By Martha Collins

Media coverage can play a key role in the success of a show -- boosting attendance and increasing exhibitor participation. You know the media will get the attention of your potential attendees and exhibitors. But how do you get the attention of the media? What steps can you, as a show manager, take to improve the visibility of your show and garner media exposure that can enhance your attendance promotion and exhibit sales? You need a comprehensive visibility campaign that goes beyond what most show organizers usually do to promote their shows, a campaign that enhances the image of your show or organization as a leader in the industry.

"Trade shows fall into the same category as every other product or service -- you're competing for the customer's attention. When you're dealing with people who you're trying to attract as attendees or exhibitors, they are bombarded by lots of messages and you have to break the clutter," says Tim Labus, President of Washington, DC-based Abramson Ehrlich Manes, the advertising/public relations agency for The Society of the Plastics Industry (SPI), which sponsors NPE, an international trade show.

Independent show organizers, especially, may have a portfolio of services to offer, so promoting the company, not just the shows, is the focus of the campaign. For association shows, a visibility campaign can enhance the association's credibility with prospective exhibitors and non-members who may consider attending the show. And for consumer shows, keeping the name in front of the consumer year-round, not just in the weeks before the show, can help "brand" the show in its niche.

An integrated visibility campaign should capitalize on all the opportunities available for show organizers to get their name in front of their target audiences. Here are some ways to get the message out.

Targeting publications

The first step in a visibility campaign is determining which media to target. Develop a list of industry publications and update it regularly. Don't limit yourself to just the obvious choices. "Be comprehensive," advises Jim Greif, President, Banner & Greif Ltd., New York City, a public relations firm that specializes in attendance building for industrial, trade and public shows. "There may only be a dozen core publications for a show, but there may be hundreds with a peripheral interest. And if you can get coverage in even a small percentage of those, it adds enormous visibility.

"Editorial coverage in general carries with it a high degree of credibility because it's a third party speaking about your event or your product. People tend to place a fair amount of credibility on material that is discussed editorially in a publication. So an event or an organization that is discussed in an industry publication is perceived as being a leader in the industry. Everybody knows that at least the editor feels this is something worth discussing, something that his or her readers should know about," Greif says.

Trade publications are one of the best ways to reach prospective visitors and exhibitors. Do not assume, however, that these magazines will automatically carry news about your show. You need to do two things -- build relationships with editors and send them press releases that are truly newsworthy.

Building relationships

Forming relationships with members of the trade press or local media (for regional or consumer shows) can make editors more receptive to story ideas. What's most important is contact. Call editors to introduce yourself, meet with them when you travel, and invite them to moderate panels in your conference program.

"Your relationships with editors are key. An editor has to know that when you're calling you have news that really is important for his or her readers," Greif says.

Yolanda Simonsis agrees. Simonsis is Associate Publisher/Editor of Paper, Film & Foil CONVERTER, a Chicago-based trade magazine covering the converting and packaging industry. "I like to build good close relationships whether with an agency or with the organization itself," she says. "It pays off for the agency or the organization in that they know exactly what the editor is looking for, and it will result in far greater exposure for their company or organization. And it makes my job easier. If I've built the relationship with someone, I know I can trust them to send me material that's useful. And I might call upon someone whose expertise I value as a source for a story. After 18 years in this industry, I have a lot of contacts. In some ways that's what makes me valuable to my company."

Anything you can do to make the editor's job easier increases your chances of coverage. George Little Management Inc. (GLM), White Plains, NY, has created four core teams within its public relations department to streamline its communication with the media. "We realize that we can be much more effective if the people in the department are able to develop an industry-specific direction," says Cathy Fineman, Director of Public Relations.

"What was happening previously, for example, was that three different GLM public relations people might be targeting a gift industry editor. Now, one person can contact the gifts editor and say, 'I see you're doing something on kids products. We have three shows that address that. How can I help you? What information can I provide?' So we're able to package our information a little smarter and a little more efficiently. It helps the editors, and it helps raise our profile within an industry like this," Fineman says.

