The practical approach to pitching your event to journalists and earning coverage.
How to get press coverage for events
Getting press coverage for an event requires three things: a genuine news angle (not just the fact that an event is happening), a targeted media list of journalists who cover your beat, and outreach timed to their deadline. Events pitched without a clear news angle and sent to generic press release distribution services rarely earn meaningful coverage.
The sequence for earning press coverage from a hosted event:
1. Identify the news angle before planning the event. The event should be designed around the angle, not the other way around. "Industry leaders gathering to discuss supply chain challenges" is not a news angle. "New research shows 73% of Edmonton manufacturers have delayed major equipment purchases due to financing costs" is a news angle.
2. Build a targeted media list. For Edmonton business events, the relevant outlets are the Edmonton Journal business section, Edmonton Sun, Avenue Magazine, Business in Edmonton, and relevant trade publications for your industry. Add 3–5 journalists by name who cover your beat. Personalised pitches to named journalists outperform generic press release distribution by a significant margin.
3. Pre-pitch before the event. Contact key journalists 2–3 weeks before the event with the news angle and an offer of an exclusive or embargoed briefing. Many journalists will not cover an event from a press release alone but will cover it if they have had a conversation with the organiser and been given advance access to the findings.
4. Send a press release the morning of the event. Include the key finding or news angle in the first paragraph, a quotable spokesperson comment, event details, and a link to any published report or content.
5. Follow up within 24–48 hours. A brief personal follow-up noting which finding or element is most newsworthy for their specific audience increases coverage rates significantly.
Common questions
Rarely, on its own. A press release establishes your news angle but most journalists receive dozens daily. It needs to be followed by personal outreach, targeted to journalists who actually cover your topic, and timed to their deadline cycle. A well-written press release sent to the wrong journalist at the wrong time generates no coverage.
Plan an event that earns press coverage
Tell us the date, the headcount, and what you are trying to accomplish. We will come back with an honest assessment.