www.intergeo.de Press guide
Foreword Dear Exhibitor, we look forward to welcoming you to INTERGEO in October. In recent years, trade fairs have adapted to suit the changing market requirements. They primarily serve as a source of information on new and optimised products for visitors and exhibitors. Trade fairs today provide an opportunity for market players to get the low-down on their competitors and find out how their own company is faring in the relevant target markets. The more care and effort you invest in your trade fair preparation, the greater the benefits will be. First and foremost, trade fairs train a bright spotlight on your industry and attract the attention of relevant media sources. That s why professional PR is just as important these days as traditional forms of advertising. Your best product or most brilliant service is worth nothing if potential customers never get to hear about it. The press team of INTERGEO is responsible for all aspects of trade fair communication. With a lead time of over a year, all the relevant media are provided with comprehensive information on the key topics and focal points of the trade fair. At the same time, we offer exhibitors a wide range of options for presenting their company and services to the public. It is, of course, also in your interest to reach out directly to media representatives and get them interested in your topics and products. Direct communication with the media early on in the run-up to the trade fair will undoubtedly draw the public s attention to your company and products. Remember it s never too early to start PR work. Any reluctance to do so on your part will simply benefit your competitors, who are well aware of the benefits of tapping into the potential of press work, which is no longer just the domain of large corporations. The size of a company has no bearing on the success of PR work! Many SMEs have already recognised that high-quality PR work can bring substantial benefits. This guide is designed to motivate you to start PR work for your company now and shows you how to do it. It explains the basics of successful PR work and provides useful tips on how to make your trade fair presentation even more professional. INTERGEO wishes you every success! 2
Basics Interacting with journalists Journalists are not your enemy nor are they your friend. In any dealings they have with you, they are simply doing their job. Be friendly and respectful at all times. Try to make their job as easy as possible by providing them with all the information they need for articles. Missing or partial information merely encourages journalists to do more research so you no longer have control over the situation. Always communicate openly and honestly. Continuity and quality win through in the end If PR work is to be successful, it must be an ongoing process. Supply key media with information on a regular basis. Establish and foster contact with media representatives. Plan e.g. annual visits to editorial offices and talk to important journalists on the phone regularly. Take a professional approach to PR work. Sloppily produced press releases or inaccurate information are counterproductive, whereas good press releases always have a chance of being published. Never use advertising statements, hyperbole or superlatives and do not overburden an editor with too much information. One PR contact Task one person in your company with responsibility for coordinating PR activities and to act as the sole contact for journalists. PR work demands sensitivity and tact. It is not a job for staff in sales or advertising departments. Ideally, PR work should be rooted in the management team. In-depth knowledge vs. superficial blah blah A press officer is only as good as the information he receives from the company. In-depth knowledge is crucial, particularly when working with specialist journalists. Give your press officer access to all important management meetings. He needs to be familiar with not only the company s products but also its long-term strategies. Journalists expect to deal with a professional partner who can provide accurate and meaningful answers. They will notice immediately if the PR officer is not professionally competent and will not actively seek contact. Different media need to be addressed in different ways Germany has a very varied media landscape. Every medium examines information from a different perspective: Trade magazines are highly specialised and are used to impart knowledge and share information. Readers of trade magazines will potentially use your products and visit your trade fair stand. Business journalists use trade fairs primarily as a barometer for industry developments. The business press will be interested in your company if your trade fair offering reflects current market developments or has a lasting impact on them. Radio and television appeal to a wider audience. You have to take a broad range of interests into account when selecting topics for publication. With specialist trade fairs in particular, public interest may be very limited if you have nothing spectacular or exemplary to offer. Local editors are interested in the local economy, so your trade fair participation may certainly be of interest. Online media offer excellent opportunities for publishing your latest news across a range of media aimed at particular target groups. Industry portals, information services and independent online magazines serve as a platform for advertisements, banners and Ad- Words to raise your company s profile. Video platforms As exemplified by Youtube, Facebook and Instagram, no other medium taps into emotions in the same way as moving images. Use the versatility of video communication to get your messages across and reach the right target group in next to no time video content spreads up to three times faster than text-based news. 3
PR work during the fair Trade fairs and conferences provide journalists with excellent and productive opportunities to talk to exhibitors about new products, new processes and industry trends. Invite relevant journalists to visit your stand. Make sure you invite them well in advance and, if possible, arrange an appointment. Prepare a press folder containing information on your company, your innovations and any further developments. Use all the relevant tools offered by the organiser. HINTE eservices INTERGEO provides a comprehensive range of images and information for journalists on our dedicated trade fair websites. As an exhibitor, you have the opportunity to present your company, products, services, press releases and any other company-related information, e.g. vacancies, online. You can log on to our eservices, upload any relevant information and make it available to the public and journalists. Experience shows that the media makes extensive use of this service. Press info trays During the fair, journalists and media representatives have access to a press centre, which provides them with a place to work and gives them access to extensive information on the fair and exhibitors from a single source. Information is made available via press info trays, which exhibitors can use for a fee of 50 / free of charge. Please use these trays and place your press releases here. We strongly advise against the placement of advertising materials. The trays are labelled alphabetically by company name. Make sure you