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Conducting Media Outreach for Multiple Trade Shows at the Same Time

This March, Delta-Q Technologies attended two trade shows, CONEXPO and ProMat. Both were great opportunities to showcase its new 3-in-1 mid-power charging solution, the XV3300.

The hurdle? The two shows had different themes.

CONEXPO focuses on the latest construction trends and equipment, while ProMat centers around manufacturing and supply chain innovations. That meant we had to conduct different media outreach strategies within the same timeframe.  

Trade shows and conferences like CONEXPO and ProMat are excellent ways for companies to spread brand and product awareness, network, and establish themselves as thought leaders. That’s why it’s important that PR professionals create an effective strategy to secure media coverage before, during, and after these events.

In the blog post “Interested in Meeting Next Week?” my colleague highlights best practices for successful media outreach during trade shows. She gives tips for press release timing, content, approvals, onsite briefings, outreach timing, and support during and after the show. We kept those best practices in mind during our work for CONEXPO and ProMat outreach.

We began by collaborating with the Delta-Q team to develop a media relations strategy tailored to each trade show. CPR helped Delta-Q create press releases for each audience. We also developed and delivered pitches to reporters to secure interviews during the show and drive coverage before and after.

When working with Delta-Q on its dual trade show appearances, we kept a few things in mind.

Tailor messaging to relevant themes for each show.

CONEXPO and ProMat have different themes. Approaching reporters with the same general pitch wasn’t going to work. So, we customized our messaging for each show. We knew that we needed to tell reporters what specific topics our client could speak to, and why those topics were relevant to their coverage. The lesson? Don’t send out the same pitch and talking points at different trade shows.

At CONEXPO we focused messaging on electrification trends for construction, while at ProMat we leveraged talking points about the manufacturing and supply chain industries. Materials for ProMat outreach also highlighted Delta-Q’s lift truck on-board charging seminar during the event. While these pitches went out within close timeframes, they offered information customized for each audience.

Begin outreach a month in advance.

For both conferences, we distributed pitches about a month before the show to announce Delta-Q’s participation and notify reporters of future press releases. About two weeks before the show, we followed up with press releases. At trade shows, reporters’ schedules fill up quickly. That’s why we recommend reaching out early to schedule interviews while reporters still have availability, then following up with the press release closer to the event to reignite interest.

Keep everyone in the loop.

Effective communication is critical when scheduling trade show interviews. Clients are on tight and quickly changing schedules. Each team member should be in the loop about the timing of interviews. Make sure that there is more than one person available during the interview time as a backup in case the original interviewee can’t attend. Create calendar invites to hold times on participants’ schedules and provide briefing documents before the show outlining times, talking points and reporter backgrounds.

By following these tips, we were able to successfully execute our media strategy for Delta-Q at both trade shows. Below is a summary of coverage that resulted from CONEXPO and ProMat outreach. We also secured multiple interviews that will result in coverage throughout the next few months.

Delta-Q CONEXPO Recap

Delta-Q ProMat Recap