Making it newsworthy

While building a relationship with an editor can improve your chances of getting coverage, you still must provide newsworthy material that is appropriate for the publication. And you must provide it in a usable form and on time. One size does not fit all when it comes to press releases. In many cases, you must have several different releases that are aimed at different audiences. Be on the lookout for unique aspects of the show that will be of interest to the readers of a particular publication.

"Put the important information up front and include a headline," Simonsis says. "I may never use the headline, but it will help me determine whether I'm going to use the material or not. Make the headline newsworthy. I get 300-400 pieces of mail a week. I have to go through it really fast. So you need to give me a reason for keeping it right in the headline and the first paragraph."

Coverage in trade publications isn't the only way to get attention for your show. Exposure in the general press can also be valuable. A newspaper headline or a brief segment on a television or radio news program can have a significant impact on visibility. "One of the things that every trade show organizer should be doing is calculating the economic impact of their show for the city where the show is being held. There's nothing better to get the attention of the reporter. And not just print but radio and TV," says Nancy Berg, Director of Expositions, SME Shows, for the Dearborn, MI-based Society of Manufacturing Engineers (SME).

Writing it yourself

Richard P. Barry, Vice President of Graham Communications, Quincy, MA, recommends publishing a newsletter to attract new customers and retain current ones. "But remember the most important word in newsletter is news," he says. "There's a very fine line between editorial that is self-serving -- an ad disguised as a newsletter -- and real information that someone would actually want to read. Make it interesting, insightful and beneficial, and readers will look forward to the next issue."

Another way to raise your visibility through publications is to write articles, op-ed pieces and columns. "I'm doing a monthly column in one of the trade publications," says SME's Berg. "It's designed to help communicate what exhibitors need to know in selecting a trade show, preparing for a trade show, and marketing and publicizing their presence at a trade show."

Even a letter to the editor will get attention. "I sent a letter to the editor to several of our industry trade press and it ran in more than one publication in September," says Gregg Talley, Vice President, Talley Management Group Inc., Woodbury, NJ. "I was on a trip that took me to five stops around the country. And at every stop I had no fewer than two people come up and talk to me about that letter. So, it works. They read it and they connected. And it opened up a line of dialogue that did not exist before."

Using new media

Thanks to the World Wide Web, any exposition can have international visibility. Identify Web sites that have a logical tie in to your organization and link with them. By getting your URL (your address on the Web) listed and linked in as many places as possible, you can increase your visibility through association with related organizations.

"We see our association being more information-driven as we get into the 21st century. And we felt that over the long haul, being on the Internet with that information is going to serve our members and serve our industry better," says Larry Weindruch, Director of Communications for the National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA), Mt. Prospect, IL.

NSGA runs an aggressive year-round promotional program for their World Sports Expo. They have used a Web site to raise their visibility since 1995. The Expo '97 Web site has been up and running since the end of the '96 show in July and has been visited by thousands. In addition to show information, the site includes membership information and links to related Web pages. "We do try to get ourselves linked to as many different sites as is logical," Weindruch says.

"I have news releases on there in three categories -- research news releases, association news releases, and Expo (our show) news releases. And we update those on a regular basis. We will, of course, still do mailings. You still have to be proactive, and you still have to either e-mail the news releases, or fax them or mail them. And we always follow up with phone calls," he says.

SME is also using the new media to make the job easier for editors of traditional media. The Public Relations department has created a media information page where the press can access news releases, preregister for SME events, and interact with the public relations staff via e-mail to set up interviews or get additional information. The press can also access information on SME's 20 expositions and 450 conferences with the links set up on the media information page.

"It's helpful to the editors because it's immediate access for them. They have the information right at their desks. They can search on specific topics. There are historical files going back to when we first set up the home page. So, if someone wanted to compare last year's show to this year's show, that information is easily accessible on the page," says Mary Krome, SME's Public Relations Manager.

CEMACITY, the home page of the Arlington, VA-based Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA) and the Consumer Electronics Shows (CES) raises the visibility of both the association and the shows by providing timely information about the latest technologies, new products and government regulations; as well as links to association members, allied associations and dozens of other industry sites.

