(clicking on the diamond goes to the specific topic or returns here)

Designing Your PR Campaign For HP World '99/ERP World '99

Establish Your Trade Show Publicity Objectives

First and foremost, establish your campaign objectives. HP World '99/ERP World '99 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 HP World '99/ERP World '99 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 HP World '99/ERP World '99 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 diskette. Often, the typical press kit contains too much information.

With 300+ exhibitors at HP World '99/ERP World '99, 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:

Contact name, phone number, e-mail address and booth number.

An attention-grabbing headline that will encourage the journalist to keep reading.

Dateline information. For example, a press announcement being released at the show should read, "August 16, 1999, HP World '99/ERP World '99, San Francisco, CA." We encourage the use of the HP World '99/ERP World '99 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 HP World '99/ERP World '99 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.

HP World '99/ERP World '99 Graphics and Dateline

HP World '99/ERP World '99 logos, ads and other graphic files along with instructions on how to download them are available on our Web site at http//www.interex.org or 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. The logos are also in the "exhibitor only" section of interex.org. Again, if you need help, call.)

Press releases should be datelined HP World '99/ERP World '99.

These logos include images with the words "See Us at HP World '99/ERP World '99" 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.

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 HP World '99/ERP World '99 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. HP World '99/ERP World '99 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 Monday (8:00-9:15 a.m.), Tuesday (11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.), and Wednesday (12:30-1:30 p.m.).

HP World '99/ERP World '99 provides 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. HP World '99/ERP World '99 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 HP World '99/ERP World '99 makes 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, August 9th. The tip sheet is sent to all pre-registered press.

To reserve a press conference room, please contact:

Tips for a Successful Press Conference

Press Conference Facilities

HP World '99/ERP World '99 provides press conference areas free of charge to HP World '99/ERP World '99 exhibitors.

Designated areas are available for press conferences during the entirety of HP World '99/ERP World '99. (Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Wednesday when the show closes at 4 p.m.) 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 HP World '99/ERP World '99 banners, including a HP World 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. Champion Expo can make signs for your press conference. Orders should be placed before the show (see Champion Expo contact information below.)

Area 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 Champion Expo in advance of the show. Order forms are in the Exhibitor Service Manual.

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

Contact Champion Expo by August 9th for decorating and furniture reservations.

Catering

Catering is available from Center's house caterer. 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 60 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.

The Press Center

The HP World '99/ERP World '99 Public Relations department strives to provide working journalists with all the tools required to obtain, review and disseminate news from the show. The HP World '99/ERP World '99 Press Center will be located in:

Working Press Room

The Press Room 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:

Press Kit Library

Located in the Press Center is the HP World '99/ERP World '99 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 plus 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.) Staffers will place your kits in the bins we provide. Deliver 75 kits to the Library. Keep 75 at your booth for journalists who visit you there, and keep 50 kits as a reserve. Check with Press Kit Library staff regularly to determine if you need to re-supply 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 HP World '99/ERP World '99. 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 Press Center 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 HP World '99/ERP World '99 will be posted on a bi-weekly basis beginning Friday, July 23rd. The final list will be sent on Thursday, August 12th.

For questions about the list, please contact:

Press Parties and Events Tip Sheets

Immediately prior to the opening of the show, a series of HP World '99/ERP World '99 "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, August 9th.

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:

Deadline for information is Monday, August 9th.

Wire Service Distribution

HP World '99 Virtual Press Office

Virtual Press Office is the official online news service at HPWorld - August 15-20 in San Francisco. Exhibitor press kits (press releases, product and corporate backgrounders, photos, etc.) will be made available online 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.

Media Distribution Services

Reach the Media with PR Materials as Never Before!

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.

Luce Press Clippings

Luce Press Clippings, one of the world's largest clipping services, will provide a unique benefit to HP World '99/ERP World '99 exhibitors. We have arranged for Luce to give you a certificate worth $264 -- one month's reading fee. See the Luce representative 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.

Press Access

Exhibitors at HP World '99/ERP World '99 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.

This is a free trial of Press Files. E-mail forms are available from Bob Miko or from Press Access

Event Marketing Opportunities

HP World '99/ERP World '99 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,

HP World '99/ERP World '99 Contacts

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 HP World '99/ERP World '99. Public Relations contacts below. We look forward to assisting you in your public relations efforts, and wish you the best of luck at HP World '99/ERP World '99.