Are you looking for ways to connect with new clients and customers? One important approach to consider is experiential marketing. By giving people ways to actively engage with your brand, you tap into the emotional response that can build trust and loyalty.
Hosting an event is an easy way to offer your target audience those unforgettable experiences. The question is, how can you get people to attend your event?
It’s time to start thinking about crafting a press release for your event. To help, we’re going to provide an event press release example along with useful tips and tricks.
Read on for our guide on how to write a press release for your events.
When Should You Write Event Press Releases?
There are four key types of event press releases that businesses can take advantage of. These include:
- Press releases for upcoming closed events
- Press releases for closed events that have already occurred
- Press releases for upcoming open events
- Press releases for open events that have already occurred
The goal of writing a press release prior to an event is to spread awareness, even when that event is closed. You can use a press release for a closed event to invite the media or to take control of the narrative regarding your event in the public eye.
The goal of writing a press release after an event is also largely to take control of the narrative. You can inform the public about how the event went, what kind of turnout you saw, and what significant things occurred during that time.
Elements of a Special Event Press Release
Press releases fall into a territory between reporting and marketing. The goal is to convey the most important facts about your event while generating intrigue, and you don’t have a lot of time to do it. Adults are distracted every 47 seconds, which means that you may lose their attention before they’ve read the entire press release.
Let’s take a look at how to make your press release easy to read and how to get all of the most important information in front of the public.
The Five W’s
Press releases need to include the five W’s:
- Who
- What
- When
- Where
- Why
When you’re writing a press release for an event, the “who” includes your business or organization as well as any notable speakers, performers, or groups that will feature in your event lineup. The what should encompass the type of event that you’re holding, whether that’s a festival, a block party, or a press conference.
Sharing when and where your event is happening is simple. Getting to the heart of the “why” can be trickier. You need to concisely share the goal of your event and why it’s valuable to your community, industry, and anyone else who’s invited.
Basic Press Release Formatting
The format of your press release will go a long way toward conveying information in a concise and effective manner. You can break all properly crafted press releases into the following elements:
- Title: previewing what your press release is about
- Lead: summarizing the five W’s
- Body: elaborating on your lead with additional details and quotes
- Date of publishing: prompting a timely release
- Boilerplate: summarizing you and your business
- Contact information: address, email, and phone number of any relevant parties in your business
No matter the reason for your press release, you can always rely on this basic format.
Event Press Release Example
Now that we’ve broken down the basics of an event press release, it’s time to see those basics in action. You can use our event press release example as a template or as a loose guide as you craft your own. We’ll provide examples of press releases that are meant to be published before and after an event.
Before an Event
Contact Information:
Sarah Nolan
555-5555
For release March 15, 2023.
Title: “Small Marketing Biz Marches On in Efforts to Uplift Budding Entrepreneurs”
Mark Walters and Susan Jacobs are set to speak at Small Marketing Biz’s annual conference, Digital Marketing Today.
Small Marketing Biz is set to hold its annual digital marketing conference, Digital Marketing Today, at the Best Western on Main Street. This conference will be held on April 2, 2023, with doors opening at 4 PM.
The conference will feature keynote speakers such as Mark Walters and Susan Jacobs, both of whom have seen an over 50% increase in sales over the last year as trailblazers in the latest marketing trends. In total, 6 speakers will share industry information and Small Marketing Biz CEO Annie O’Hara will lead a hands-on digital marketing experience.
All proceeds will go toward Small Marketing Biz’s funding for budding entrepreneurs and startups.
This is a significant opportunity for new business owners to hear directly from today’s marketing experts,” says Annie O’Hara.
Attendees can register to attend at smallmarketingbiz.com or in person at Best Western on the day of.
After an Event
Contact Information:
Agatha Hertz
444-4444
For release April 5, 2023.
Title: Baby Animal Co’s Latest Adoption Fair Draws Hundreds of Guests and Famous Furry Friends
Baby Animal Co’s adoption fair drew record-breaking crowds in no small part thanks to an appearance from internet-famous Russell the Jack Russell and his brother Bear the Husky.
The fifth-annual adoption fair took place on March 31 in Little River Park. Over 500 attendees filled the park with over 50 leaving the festival with a new pet of their own.
In addition to skits put on by Russell and Bear, attendees also enjoyed local food and beer. All proceeds went to Baby Animal Co’s shelter and gift shop expansion, which they hope to complete this year thanks to the festival’s massive turnout.
“We couldn’t be more grateful for all of the animal enthusiasts who came out to support us and adopt our rescues,” said Agatha Hertz, founder and current owner of Baby Animal Co. “We’re a small business, so having all this support and the appearance of stars like Russell and Bear really makes a huge difference.”
Anyone interested in making a donation to Baby Animal Co.’s ongoing fundraiser can do so at their website, babyanimalrescue.co.
Additional Event Press Release Tips
Having a press release template for your event press release is a good start. However, it’s also important to know some key tips about event press releases that will help you to avoid common pitfalls. Let’s take a closer look at some useful event press release protocols.
Strategize Distribution
How you distribute your press release matters just as much as how you write it. Make sure that you send your press release to:
- Reporters that focus on niches that are relevant to your event
- Active publications with reason to publish your press release
Avoid the approach of sending your press release to every reporter working for a single publication or every publication in your region. This is an easy way to end up in the spam folder or create tension between you and the writers you want to spotlight your press release.
Avoid Flowery Language
You’ll notice in our templates that we avoided flowery or showy language. We didn’t say things like, “the most important conference of the year,” or describe the five W’s with strings of adverbs. The key is to stick to the facts and generate intrigue without burying those facts behind qualifiers and subjectivity.
While press releases are an important part of your marketing strategy, they aren’t advertisements. The goal is not to exaggerate or “sell” your event, but instead to inform the public about your event.
Include Quotes That Add Value
Selecting the right quote or quotes for your event press release can be daunting. Whom should you quote and what should those quotes add to your press release?
Always ask for quotes from someone whose opinion about the event is significant, such as the CEO of your business or one of your headlining speakers or performers.
While the rest of your press release should be straightforward, quotes are an opportunity to add a bit of that flair or “flowery” language that you should otherwise avoid. However, if a quote doesn’t generate more interest or add informational value to your press release, it isn’t the right choice.
Need Help Writing and Distributing Your Press Release?
Do you need to put together a press release for your event? We hope that our event press release example has given you the building blocks to get started on the right foot.
If you don’t have the time or expertise to write and distribute your press release, don’t worry. E-releases is here to help.
We are leading experts in public relations and have years of experience writing, distributing, and maximizing the outcome of press releases across industries. Contact us to find out more about how we can make your PR a success.