With summer upon us, I can’t help but feel nostalgic. This time of the year brings memories of my first trip to #NYC in 2013. I traveled with the #WaltCrew to host a three-day media event to brief 100+ analysts, bloggers and editors.
While a trip to go and experience NYC sounded like a lot of fun, it was also a lot of hard work. This was an extraordinary feat to accomplish and there were months of preparation to put together such an event.
Aside from the #PR skills needed for 1:1 media briefings, I found the following tips to be helpful to successfully pull off a multi-day media tour.
1. Pay Attention to Details: A lot of planning and coordinating goes into putting on a media tour. Offsite preparations can include finding and booking a venue, corresponding and scheduling 100+ media contacts, managing client needs for 10+ presentations and demos, and developing and distributing press materials. Onsite preparations can include managing incoming shipments of hundreds of boxes, building out displays, ordering catering, and coordinating transportation. There are so many moving parts, and it takes a detail-oriented team that efficiently communicates to make sure even the minor details are not missed.
2. Think on Your Toes: You can prepare as much as possible, but don’t expect everything to go as planned. Often, a scheduled delivery might not have arrived, demos may suddenly not work, and attendees might be early, late or need to reschedule their meetings altogether. Be flexible and ready to quickly think on your toes, make adjustments, find an alternative solution, and execute changes on the fly.
3. Fuel Yourself for the Long Haul: While fast paced, the days can be long with a full day to set-up, three days to staff meetings, and a day to break down. Don’t skip out on meals as you’ll need the energy to think, observe and engage with media as well as your team, client and third-party vendors. Stay hydrated and keep a healthy snack like trail mix in your pocket. This is a great opportunity to try the delicious local culinary dishes too. And, a professional but comfortable pair of shoes are a worthy investment to survive being on your feet all day.
These tips have helped me on many returning trips to NYC for media tours as well as other off-site tradeshows and events throughout my career.
