marketing, and Competitive Intelligence CyberAlert 3.0 is a fully-automated Internet monitoring and Web clipping service that provides an effective, time-efficient and economical way to find and "clip" what is being said about a company or its products in Web publications, other Web sites and message boards, and Usenet news groups.

Clients specify key words or phrases and CyberAlert's proprietary technology automatically searches the Internet every day to find, "clip" and report new mentions of the client's key words. CyberAlert then delivers to each client a daily report containing only new citations found the previous 24 hours.

Press Access

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.

Event Marketing Opportunities

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: