Appealing Event Formulas

After recently sharing thoughts on ways to secure meetings with beauty press, I thought I’d add my tuppence worth on getting us to your events.

On both sides of the PR/press fence it’s a challenge navigating events around the flexible working world we find ourselves in, but I’ve had some invites recently that are nailing it. Below are some of my favourite formats – I hope the insight is useful.

· DROP-INS are making a comeback. Now, thankfully, they introduce us to experts and not only new products. Here, spanning a wide time window helps lure those of us going to/from the office outside of standard hours. (Me included!)

· PANELS – either virtual or physical (the latter ideally recorded for those wfh) – are proving more insightful than launch presentations, giving us soundbites for stories from a range of expert viewpoints. Loads of brands have been starting meaningful conversations in this way, on topics from navigating the metaverse to pro-ageing.

· PERFORMANCES – an extension of the panel format – are more immersive. Take Boots’ Menopause Monologues event happening tomorrow: there will be cocktails, canapes and stories shared by a line-up of exciting women throughout the night.

· EXPERT Q&AS are simple yet possibly the best value activations. Live or virtual, in a group or one-to-one; hearing from a pro on a specialist subject is always useful for us. One recent invite to catch my eye was for a ‘speed date’ with a brand’s head of R&D, anticipating my busy schedule and trying to work around it.

· DINNER AND DRINKS somewhere fancy still appeals, despite being less practical than the above. I prefer this over a long bougie lunch which can conflict with deadlines; time ooo for something that isn’t of direct editorial exchange (like an interview) is easier for journalists to justify when daily targets are met. Plus, if someone is at home on the day of your event, they’re more likely to venture into town for a dinner over something scheduled during the day.