How to Plan a Publicity Event

Five Tips to Stage a Glitch-Free Event

Dec 16, 2008 Mimi Hashemi

Skillful planning along with focused publicity efforts prior to your event can often determine its success.

Publicity events are one-time events centered around a specific purpose, such as a grand opening, fundraisers or groundbreaking ceremonies. They can also be created for other targeted purposes such as conventions, awards ceremonies, or contests. These five tips will help you to plan a successful publicity event.

Determine the Goal of Your Event

One of the most important keys to planning a successful publicity event is to determine your goal. First decide what you are trying to accomplish, and what your desired outcome is. Is your goal to create public awareness for your product or service, build a stronger reputation within your community or simply to introduce your company to the media and public? You’ll also want to decide what message you want to send. Is yours an innovative new company that supports environmental causes, or has your firm raised money to support a local charity? Is your goal to inform, educate or entertain?

Determine Your Event's Target Audience

For your publicity event to be effective, it needs to be delivered to the right audience. Targeting college students, for example, requires a different approach than targeting college faculty. It’s important to determine who will be interested in your event and to target your advertising to those groups. Knowing your goal will enable you to decide your audience. You don’t need to write down every group, just the most important. A new medical facility’s target audience might look something like this: “Our Target Audience will include hospital directors, local physicians, senior center directors, and public health services officials.” Make a detailed list with names of whom to contact.

Develop the Event Budget

Most companies today are facing not only limited resources but escalating prices as well. Carefully planning your publicity event expenses in advance will enable you to decide if the event is even feasible, and if the potential return on your investment is worth the expense. You’ll need to look at the costs of everything from table rentals to catering costs, speakers’ fees to audio-visual equipment. Use a comprehensive Event Budget Planner to keep you from going over budget.

Decide on Media Coverage for Your Event

If getting media coverage will benefit your event, pre-event publicity is essential. You’ll need to submit a press release well in advance. Press releases are an important element to a successful marketing strategy and one of the most cost-effective ways to build credibility. Decide how you want your event to be portrayed and include not only pertinent details on your event, but also an invitation to reports to attend. A press kit (or media kit as they’re often called) is your company’s resume. Have enough on hand with information on your company and your event.

Define Your Planning Timeline

An event planning timeline is important because it lets you make sure all the details and tasks to make the event successful are included. Small events can usually need a planning schedule of at least six to eight weeks, while. Larger events may need up to six months of planning. Planning events for larger corporations might require you to take into account any initial committee meetings to review the proposed event and budget details and decide on possible activities. Companies like Eventbrite offer free online event management services that can help you determine your timeline.

A successful publicity event requires planning and marketing. By following these tips, you can stay focused on your company’s goal and make best use of your time and money.

The copyright of the article How to Plan a Publicity Event in Marketing/PR is owned by Mimi Hashemi. Permission to republish How to Plan a Publicity Event in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Planning a Publicity Event