“That’s a Nice Looking Media Kit You Got Right There.”

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As you plan for the New Year ahead, it’s likely that a trade show or two (or forty) will make its way onto your 2013 calendar.  Trade shows can be a wonderful place to introduce new announcements about your company, debut a new product, and they allow your brand to be in a concentrated presence of industry and mainstream media.

While you may be stationed at your booth, and frankly, unable to personally engage with the media; a strong, informative media kit can extend your brand’s presence and increase the potential for media interest…if done right.

Here are a few tips to keep in mind to make a good first impression when preparing for your next show.

• Be sure to have a clearly identifiable label at the front of your kit. If your company has a vague name- clarify what your product is front and center. Your media kit will not be the only one in the pressroom; in fact, it will probably be one of thousands so it’s important to be distinguishable. This doesn’t mean you need to max your budget on light up, music playing, sequined kits (although that would be awesome). However, an easily identifiable and informative kit….is where it’s at.

• Identify and explain what your company does, what products you are showing, with photos, and what its place is in the industry. You may think people know who you are, but a brief statement saying who you are and where you want to be will make it that much more informative for the press.

• Include NEWS! More times than not, media attend trade shows to see and report on “what’s new.” So, tell them! Find a news angle and use it! Maybe you aren’t debuting a new product this year, but your product last year sold amazing, or you are highlighting an important feature of your product that the press may not know about- find something newsworthy and worth mention in the press.

• Tell them where you are. Any opportunity to make your booth easy to locate, the better. Put your booth number front and center, try to identify other location points to include as well, e.g. “Booth 3342 along the wall near the south entrance.” Many times you can view the show floor map prior to the show so you can tailor press materials accordingly.

• Update your releases for each show! A generic press release appears lazy and you may find niche opportunities at different shoes. Update your press releases accordingly.

• And remember, a press kit…is for the press. Press materials and other company literature are not the same. Avoid including past articles, advertising or direct mail samples and heavily data-driven sales sheets and focus on developing backgrounders and editorial-friendly materials. Save the sales sheets for the distributors and the ads for the consumers.

If dealing with the media seems like something you have no time or interest in handling on your own, consider the help of a PR firm to ensure your press kits are ready for show time!

Cheers to the 2013 trade show season! I’m sure I’ll see you around!

-Kerry