Effective Media Conference Organising

Media conference is an excellent opportunity to communicate with the media and to market sustainable initiatives to the stakeholders at large. While press coverage opportunity is there to grab, it is of no help if proper planning on organizing a media conference is not forthcoming. Throughout my years of experience in attending media conference either for event announcement or held after an event, media although in full attendance is selective in reporting the happenings. At times, a proper event is becoming a by-product of other side events. For example, write up on a tree planting event might be mentioned in passing with heading focusing on the public objection for open space encroachment as the news piece. Hence, marketing the media conference and getting attention is important and doing it right and effectively is an art of communication.

So, the question is how to go about it? There are 9 basic steps, namely first setting the right time and venue, secondly preparing the press kit with precise and helpful information, thirdly to choose a firm and knowledgeable chairman or perhaps the one with charisma, fourthly to anticipate problems and preempt an answer, if possible. This followed with media invitation in which right personnel with good credentials should be targeted. Sixthly get the chairman to make a precise and forceful opening statement during the media conference as this will interest the audience to follow through. Please be reminded too to be assertive with the journalists as effective two ways communication is pre-requisite for a lively conference. Also be prepared for further interviews and finally close the conference at appropriate time, no necessary to prolong the conference for unnecessary delay.

For observing the above, treating every media conference organizing a new challenge is a way forward. MBPJ as the front line authority facing with the public has to leverage on opportunity provided by media conference to communicate well with the public so that information is disseminated and corresponded effectively, rightly and timely. Perhaps in future media conference organizing with more professionalism is required or else we might be wasting our effort in organising a fruitful less media conference continually .