Do exhibition organizers really understand the difference between “marketing and public relations”? From my own experience, I often think not. Exhibition promotion always seems to have concentrated on telesales, direct mail and advertising, and issuing some standard, dry and unimaginative press releases. As a consequence, the importance of public relations has been underestimated.
Public relations must be developed as a strong element within the promotional mix; after all, the dictionary definition of public relations is “Forming a favorable public opinion of an organization.” Surely this is what all organizers strive to do, and without the basis of general opinion, the success of the fair will be much more difficult to achieve.
The traditional monthly press release, announcing increased space sales or broader media coverage; You can only hit show dates and space sales so many times before the press stops reading the press releases. Public relations is about understanding the target market, exhibitors and visitors, target media and their areas of interest, and knowing how to use exhibitors’ products or services to ‘sell’ a story to the press.
Strategy
To use public relations effectively, organizers must plan their integrated strategy well in advance. Public relations may be the responsibility of a dedicated internal department or, more commonly, of an external consultancy specializing in the relevant field or the exhibition industry as a whole.
Using a consultancy that knows the exhibits on both sides of the fence definitely has a positive advantage, as they can advise the organizer on the best way to extract exhibitor contributions (and trust me, this can be like pulling teeth! ) Not only does this save organizers the time it takes to chase down all their exhibitors for information, but it creates a feel-good factor with the exhibitors that the organizers are making the effort to promote with professional support.
PR activity should therefore be planned at least 10 months in advance, to allow time for the consultancy or internal team to develop a relationship with key exhibitors and publishers. This way, organizers are more likely to see appropriate articles written in the relevant press, rather than simply duplicate press releases. The whole PR exercise is about keeping prospective exhibitors and visitors informed, so why not produce a regular newsletter in the run up to a show? This can bring news about the exhibitors who have booked for the exhibitions; On many occasions, the sight of competitor attendance encourages other businesses to consider booking themselves.
Credibility
As an effective method of reaching the widest possible market of potential exhibitors and visitors, sponsorship by a leading body, key industry magazine or national newspaper is paramount. Association with such a body or magazine provides not only a greater readership of the event, but also a certain degree of caliber and increased credibility. This can also be seen as a focal point in other public relations activities, especially with surveys and joint resource promotions. Many magazines are also happy to run special features within their pages and point to their own databases.
Once you’ve established a good relationship with key press, they’re more likely to run a show preview, attend, and then check out what’s new on the show. In some cases, a special press day can be organized, where editors are housed in the halls and made to feel part of the event.
Characteristics
For exhibitions of an international nature, where foreign visitors are expected, an Internal Press Mission may be seen as vital to spreading news coverage around the world in advance of the event. A select group of editors from key foreign magazines may be invited to the UK at the organizer’s expense (often with the support of the DTI), to study the industry concerned and assess the position of the fair. This usually generates excellent reports in the foreign press, and very often includes a wide preview of the fair and the exhibiting companies.
During the exhibition, especially those of a larger size and consumer nature, daily statements must be issued to the national press from the press office. The press officer should also have been in contact with radio and television stations, and should have established opportunities for national or regional media coverage.
A daily news sheet will also update visitors and exhibitors on how the show is going, key products to view and special events taking place during the show.
Lacking
These elements seem to be missing from many shows, where a broader understanding of the show’s potential and the stories surrounding it is needed. I appreciate that some shows are there simply to showcase products on a low-key level, but I’m sure most organizers want their shows to grow and become ‘the event of the industry’.
Once the doors are closed and the breakdown is complete, PR must not cease. It is important to keep the journals up to date with event developments, visitor attendance and success stories. In this way you are already starting to sell the next event.
So back to my original question and my disappointing findings: “Do exhibition organizers really understand the difference between ‘marketing’ and ‘PR’? I’m sure many of you know what I’ve been talking about, but is it put into practice?” ?
What I’ve outlined here is second nature to a public relations professional, and it seems clear that public relations and marketing are not the same thing. Public relations is only one element of marketing. Therefore, I find it frustrating to see exhibition organizers miss out on so many opportunities; all you need is thought, imagination, extensive planning, and the right public relations team. So go out there and make the most of it; Don’t underestimate the power of public relations!
