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PR Guide |
Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA March 5-7, 2001 |
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PR Guide |
Georgia World Congress Center Atlanta, GA March 5-7, 2001 |
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Welcome to online PR Guide for the TRAINING 2001 and Presentations. This has been emailed to the show contact database, but if you are a new exhibtor or did not otherwise receive this, please note the important information below and email your contact information to bmiko@pacificdialogue.com to make sure that you are included in all updates. |
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Bob |
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November 2000 |
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Dear Public Relations Colleague: |
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Thank you for participating in TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001. This year’s event will be the largest international event covering training and business presentations we've ever staged. 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 you will make use of this information in your public relations campaign for this event. The TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 public relations team is always ready to help you in making your presence known to the media at the Expo. Call or e-mail 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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TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 Conference & Expo |
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203-378-2803 |
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(Clicking on the diamond goes to the specific topic or returns here)
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Designing Your PR Campaign for TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 |
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Establish Your Trade Show Publicity Objectives |
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First and foremost, establish your campaign objectives. TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 Conference & Expo is the leading industry 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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Develop A Targeted Press List |
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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. We have an introductory deal with Press Access but there are other excellent listing services and most directories now come with CDs and online updates. I use MS-Word, MS-Access and a basic flat address book program named Day-to-Day. 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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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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Increase Your Visibility Using Key Communications Tools |
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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. Press Interviews or One-on-Ones — To meet with specific members of the press for informal one-on-one meetings, you can use the 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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 increases your exposure, and makes it easier for the reporter to learn about your product, review your idea, and schedule an on-site meeting. |
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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. Send pres kits to those reporters and freelance writers who request them. It becomes very expensive 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 -- they need to warm up to it.
With 450+ exhibitors at TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001, 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, "March 5, 2001, TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001, Atlanta, GA." We encourage the use of the TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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:
Is this "hard news" (breaking stories) or "soft news" (background or position statements)?
Is your news unique enough to warrant attention in the press?
What's your "hook?"
In the first two paragraphs do you tell the reporters who, what, where, when, how and why?
Is your news release objective? Based on facts and figures? Focused on one main idea?
Is it written in the third person, with opinions in quotes and sources identified?
Is your product ready? Are you pre-releasing information to build market awareness?
Is this beta or vaporware?
If you have statistics, have you devised a way to dramatize them?
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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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?
We expect that there will be over 100 working press at TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001. 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 that you bring 50 to 100 kits to the show. You should have them delivered to your booth and then bring 25 to the press center. You may check your supply daily to restock up to 25. Please note: these cannot be delivered directly to the Press Room. Having journalists pick up your kits in the press center is key, but 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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TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 Graphics and Dateline
TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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 of the page. If you need directions on how-to, call 203-378-2803 or email bmiko@pacificdialogue.com. The logos are also in the "exhibitor only" section of www.trainingconference.com. Again, if you need help, call.)Press releases should be datelined TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001.
These logos include images with the words "See Us at TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001" 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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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."
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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" unless you can prove it to them through factual information.
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.
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:
What the product is
When it was first released
What platforms it runs on (Windows 95, Windows NT, UNIX, and Macintosh)
How much it costs
Contact people for the press
URLs and other contact information for the general public (They may want to know more about your firm.)
Who will use your product?
What's the market?
What's the benefit?
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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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:
Is my company a category leader?
Is my announcement newsworthy?
Is there another way I can deliver my message?
If, after reviewing the above criteria, you decide to hold a press conference, remember:
Press conferences should be used to break news.
Areas will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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, which are scheduled for the following times: Monday (3/5) from 8:30 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 - 7:00 p.m; Tuesday (3/6) from 8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 - 6:00 p.m. and Wednesday (3/7) from 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p. m.).
TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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. TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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, 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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Director of Public Relations |
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TRAINING 2001 & Presentations 2001 Conference & Expo |
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(203) 378-2803 |
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Tips for a Successful Press Conference
News conferences must start and end on time (we'll make sure you end on time, so be prompt on starting).
