Organising A Press Trip – 10 Yetis Insight

I’m currently in the last two weeks of organising a press trip for a client – we’re off to Rome next Friday – so I thought now would be an ideal opportunity to jot down my thoughts on how best to organise a press trip.

It doesn’t have to be anything too flashy, it doesn’t have to be outside of the UK, it just has to be interesting and newsworthy enough for a few key journalists to want to attend, to write about and to hopefully go on to love you and your client forever and always (we can but dream!).

I’ve never been to Rome, so this is an incredibly exciting trip for me. I’m researching restaurants, booking tables, picking out some key attractions that journalists might want to visit in their downtime, all whilst checking menus (because I’m hella fussy with food) and hearing the most amazing reviews about the gelato that Italy has to offer. Seriously, I need these next two weeks to hurry up!

So, getting back on topic, here’s a few handy pointers I’ve compiled that I consider to be key when planning a press trip.

Who, what, where, when, why?

Ideally you need to have the basic info firmed up with your client before you start reaching out to those you’re thinking of inviting. It’s great that they want to plan a press trip, but you need to know roughly where it’s going to be, a rough date/time and also what the hook is for them to attend. You don’t need all the details pinned down, just an idea for starters to gauge the journalists interest. If they’re interested enough they’ll want more information.

You want your hook to be as interesting as possible. We’ve organised numerous press trips over the years, including inviting journalists to a zombie experience day where their job was to merely survive, inviting them to play football with some ex-professional football players and now we’re getting ready to take a few out to Rome for a few days where they’ll get to watch Italy V England during the 6 Nations at Stadio Olimpico.

Prepare a guest list

Once you’ve got an idea of what the press trip is going to be, you need to figure out who you initially want to outreach to. With this press trip to Rome we really wanted to focus on Sports Editors and Travel Editors. Sports Editors for obvious reasons (we’re off to the rugby, meeting some legends of the game along the way) but also Travel Editors as with this particular client we want to highlight travel packages available for upcoming events.

I always start out finding out how many spaces we have for the press and compiling a list of those I’d love to attend. If I have, say for example, six spaces then my list might be 10 or 12 long – journalists are busy people and some won’t be able to attend even if they want to, what with publication and print dates, other engagements already in the diary, etc.

I had a list of who I wanted to come along to Rome but unfortunately the dates clashed with a few publications, and some were honest and admitted that whilst they’d love to attend they couldn’t justify it (and that they’d be covering our client down the line anyway because 1. they love us and 2. our client is well known for what they do).

Journalists want to know what they’re going to get

If you’re hosting a drinks event where journalists can meet your client, get a sneak peek at the brand and the products, and it may be the case that a drinks reception might be the ideal setting and therefore a free bar might be on the cards. If you’re inviting journalists on an activity day, they’ll want to know what to wear, what to bring and how long the event will last.

If you’re going abroad, you need to ensure you know upfront if travel, accommodation, even food is included in the press trip. This is something journalists are going to need to know before agreeing to attend – if some aspects aren’t included they’re going to need to try get the budget from their employers.

Plan an itinerary

Where there’s a lot going on, or the press trip occurs over more than one day, don’t be afraid to plan an itinerary, more so that the journalists in attendance don’t miss the key events you have taking place. Don’t make it too restrictive; you don’t need to tell them what time to get up, what time to eat breakfast (unless you’re eating as a group) and what time they need to go to bed – but an idea is always great, such as Event A starts at 17:30, followed by dinner at Restaurant A at 19:30.

Speaking of, if you’re going to be eating as a group, it’s a great idea to get a table booked at a nearby restaurant, or even in your hotel. I’m just one restaurant short at the moment for our three-night stay in Rome; who knew that some restaurants don’t open on Sunday’s – especially with such a large sporting event taking place that day?! This is a handy tip, not just so people know where to meet if they get separated, but also to ensure that you’ve got a table booked and don’t have to hunt through every restaurant in the nearby vicinity trying to find space for your party.

Cater to their needs

Vegetarian, vegan, coeliac, allergies; these are all areas that need to be taken into account and accommodated where possible. Whether it’s a day out and you’re putting on a spread, it’s nice to have something that everyone can eat, or whether (like above) you’re having to book tables in restaurants, it’s nice to double check the menu and ensure that they cater for all – you don’t want to hear that one person can only eat salad all night, or can’t risk eating anything at all.

We once had a work do clay pigeon shooting and the food & drink on offer was home-made sausage rolls (amazing, btw) and mulled wine. Unfortunately, we have a coeliac in our office who was unable to eat and therefore got tipsy on the wine.

My point is, if you’re going to invite them to an exclusive event, it’s nice to cater to their needs wherever possible.

Keep them in the loop pre- and post-event

The hard part is getting journalists to say ‘yes’, that they’re interested and will 100% attend your press trip. But just because you’ve got confirmation from them, doesn’t mean that’s the end of the interaction. Shortly before the event, once you’ve got your itinerary firmed up (if you have one), it’s nice to reach out to your guest list one-by-one with the itinerary, check they’re still coming and answer any questions they may have.

By getting a confirmation and leaving it at that, you run the risk of them forgetting and not turning up, or you run the risk of them not arriving prepared, not being sure what to expect, and also not being sure what you expect from them.

During the press trip, be sure to introduce yourself to each of those you’ve personally spoken to and invited. It’s a nice personal touch and also allows them to find you in the crowd if they have any questions or want anything specific (help with images, interviews, etc.).

Likewise, don’t forget to reach out to all journalists after the event, see how they found it, offer any images / a press release you may have prepared, and also be there to answer any questions that you may have. You’re representing your client here and how you treat journalists will reflect both on your company and your clients company.

All in all, there is a lot that goes into planning a great press trip, but it’s really simple to do if you follow the above steps. Now I just need my press trip to hurry up; Rome, here we come!