When an Event Press Release Is Worth Sending
Journalists cover news, not events. An event press release earns coverage when it contains something a trade editor or local reporter can use: a new show in their market, a notable speaker, a significant commitment from a known company, or results that say something about the industry. A release that only repeats your dates and registration link is better sent as a listing to event calendars.
| Release | Typical timing | News hook |
|---|---|---|
| Event announcement | When dates, venue and theme are confirmed | A new event, a new city or a significant change in format |
| Keynote or speaker | When the speaker is confirmed and has approved the announcement | A recognized name or a timely topic |
| Exhibitor or sponsor | When a notable company commits and approves the wording | A major brand, a first-time participant or a launch at the show |
| Program milestone | When the full program goes live | New tracks, themes or education credits |
| Post-event results | Within a few days of the event | Verified attendance and exhibitor figures, next year's dates |
Plan releases as part of your event marketing plan, so each one lines up with an email, a social post and an update to the event website.
Standard Event Press Release Format
- Release line: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, or EMBARGOED UNTIL with a date, time and time zone
- Headline: the news in about ten words, written as a statement, not a slogan
- Subheadline: one sentence of supporting detail, if needed
- Dateline: city, state and date, followed by the lead
- Lead paragraph: who, what, when, where and why in two or three sentences
- Quotes: one from the organizer and, where relevant, one from the speaker or sponsor, saying something a reporter could not get from the facts
- Details: program highlights, exhibitors, registration information and the event website
- Boilerplate: a short About paragraph for each organization named
- Media contact: the name, email and phone of someone who will answer
- End mark: ### below the text
Keep it to one page where you can. Use plain language rather than marketing claims, and do not attach large files; link to a press kit page on your event website with logos, headshots and photos instead.
Event Announcement Press Release Template
Keynote and Sponsor Announcement Templates
Get written approval of the wording from the speaker or company before you send, and ask them for their quote rather than writing one for them. Their communications team will often share a release that names them, which extends your reach.
Post-Event Results Press Release Template
A results release is the one organizers most often skip, and one trade press is likely to use, because it contains numbers. Publish only figures you can stand behind, from your registration, order and check-in records, and say what each one counts: registered attendees, checked-in attendees and unique visitors to the floor are different numbers. If a figure is not ready, leave it out rather than estimating it.
Media List, Timing and Embargoes
A short, accurate media list beats a large purchased one. Build it from the outlets your attendees and exhibitors actually read, and keep a named contact for each.
- Trade publications and newsletters covering your industry, and their event calendar editors
- Local and regional business press in the host city, especially for a new show
- Association and member publications, including your own
- Podcasts and independent writers who cover the sector
- The communications teams of your speakers, sponsors and exhibitors
| Release | Send | Follow-up |
|---|---|---|
| Announcement | As soon as dates and venue are contracted | Calendar listings the same week |
| Keynote or speaker | When confirmed, ideally before early-bird registration ends | Posts from the speaker and organizer |
| Exhibitor or sponsor | When the company approves the wording | Shared through the company's channels |
| Media invitation | A few weeks before the event | Personal invitations to key reporters |
| Results | Within a few days after the event | Next year's dates and sales opening |
Send releases from a named person, not a no-reply address, with the text in the body of the email as well as any attachment. Announcements to your own attendees, exhibitors and speakers go through your event email marketing software on the same day, so your audience hears the news from you first.