October 18, 2019
If you are new to the healthcare industry, one thing you realize very quickly is that there are a TON of industry events. From national tradeshows like HIMSS, to company user group forums, there seems to be a different conference taking place almost every day, which can make it a challenge for your event to stand out from the crowd.
When our clients host an event, they turn to Aria to break through the noise with a PR and media strategy designed to increase awareness of, and drive attendance to, their event. Whether the event is a new office opening, an expert panel or a full-blown three-day conference, there are some proven best practices healthcare IT companies can leverage to get the most PR value and media coverage for the event:
-
Establish a centralized theme for the event. Events that focus on timely or challenging issues are inherently more compelling to attendees, including the media, than product-focused events. If the event features a hodge-podge of topics, it makes it harder to promote, as people won’t be able to quickly identify what the conference is on and why it is valuable to attend. Also, be sure to create a hashtag that can easily be associated with your event so people can promote on social media before, during and after the event.
-
Diversify speakers at your event. Both attendees and the media will be interested in hearing from a wide range of speakers. Don’t only have executives from your company speak. Look to identify customers, prospects, partners and other leading voices from healthcare and other industries to participate. People always rather hear best practices from peers than a sales-pitch.
-
Engage speakers in the promotion of the event. The executives speaking at an event want to make sure people show up to hear them! When bringing speakers on board, make it easy for them to promote their participation by providing them with a templated media alert and social media posts they can leverage to easily share the news with their networks. Also, identify speakers, particularly end-users, who will be willing to speak to the media at the conference as that will be an attractive offer to the media and increase the chances a journalist will write a story that ties back to the event.
-
Develop a news strategy leading up to the event. If you don’t announce your event, people won’t know it is happening. Be sure to develop and share either a press release or media alert that highlights the key information and unique aspects of your event about three months in advance. Don’t forget to promote the announcement on social media, post it to your website, share it with the media and distribute on a press release wire. Hold major news related to the event, such as big-name keynote speakers, for release until a month or so before the event as that gives you another compelling way to drive attendance and generate media attention for the event.
-
Identify and invite select media to attend the show. When the event is in a reporter’s backyard, they are more likely to attend. Unfortunately, many publications don’t have the budget or resources to send reporters to smaller events across the country. Look for reporters who are local to where the event is being held and cover relevant topics that you can invite. Once you identify your target reporters, don’t forget to develop a personalized pitch and start outreach a month out from the event.
Looking to take your event to the next level? Reach out to info@ariamarketing.com to find out how we can generate media coverage and buzz around your event to support your PR and marketing goals.