"The Web brings lots of efficiencies. But the overall mission that we have on the Web is it gives access to information. No longer do you have to call someone on the show staff in order to get access to the exhibitor list, or the categories, or the press releases," says Margaret Edgell, CEMA's Director of Marketing. "The press have access to it 24 hours a day on their own time schedule. It brings efficiencies in the respect that they don't have to retype news releases; they can download them."

Speaking at events

Speaking at other events attended by your prospective customers -- exhibitors, attendees or even other show producers, if you market show management services -- is another way to raise the visibility of your organization. These could be the annual meetings of sister associations and affiliated industries, or exposition-industry events such as the International Association for Exposition Management's annual meeting.

Don't wait to be asked. Take a proactive approach and submit proposals for educational sessions or workshops. "This is a good visibility tactic because it's a credibility builder," says Barry, Graham Communications. "Make the sessions memorable, relevant and timely. Remember to deliver what you promise. You're inviting people to come and learn. Don't disappoint them with a company-focused sales pitch." And by sending news releases and inviting the press to attend, you could potentially garner coverage both before and after the event.

Talley regularly speaks at industry-related events -- both on and off the dais. And, he says, you don't always have to be on the podium to have an impact. "You may be uncomfortable making a speech. But if you're at a program and you stand up and make comments, you've accomplished the same thing," he says. "I've been at programs where I haven't been on the dais, but I've actively participated. I've gotten comments afterward, and have had opportunities to talk to people who I wouldn't have had the opportunity to otherwise, by simply standing up and commenting."

Even one-on-one presentations can help raise your visibility. Barry recommends having each member of management prepare a 30- to 60-second conversational description of the organization. "Whether it's a social or business-related event, 'Where do you work?' is a common question," Barry says. "It's important to be prepared for one-on-one. The person you're talking to may be a good lead or may know someone who would want to attend or exhibit at your show. I think you can fit a lot in a 30- or 60-second commercial for yourself and your organization."

Buying coverage

If you can't get on the speaker list for your target events, consider sponsorship and advertising opportunities. The benefits you routinely pitch your exhibitors can be yours as well, in the right context.

Sponsoring scholarships or other charitable activities, for example, can be a good tactic for a visibility campaign. "Get behind a worthy cause and make the public aware of your commitment," Barry says. "Choose carefully. Choose a cause or organization that can help individuals or groups and result in good publicity for your firm. Make it consistent with the philosophy and the mission of your organization. Commit time, money and energy. And combine the good work with letting people know about it."

Advertising in the trade press or local media can also be part of the visibility campaign. These may be image ads that run year-round to enhance the image of the show or the show producer.

Advertising is especially important for a show that only takes place every three years. SPI used image ads to raise the visibility of NPE 1997, its triennial international trade show. "Everyone has to do a minimum amount of advertising, but for a visibility campaign we wanted a really high profile -- full-page, four-color and frequent," says Labus, who directed the PR/advertising campaign. "This is the premiere exhibition for the plastics industry in 1997 and that's the image that we want to project."

Measuring results

Assessing the value of a visibility campaign can be difficult since many of the results are intangible. Counting news clips, tallying Web page hits, or tracking attendance at workshops you lead or events you sponsor are all important measures, but they don't tell the whole story.

"A visibility campaign is something you have to evaluate as you go along, and you won't have hard numbers," Talley says. "As an example, we ran image ads in numerous magazines this past year. There's probably no quantitative way to measure the results. But I had to make a value judgment at the end of the year about whether that was a worthwhile investment. Because of the comments I received and the doors that got opened by virtue of having done the ad, I was happy with the value I got for what that cost me."

A visibility campaign is a long-range plan with far-reaching results, SME's Berg says. "A good business leader knows that image and visibility come as a result of qualitative and quantitative activity. And that if you try to put a number or a dollar value to every activity or every action that's taken in your business, you are going to be focused on the wrong thing."