On May 6, I was asked to participate in the Ad Council of Rochester’s Nonprofit Workshop. Having led the PR efforts for their “Yeah, You’re That Distracting” campaign last year, I was asked to share how nonprofit organizations can hold effective press conferences.

For my presentation, I didn’t define “press conferences” in the strictest sense. Instead I opted to use a broader definition of “media events,” which could include a ground-breaking, ribbon-cutting, check presentation, or any other number of announcements.

I shared to real-life examples, telling the stories of two very different press conferences I managed. In one example, every major media outlet in Rochester attended, while in the other example, a tragic shooting diverted news crews heading to our event at the last minute.

While press conferences are just one PR tactic, they can provide valuable earned media coverage. Check out the presentation for tips on how you can make your next media event a success.

Holding an Effective Press Conference from Mike Kennerknecht