take advantage of this opportunity! Video INTERGEO was quick to grasp the importance of video communication and offers a range of formats for its trade fairs through Studio B.60. These include image videos, live media reporting, interviews, news talks and many other formats. As exhibitors are given the usage rights for the material, you are free to use the clips online or for your own promotional campaigns. Print media INTERGEO produces a selection of attractive print products for its trade fairs. These are geared towards exhibitors and visitors alike and provide comprehensive information on the trade fair, industry and exhibitors. The print portfolio provides a high-quality platform for placing messages and presenting your company and products 2.0 service (social networks) Millions of people use social networks such as Facebook, YouTube, Xing and Twitter for communicating, finding information and discussing a wide range of topics. Many companies have also recognised the benefits they offer for making contact with potential customers and employees, establishing new contacts and fostering existing ones. You, too, can spread your messages via social networks at the fair and take advantage of the benefits offered by this modern form of communication. The press team of INTERGEO would be happy to help. Online press service If you haven t already done so, why not set up your own press area on your website? Especially in the run-up to a trade fair, it pays dividends to provide links to the corresponding event website and draw attention to your participation. INTERGEO operates dedicated websites for its trade fairs. As an exhibitor, you can use our eservices to publish press releases and information on your company and its innovations in a prominent location as a useful addition to your own website. 4
Tool kit Why not put together a customised tool kit for your company s PR work? Press mailing list Research trade magazines and newspapers for whom your details may be of interest and create a press mailing list. Categorise your contacts by target group, e.g. trade press, mainstream press, business press or radio/tv. Business and professional organisations and chambers of industry and commerce can also help you draw up lists of editorial offices. Make sure you keep your mailing lists up-to-date. Press service Press agencies such as dpa and dapd and a wealth of industry information services, portals and online newsletters offer another way of distributing press releases among specific target groups in line with your requirements. You usually have to pay a fee to use these services. Press folder If you want to supply journalists with several press releases, it is a good idea to put together a printed press folder containing information on trade fair innovations, a photo CD and a company profile providing an overview of key business data. If the press folder is being distributed at press conferences, it is advisable to add a list of speakers with their surnames, first names, titles and positions and a printout of their speeches. At international trade fairs, you should publish your press folder in several languages, at least in English. If you have a press area on your website, make reference to it in your press folder. Press releases Press releases are one of the main ways of furnishing specific target groups with information. They must always contain information on a topical or special event or new product/service. Basic rules: Keep it short, write professionally and in the third person Start with the most important information first. Focus on five key questions: who, what, when, how and why Avoid advertising statements and superlatives Include a heading highlighting the press release s key message For international resonance, have your press released translated professionally Formal structure: Entitle the text Press release Add a mailing date and contact details for any enquiries Try to limit the information to one page Structure the text using paragraphs Do not underline or use italics or any other form of emphasis Supplement the text with a photo or provide information on where an appropriate photo can be found Send your press texts and images by e-mail in Rich Text Format (RTF). This ensures that your press release can be opened and edited by every recipient. Press conferences A press conference gives you the opportunity to meet journalists face-toface, establish and foster contacts and ensure your company makes a lasting impression. But remember that editors are often pushed for time particularly during the fair. Press clipping service Many companies use clipping services to obtain complete documentation of press coverage relating to their company. These service providers use key words to search the media for news about your company. If you want to use such a service (at a charge), make sure you send them your press release and mailing list so they know which publications they should concentrate on. Trade fair follow-up work Don t take your eye off the ball as the fair draws to a close. This is another opportunity to make a lasting impression. Draw up your own press release summarising events at the fair and send it to the contacts on your mailing list. You are welcome to use the figures and detailed information provided in the final report of INTERGEO. Monitoring success It is very difficult to measure the success of PR work, particularly in the beginning. PR work requires patience. 5
Checklist 12 months before the fair Research or update your press mailing list Alternative: Get quotations from press services Appoint a press officer Alternative: Commission a PR agency or PR office 6 months before the fair Compile initial information for the trade press Draw up a catalogue of PR measures Follow-up Document press releases (commission a clipping service provider) Follow up enquiries and requests Send the press folder to journalists you didn t meet during the fair Send out the final report on your trade fair participation Send thank-you notes to journalists and business partners for productive meetings during the fair 3 months before the fair Hold a press conference if you have any relevant information Inform the trade press of any product innovations with a view to media coverage in the run-up to the trade fair If you want to hold a press conference during the fair, check with the press team of INTERGEO to arrange a date and time Order a press info tray in the press centre via eservices Provide the press team of INTERGEO with the name of your press officer Provide the press team of INTERGEO with the name of your press officer Take professional press photos of your exhibits 4 weeks before the fair Arrange to meet trade and business journalists during the fair Send out invitations to your press conference to be held during the fair, if applicable 2 weeks before the fair Inform regional and local media of your trade fair participation Finalise your press folders, press releases, press info trays, etc. Inform the press team of INTERGEO of any visually appealing motifs for the photo tour the day before the trade fair opens Your PR-Contact During the fair Inform the press team of HINTE Expo & Conference of any special features of your trade fair participation for daily publications and selected PR work Communication Assistant Stefanie Wegers Phone: +49 (0)721 93133-760 E-Mail: swegers@hinte-messe.de 6