For immediate release: how to snag media attention for your corporate event.

• Author: kinder, Peri
• Position: MEETING & EVENT: PLANNING GUIDE - Interview

It's going to be the event of the year. Your team has put blood, sweat and even some tears into every detail to make the event memorable and engaging. But nobody seems interested. You've blasted dozens of media releases into the black hole of cyberspace with no response.

Businesses hold all kinds of events, from ribbon cuttings and groundbreakings to full-scale user conferences and conventions. When promoting your event, how can you make it stand out in a world where the media is bombarded with stories, requests and updates 24 hours a day?

Jennifer Hurst, director of public relations for The Summit Group, has been in the PR industry since 1993. She has watched the industry evolve into a 24/7 news machine that must be constantly fed.

But one thing hasn't changed: Reporters are always looking for something unique, or a new story to tell. "You have to ask, 'What can I give that's a little bit different?' They want to provide content that is interesting," Hurst says. "The best way to describe it is to look at things through a different lens and see if that sparks something different."

Bring in a human interest angle

Look at your event from a variety of angles, perhaps finding a human interest aspect that will resonate with readers. Smaller events might offer one or two topics, but a larger event can create multiple opportunities.

Create occasions for the media to do exclusive interviews, or work side-by-side with a media contact to develop a story. Ask the media person their opinion for what would make your idea interesting enough to become a news story. "PR professionals rely on relationships. You need to have experience in the market and create connections with the media that have been built over time," says Hurst.

Connecting your event with a social cause is another way to get the media interested, as long as the partnership is genuine and not a blatant attention grab. Fundraising events for nonprofit organizations usually have a lot of human interest angles that can bring awareness to your happening.

"Everyone likes a good cause, as long as it's done authentically. You have to know your community and what's relevant to your market."

Amplify your results by asking employees to share event information on their social media pages. When the event is linked to a cause or a charity, employees are usually willing to promote activities, especially if it turns into a contest with prizes.

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