Begin with a brief introduction of why you are holding the conference. Summarize your company background and products.
Introduce the executives at the conference, those who will be at your booth, and mention news sources on your Web site.
Call attention to your demonstration, handouts and seminars you are participating in.
Your principal news source should make an opening statement, do a demo and quickly open the floor to questions.
Know when to end. It is better to say "thank you" when there are people waiting to ask questions than to be the last one standing in an empty room.
Brief your presenters. Anticipate "difficult" questions. Through media training and rehearsed Q&A, be prepared with appropriate answers.
If you are releasing news at your conference, please provide a copy of the related release for distribution in the Press Center. Journalists who are too busy to attend will expect the information to be available in the Press Center.
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TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 provides a limited number of press conference areas free of charge to exhibitors.
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Banners and Signage
All areas are decorated with TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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, the office show decorator of TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 can make signs for your press conference. Orders should be placed before the show. Contact Freeman Decorating Company, Exhibitor Services, 1721 DeKalb Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30337, 404-377-0061, fax 404-377-2835.
All signage expenses incurred are the direct responsibility of the exhibitor hosting the press conference.
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Each press conference area will be set 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.
Catering
Catering is available from GWCC'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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Elizabeth Peebles, Catering Manager |
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Food Services Dept., |
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Georgia World Congress Center |
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phone: 404-223-4500 |
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fax: 404-223-4511 |
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You will be responsible for all catering expenses as well as setup and clean up (or any fees involved). Please note: if you will be planning catering for your press conference, you must inform conference management. Contact Elisa Perodin, 703-488-2804 or email eperodin@vnuexpo.com. |
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The Press Center
The Press Center Georgia World Congress Center area is reserved for registered press ONLY. This area is used by journalists to review materials, do interviews, write adn 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. The Center contains a "library" so exhibitors can present their press kits (up to 25) and other information directly to the press. (Please see the section above entitled "Press Kits" for more information on putting together effective press kits.) 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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 Public Relations department strives to provide working journalists with all the tools required to obtain, review and disseminate news from the show. The Press Room and its facilities are provided exclusively for the working press.
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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 will be posted on a bi-weekly basis beginning Friday, December 31st. The final list will be sent on Thursday, February 24th.
The list will be posted as a tab-delimited text file for you to download
www.pacificdialogue.com/tap2001_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.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 shows, a series of TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 "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 shows.
The deadline for this information is Monday, February 21st. 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, February 21st.
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BusinessWire
Business Wire and Virtual Press Office are the official international media relations wire services for TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001. All news, photos, video, audio and spreadsheets issued via Business Wire will be posted to the TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001:
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 shows.
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 shows.
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/ TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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
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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001, March 5 - 7 in Atlanta, GA, 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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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 at TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 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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TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 offers a diverse array of important promotional opportunities developed to assist you in maximizing your exposure at these events. 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:
Platinum and Gold Sponsorships
Learning Labs
Golf Challenge Title and Score Cards Sponships
PDEC (Projection And Display Education Center)
Banners
Tote Bag
Conference Breaks
Notepads
Show Directory Res. Guide
Room Locator
Inserts
Message Boards
Show Dailies
For a complete events marketing kit or for rates on various sponsorships, visit our web sites at www.trainingconference.com and www.presentations.com or
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Contact: |
Kevin Correll |
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Director of Corporate Partnerships |
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703-488-2775 |
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Kcorrell@vnuexpo.com |
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 TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001. Show Contacts listed below. We look forward to assisting you in your public relations efforts, and wish you the best of luck at TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001.
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Bob Miko |
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Director of Public Relations |
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TRAINING 2001 and Presentations 2001 |
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203-378-2803 |
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BusinessWire | Internet Wire | Luce | MDS | Press Access | TSNN | Virtual Press Office
