The Complete Guide to a Successful Media Event

Media events have become big and elaborate in the recent past. So have been the planning and execution. The preparation for many of these events starts at least a year in advance.  Event management companies creating hype around the event, manage to capture the imagination of the people.  After all, if it is going to grab eyeballs and get higher trp ratings or increase circulation the media wouldn’t miss it.

General Advice for an Outstanding Media Event Management

Media events have become big and elaborate in the recent past. So have been the planning and execution. The preparation for many of these events starts at least a year in advance.  Event management companies creating hype around the event, manage to capture the imagination of the people.  After all, if it is going to grab eyeballs and get higher trp ratings or increase circulation the media wouldn’t miss it.

Here’s some sage advice for those who want to know about  media event management:

Depending on the magnitude of the impact you have to start your preparations by setting your goals. After you are clear about the purpose then start thinking about who should attend it and the venue of your event.

Budgeting is the most important of all because almost all event mangers are conscious of their costs. Refer to similar events in the recent past and gather intelligence.

Decide the number of people you are going to invite. There also should be a theme to your event. This is to strike a chord with the audience.

Decide the location. If for instance it is going to be a beauty pageant then a suitable place has to be selected to host the event. Also ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in place to support the event.

While selecting a date keep in mind the attendees and the nature of the event. The speakers and panelists at the event should add value to the event and hence draw up a list of probable speakers and check for their availability on the given date.

Once the speakers and panelists have been finalized then  plan for some entertainment. The duration of the event has to be carefully planned as the attendees’ should not loose interest. Book accommodation for the attendees at least three to four months in advance depending on the city and season.

Building a website for the event helps in many ways. Some media event management companies aid free flow of information between the probable attendees well in advance. This helps spread word about the event by word of mouth.

Email marketing and social media are the most reliable marketing means for media events. Paid advertising and blogs being part of any effective marketing strategy for media events making liberal use of them makes sense.  YouTube being the third most sought after social media after Facebook and Twitter cannot be ignored. A promotional video adds fizz to a marketing campaign. Hence invest in one.

Having the necessary permits,licenses and insurance is something that you cannot overlook. Put in place  fool-proof security plans.

Do not forget to check your audio/video equipment just before the event. Last minute checks on the catering and vendors is something you should not forget. Don’t forget to have a rain plan.

Conclusion:

The information presented in this article applies to any media event and it would be helpful if you bear these in mind while getting your act together.

Planning for Media Events: Tips to get the maximum Bang for your Buck

Be it a red carpet or a news conference or an anniversary or just a speech, whatever it might center, a media event is essentially an act to garner publicity.  You need to make the best possible use of your resources including time. Here is some info on contemporary practices. 

Using the Press

Whether it is local or national ensure that your press invite doesn’t go out too early or too late. 3 or 4 days prior to the event is ideal. Ensure that you give clear instructions on the location of the event. Follow up with the editors to ensure that they have received the invite. Hand out press kits with information of your company as it will come in handy for them to write articles.

Entice the Media

The media is looking for a scoop. A bait could take the form of organizing a small protest like the way some film producers do or enticing the media with the promise of juicy news or using a celebrity to launch your   event.

Hotel Rooms and Venue

If you are going to invite guests from far you need to book their stay in a hotel a few weeks in advance for the last thing you want is fully booked hotels on the day of your event. Decide a venue to suit your budget and audience. It could be a hotel or even a stadium.

Social Media

You can use social media to target the marketing strategy for your event efficiently. Facebook and Twitter consume much of the social media space. No effective strategy is possible without them. It is not all that easy as it seems and needs professional help.

Crowd Management: Set in place a proper plan to make the best use of available space as the reporters are going to bring their paraphernelia. Don’t make it crowded or make the media wait for too long.

Visual Effects

This is of utmost importance as seeing is believing. For instance, if it is the product launch of a company ensure that the visuals capture the brand name and what it stands for. They will ultimately reach the company’s potential customers.

Have a Media Help Desk

If the reporters are going to have questions then there needs to be a person to clarify them. Include this phone number in your press kit to make it easier for them.

Here’s one more tip: You can use Google Docs to plan your event as it lets you share info with others in real time. Evernote and wunderlist are two more options you could use.

Post Event Follow-up

First of all check if the reporters got what they were looking for. If some of them missed it send them Photographs and videos of the event with details. Last of all, keep a track of the media reports and collect them. Build your own media contacts and stay in touch.

Conclusion: A media event gives a lot of positive coverage to the organizers. So it has to be planned not just by a single person. Take help from wherever you can. Use technology to reduce your burden and take the counsel of those who had done it previously. 

Media Event Budgeting Simplified

There are quite a few things that you need to keep in mind while preparing a budget for your media event. Here is a How-to guide for media event budgeting.

First of all draw up a simple table to keep track of your estimated expenses and actual expenses. It can look something similar to this:

So what exactly are all the items that are going to be involved? Here’s the breakdown:

The venue is going to cost you for the rent, audio/video,wi-fi,power supply and seating arrangements. There is also the cost of decorations. The lighting, projectors and stage equipment are other items which are going to take up space in your budgetary allocations.

The Speakers, performers and musicians apart from the associated rentals should also find space in your Budget.

All venues have in-house Audio/video providers which are cheaper and cost-effective . In case you are not sure about how to choose an external provider then you can settle for an in-house service. But keep in mind that the in-house option may not be as good as an external one. Most venues don’t insist on using their in-house audio/video services while some do. So make your choice clear before signing the contract.

Equipment is rented out on a day/week rate. A day is usually 10hrs while a week is at least 3 days.

Talking of marketing… what is the estimation for the email marketing and social media campaign? This is best left to a professional. Radio, Television and print media marketing costs are easier to estimate. The promo video should also find place in your budget.

A rainy day fund is usually 15-18% of the budgeted expense. Factor in the worst case scenario such as a cancellation and how much it is going to cost you.

Use spreadsheet like google docs which allow multiple users to view and update information in real-time.

The logistics includes the event insurance, venue insurance and permits.

Media kits and mobile app are also part of your budget and you should set aside funds for their planning and development.  Issue of id’s to attendees and their registration costs need to be estimated.

If you are planning some entertainment for your guests then the cost of the performers, musicians, their rentals and transport should also take up budgetary space. They need to be provided food and accommodation if you are bringing them from elsewhere.

The decorations are going to include the signs and signages. Also allot some money for additional decorative items.

While deciding the costs of the venue do not forget to include wi-fi, housekeeping , clean-up and security. The additional chairs and seating arrangements are also something that you should not forget.

Whatever effort you may have put into your planning, there will still be changes during implementation which need to be communicated to all stakeholders.

Conclusion

The article here covers almost all the costs that you will incur while planning a stress free media event. If you can keep this planning resource in mind while planning your next media event you could very well be on your way to hosting the most memorable event of the year.