Event invites

In case you weren’t aware, I don’t cover drink at the Financial Times (other than in special circumstances such as for a gift guide). If you’re pitching drinks stories, you probably want my HTSI work wife Alice Lascelles. At this time of year, I do get envious of her and other drinks journalists because they tend to get invited to all the best drinks-sponsored summer events.

Nonetheless, I was lucky enough to go to the Chelsea Flower Show this year courtesy of Pommery champagne. I tried their fizz and English sparkling wine and talked with their PR team about the Lovehoneyexhibit (conceived as the “ultimate pleasure garden”) which was generating quite a bit of interest. It was a nice introduction to the team and this year’s show gardens.

In previous years I’d gone to the Flower Show with The Newt – a rare hospitality venue with the resources to sponsor an event of that size. I’ve also had the good fortune to be invited to BST Hyde Park by Peroni and to Mykonos with Belvedere Vodka.

It’s hard to overestimate the value of these invites as networkingopportunities. I’ve become friends with PRs and in many cases advised them on landing coverage at the FT. Of course not every PR has access to a private box at Wimbledon or the O2. But there’s a lot to be said for using what you have on your roster to build relationships. Send out product to journalists – not just so they can try that product but as a way of starting a conversation about other clients. If you look after restaurants, invite journalists to dine. My advice here is as follows.

If you want them to experience the restaurant as regular punters, let them dine with a plus one. If you want to build your own relationship with them, invite them to dine with you. Some journalists may baulk at the prospect of dinner with a PR they don’t know well, so small gatherings of journalists can be less intimidating and just as productive. With a group, the food sometimes gets overshadowed by the socialising, which may not please your client. But if you curate the group responsibly, everyone has a good time and leaves with a good feeling about the restaurant, which is sometimes even more valuable.