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PR Guide |
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Telecom Business '99 |
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Jacob K. Javits Convention Center |
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New York, NY |
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August 23-25, 1999 |
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PR Guide |
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Telecom Business '99 |
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Jacob K. Javits Convention Center |
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New York, NY |
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August 23-25, 1999 |
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July 1999 |
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Dear Public Relations Colleague: |
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Thank you for participating in Telecom Business '99. This third year event will be the largest 100% pure telecommunications 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. Telecom Business '99 New York public relations team is always ready to help you in making Telecom Business '99 New York a 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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Telecom Business '99 New York |
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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 Telecom Business '99
Establish Your Trade Show Publicity Objectives
First and foremost, establish your campaign objectives. Telecom Business '99 New York 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 asked journalists to include their specific beats which should help you target them more effectively.
We recommend that you inform other reporters on your targeted media list about Telecom Business '99 New York and invite them to attend.
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 Telecom Business '99 New York 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 times, the typical press kit contains too much information.
With 250+ exhibitors at Telecom Business '99 New York, 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 23, 1999, Telecom Business '99, New York, NY." We encourage the use of the Telecom Business '99 New York dateline on your press releases. It makes it easier for editors to identify the event, location and time frame 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 Telecom Business '99 New York 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.
Telecom Business '99 New York Graphics and Dateline
Telecom Business '99 New York logos, ads and other graphic files along with instructions on how to download them are available on our Web site at http://www.telecombusiness.com 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 telecombusiness.com. Again, if you need help, call.)
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Press releases should be datelined Telecom Business '99 New York.
These logos include images with the words "See Us at Telecom Business '99 New York" 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."
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:
What the product is
When it was first released
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?
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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.
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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 Telecom Business '99 New York 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.
Rooms will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. Telecom Business '99 New York 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 (1:00-4:50 p.m.)and Tuesday (9:50 a.m. - 10:45 a.m.).
Telecom Business '99 New York 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 rooms available on a first-come, first-served basis. Telecom Business '99 New York cannot guarantee room availability for the time and date you request, and we reserve the right to change your press conference room (if that happens, and it might, we will make sure the word gets out about the shift).
Although Telecom Business '99 New York 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 16th. 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
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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Telecom Business '99 New York provides press conference rooms free of charge to Telecom Business '99 New York exhibitors.
The rooms are available for press conferences during the entirety of Telecom Business '99 New York. (Monday through Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Wednesday when the show closes at 2 p.m.) Press conferences will not be scheduled during keynote sessions. Rehearsal time is also available, call for scheduling.
Banners and Signage
All rooms are decorated with Telecom Business '99 New York banners, including a Telecom Business 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 room 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 that 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 Decorating by August 19th for decorating and furniture reservations.
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Contact: |
Exhibitor Services |
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Freeman Decorating Co. |
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T: 781-380-7550 |
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F: 781-380-7550 |
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URL: www.freemanco.com |
Catering
Catering is available from New York Center's house caterer. All arrangements must be made with them directly. 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.
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All food and beverage must be arranged through:. |
Carroll Tavella |
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Sales Manager, Service America |
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T: 212-216-2400 |
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F: 212-216-2495 |
The Press Center
The Telecom Business '99 New York Public Relations department strives to provide working journalists with all the tools required to obtain, review and disseminate news from the show. The Telecom Business '99 New York Press Center will be located in Room 1E06 of the Javits Center
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Room 1E06 |
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Jacob K. Javits Convention Center |
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:
Telephones, Fax Machines, Copier.
Workstations with word-processing.
Dedicated T1 Internet access, and phone lines for dial-up access from laptops.
Press Kit Library
Located in the Press Center is the Telecom Business '99 New York 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.) Telecom Business 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 resupply your kits.
Independent Press Centers
Exhibitors may rent an entire room outside the Meeting Rooms Hall to serve as a "nerve center" for media relations, working pressroom, to hold press interviews and staging 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 Javits Convention Center or offsite at your hotel we need to know in advance about where your location will be for Telecom Business '99 New York. 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 can not 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 Telecom Business '99 New York will be posted on a bi-weekly basis beginning Friday, July 30th. The final list will be sent on Wednesday, Augsut 20th.
The list will be posted as a tab-delimited text file for you to download at www.pacificdialogue.com. 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 show, a series of Telecom Business '99 New York "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 Wednesday, August 18th.
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 that 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, August 16th.
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Business Wire and Virtual Press Office are the official international media relations wire services for Telecom Business '99 New York. All news, photos, video, audio and spreadsheets issued via Business Wire will be posted to the Telecom Business '99 New York 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).
As a service to exhibitors during the show, Business Wire will be located in the Press Center. Business Wire provides the following services in advance of and during Telecom Business '99 New York:
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/Telecom Business '99 New York 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 650+ 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.
Internet Services - Business Wire will be available to demonstrate the broad range of Internet services they provide, and reporters will have full access to "Today's News On The Net" and "Trade Show News on the Net" to check for show-related news.
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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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Telecom Business Virtual Press Office
Virtual Press Office
is the official online news service at Telecom Business - August 23-25 in New York. 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.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 Telecom Business Virtual Press Office please contact the VPO sales team on +1 973 783 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 Telecom Business '99, August 23 -25, 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.
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For further information, call MDS |
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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www.mdsconnect.com |
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www.prplace.com |
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Luce Press Clippings
Luce Press Clippings, one of the world's largest clipping services, will provide a unique benefit to Telecom Business '99 New York 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.
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Exhibitors at Telecom Business '99 New York 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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617-350-3719 |
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Telecom Business '99 New York 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 follow:
Aisle Sign Logo
Attendee Hand-out
Attendee Registration Bags
Badge Inserts
Conference Bag Insert
Conference Bag Logo Sponsorship
Final Program and Exhibits Guide
International Business Center
Telecom Business '99 New York Café Sponsor
Telecom Business '99 New York Exhibitor Listing Page
Telecom Business '99 New York World Page
Telecom Business '99 New York Logo Link
Lobby Banners
Press Bag Insert
Press Center Sponsor
For a complete events marketing kit, rates or availability on various sponsorships,
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Contact: |
Shelly Lamb |
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(713) 974-5252 |
Telecom Business '99 New York 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 Telecom Business '99 New York. Public Relations contacts below. We look forward to assisting you in your public relations efforts, and wish you the best of luck at Telecom Business '99 New York.
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Bob Miko |
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Director of Public Relations |
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Telecom Business '99 New York |
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(203) 378-2803 |
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Al Kaff |
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News Director |
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Telecom Business '99 New York |
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203-259-3324 |
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