Six tips to create powerful news events

Some events have no signage indicating where exactly the event is being held. Worse still when you get to the venue the hall is unbranded. Companies should be aware that when they rent a hall for an event, they have the sole right to brand the hall strategically.

From experience doomed events follow a certain pattern. The event doesn't achieve any of the objectives for which it is held and the expense or rather waste is unjustifiable. To be fair, some credit must be given to organisations beginning to take the role of the PR person more seriously. For instance we now see them occupying senior management or even board level positions. However, it could be better.

Depending on the level of technicality, sometimes it is best to bring in a professional PR consultant or PR firm to handle certain events. If an event is held at night with lights, fireworks, big screens and perhaps a live band, it is best to engage an expert. Economic expediency however sometimes dictates the behaviour of organisations but when a pro is hired it is almost always money well-spent.

Before an event is held here is a checklist for the event managers; whether in-house or external:

1. What's the reason for the season?
   A company must know why exactly it is holding the event. This reason must be unambiguously communicated to the people organising it. In other words ,the organising committee who are usually forced into the event should actually buy into it. This will get their creative juices flowing.

   The company then needs to figure out just what kind of function it wants to hold. There is a certain "corporate crowd mentality syndrome" that sees all the companies in town organising their Annual General Meetings at a particular prestigious hall because, well everyone else hosts their meetings there.

2. 'Thinking outside the box'
   Be creative. It's one of the most hackneyed and trite phrases in the corporate lexicon, but companies must learn to ‘think outside the box'. There is no particular place where any event must be held. A press briefing or news conference could be held in a prestigious hotel hall or it could just as well be held at a refuse dump site with the CEO in overhalls holding a shovel and explaining to the public how to improve the environment.

   A gimmick like that will probably get your company a spot on the day's news agenda regardless of all the wars or disasters happening all over the globe. ‘The dump site' story has more credibility and is actually more newsworthy than the other option. A PR person should always be on the look out for PR opportunities that his boss or client can use that will grant him instant affordable high and positive visibility.

3. Use celebrities to grab the spotlight
   Especially for smaller companies there's nothing as good as using sugar to catch ants. CEOs will cringe at the thought or rather the expense of using celebrities who can be quite a pain at times. But as much as we hate them; they are already brands and you need them. However no one is asking you to go out and sign Beyonce, Tiger Woods or Enrique Iglesias for your company's next Annual General Meeting. In Nigeria you can look for a celebrity with a smaller profile.

   For instance, if budget issues won't let you use D'Banj, 2 Face,9ice or P-Square you can always go for djinee, 2 Shotz, LD, Fadabasi or Timaya. Like they say, there's someone for everyone. The idea is that the celebrity who hopefully is already a brand can transfer some of their star quality to you and get your organisation noticed by the right people. However ,the downside of this bright idea is that you run the risk of the public being drawn to the celebrity and totally ignoring your company's existence who by the way is footing the star's bills. You also know that celebrities also have a penchant for getting in trouble and can also transfer negative vibes to your brand.

   Whatever you do however, please ensure that the celebrity is thoroughly briefed about what exactly you want him or her to do for your company. If your company manufactures noodles or spaghetti for instance, let the celebrity know that you want them to endorse the product well ahead of time and eat the noodles on TV. A live TV set is the worst place to find out that your celebrity is allergic to noodles. Also Celebrities are very busy people and travel a lot often endorsing several products at the same time. So you will want to make certain that they do not call your company the wrong name on national TV.

4. What is unseen counts for nothing
   I am still shocked that in the 21st century, there are still people and organisations who will pull out all the stops and host a near flawless show without the media present. When you attend certain events you can smell the fact that some good money went into putting the gig together. Unfortunately, the same amount of commonsense doesn't always go into the media plan of the event.

   Picture this; you attend an event. The venue is prestigious and attractive. The ambience is warm and welcoming with softly piped in music. The branding is so good that you make a mental note to ask the organisers which printer did their flexi-banners. The MC is really good and doesn't mix up any names and keeps the audience entertained for the duration of the event.

   As a news person it instinctively occurs to me that such near-perfect events are few and far between and ought to be captured and even used as material in a future marketing video. But wonder of wonders! You look and you can't find a photographer, cameraman or even a reporter recording the event. It must be noted at this point that not all companies want all their events covered. But when a company organises an awards night and gives out scholarships to indigent kids in the community, in order to underscore its commitment to its corporate social responsibility, it is criminal not to place that kind of information in very credible media.

5. spread the word
   Before, during and even after an event you've got to generate buzz and keep the media informed about latest developments as far as your event is concerned. This can be done through live studio appearances at credible media outlets. The interviews should be with celebrities/notable figures in the industry who you have enlisted as your brand ambassadors.

   You should also have a widely publicised website where updates will be sent to at minimal cost and as they occur. You can also send e-releases to reporters email boxes at very regular intervals and ensure that the media is kept in the know at all times.

6. Check and recheck your equipment
   When in school, I once organised a movie premiere. My crew and I had of course checked out the sound equipment and the projector in the afternoon before the event which held in the evening. Suffice it to say that the equipment was perfect. Nothing could go wrong. Or so we thought. Now this was an event that we had promoed, for the past month on national tv. So as can be expected the movie theatre was packed full with expectant fans. When the movie producer and a lead actor in the movie stepped on stage the uproar was thunderous. You could barely hear yourself think. He gave a crisp speech thanking the audience and asking them to have a lovely night. Then things really began to happen. To cut a long story short, the projector simply would not work and the angry fans who were mostly undergrads smashed up the theatre. By this time I had smuggled the cast away to safety through a rear entrance; all the time wondering what could possibly have gone wrong with the projector. As for my crew, they simply melted into the crowd.

   The next day we premiered the movie successfully at another theatre with the same projector. It worked. Since then, I have always had a back up plan for events. So if you see me carrying two laptops or projectors to a presentation, please don't be alarmed; I'm only hedging my bets.