Attending a Conference? Send a Press Release

It feels like we’re finally climbing out of a dark cave and we're seeing the light again.

It feels different -- There’s wariness and excitement.

We're peeling back that veil of newness and getting used to seeing people face-to-face at conferences again.

If your company’s planning to exhibit and/or sponsor an upcoming conference, you want people to know.

This is where a press release can help.

In this blog post, we’ll cover:



• The benefits of sending a press release before a conference
• What to include in a conference press release
• How to amplify your press release using social media

The Benefits of Sending a Press Release Before a Conference

Sending a press release to share your presence at an upcoming conference is a must. Here’s why...

It’s a great way to cast a wider net.
‍Press release distribution  services give you the platform to promote your brand. This is possible because of the extensive distribution channels to help you reach a wide network of media publications. More opportunities to share your news can lead to greater brand awareness.

Shows and doesn’t tell your target audience you’re active in your industry.
You send a message that you're an industry leader when you share news that you're exhibiting and/or sponsoring a conference. This can help position your brand as a thought leader and boost your credibility in your industry.

It connects you with your peers.
If you’ve been to a conference, you know a lot of behind-the-scenes work goes into it. You don’t simply show up. You assemble your marketing assets, you prep your team on talking points, you decide on your networking strategy. There's a lot of moving pieces.

Giving your peers notice that you’re attending an event empowers them to connect in advance.

They can reach out before the conference and set up a private meeting time, or they can plan out their day to make sure they spend time at your table/booth to learn more about your offerings.

What to Include in a Conference Press Release

Now that we know some benefits of sending a press release before a conference, it’s time to nail down what to include in the press release.

Use the  inverted pyramid  to make sure you include the most important information:

WHO + WHAT
Clearly state your company name and the conference you’re attending in the headline and the first paragraph of the press release. Here’s an example:

‍ Headline
‍ACCESSWIRE Continues Strong Partnership with PRSA as Gold-Level Sponsor at this Year's Employee Communications Connect23 Conference

‍First paragraph
‍RALEIGH, NC / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2023 /  ACCESSWIRE , a newswire service standout that provides regional, national and global news to thousands of clients worldwide is proud to announce its gold-level sponsorship of this year's Public Relations Society of America's Employee Communications Connect23 Conference.

Build on this introduction by describing what the event is and focus on key aspects that’ll spark interest:

The theme of this year's event is Blurred Lines: Embracing the New Demands of "Mixternal" Communications.

WHEN + WHERE
Share specifics about the date and location of the event and more importantly, your table/booth number if you have one.

‍The conference, which welcomes communications professionals from around the country, will take place from Monday, May 1st through Wednesday, May 3rd at the World Center Marriott in Orlando, FL.

WHY
Answer the question, “So what?”

This provides the context of why you’re attending the conference and what you hope to get out of the experience.

‍As a gold-level sponsor and exhibitor at the event and an industry leader in press release distribution services, the ACCESSWIRE team will share its expertise and experience in helping companies, public and private, amplify their messaging above the noise of a crowded marketplace to connect with the media and their target audiences.

Once you’ve covered the five W’s, you’ll want to include a quote from a leader in your organization.

This quote should expand on your excitement about attending the conference, your goals while there, and create an added layer of interest for people to connect with your company.

"Communications professionals know all too well how confusing and difficult it can be to develop and execute a plan that turns their stories into earned media mentions. This is our sweet spot and we're thrilled to connect with attendees and talk about how we can help them unlock their potential to maximize their message and build brand awareness," said Jennifer Hammers, Executive Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Issuer Direct. "We continue to strengthen our relationship with PRSA and are proud to be an exhibitor and gold-level sponsor of this year's event."

Check out our full  press release  to see how these pieces came together.

PS: If you need help writing a press release of your own, check out our FREE  press release template .

How to Amplify Your Press Release Using Social Media

A conference press release will amplify your news, but if you want to turn up the volume on your announcement, post about it on social media.

While each social media network is valuable in its own right, when it comes to business announcements, make sure you share yours on LinkedIn.

Before you hit “Publish,” do some research:

• Does the conference or the conference sponsor have a LinkedIn page? If so, what’s the correct name? You’ll need this information when you tag them in your post.
• Does the conference have a branded hashtag? Take a look at the conference/conference sponsor LinkedIn page to see if they include a hashtag with their posts about the upcoming event.

Once you have that information, it’s time to put your post together.

The caption should be clear and to the point. You can include a link to your press release in the caption.

For our conference promotional posts, we include a link to a landing page where people can schedule private meetings with our team. When we do this, we typically include a link to the press release in the comments.

The imagery should be branded and include the name of the conference, the date and location AND if you’re exhibiting your table/booth number.

Here’s an example from our  LinkedIn page :