Look Outside Traditional Media for Event Publicity
Written by PR Etc., Inc.
Published by Rockford Register Star
Monday, November 22, 2004

You have a special event coming up; it might be a conference, or perhaps an annual festival. Most organizations look at the traditional media – radio, television, newspapers – to get the word out, but there are several additional options to gain visibility and publicity for your activity.

Determine whom you want to attract to your event. Is it children? Senior citizens? GenXer’s? Business people? Each demographic has a different avenue in which they receive information. Ensure your message hits the right people by identifying the appropriate medium in which to target them.

• Tourism/convention & visitors bureaus. These organizations are a powerhouse of information which include and share calendar listings for events and activities, and usually at no cost.
• Chambers of commerce. As a chamber member your organization can usually rent a member database to fax or mail out your event information.
• Sponsor newsletters. Work with your event sponsors to determine if they have a database, newsletter, and/or web site in which they can share information about your activity.
• Online event listings. Don’t disregard the Internet. In each community there are several online media that can list your information.

Be creative and think through the avenues in which you receive information and target those mediums.