How can you avoid common risks at Public Relations events?

Here are some helpful tips to avoid disaster at public relations events. Plan well. Organization and coordination go a long way for you but also the attendees. Keep the mood and music vibrant. Absolutely leave divisive opinions or controversial topics out of the event. Do your best to appeal to all the interests of attendees while making things interesting, different and exciting all the same. Most importantly, choose common themes and a menu that would appeal to any taste. It is also a nice added touch to leave guests something to write about!

Several others have already covered the need to have objectives and clear messaging, but creating a critical path/workback plan is also essential. This is a detailed planning document that maps out every action/task you or your event partners need to complete leading up to and immediately after your event. It can make all the difference between a satisfactory and a spectacular event.

By clearly defining your goals, you provide your event with purpose and direction, which in turn guides decision-making throughout the planning process. Furthermore, delving deep into your audience's preferences and needs allows you to create a personalized and engaging experience, fostering a stronger connection between your brand and attendees.

If you’re new to the team, ask others what’s worked in past events. They can tell you which events have the best ROI, or what kinds of exhibits best catch people’s attention at that show. It could save a lot of time and money by doing these checks first.

Planning is the name of game. Keep your objectives in mind and refer back to them while planning an event. Does it align with your objectives or is just another activation? Is the event in budget? Plan for contingency dollars for last minute changes (e.g. promo items lost in shipping, etc.) Clear communication. Ensure everyone is aligned - from staffers to attendees and speakers - so they know where they need to be and when. Also, everyone should have a way to reach a designated point person for questions or issues. Create a call to action for attendees and a way to connect with the brand in your event. Ask yourself what could go wrong, because it probably will! 🤣 BREATHE: What matters most is how you react.

Regularly monitoring and adjusting your budget as necessary shows adaptability and fiscal responsibility, qualities that reflect positively on your organization. Lastly, wisely delegating tasks based on team members' strengths and availability fosters collaboration and efficiency, ultimately contributing to the event's overall success.

It's always wise - when organizing events-to work with trusted vendors. Even better when said vendors have been rendering services on the long-term. This gives room for some flexibility agreeing to prices if the budget is somewhat restrictive.

In an age where information travels rapidly, maintaining effective and ethical communication practices is paramount for the success and integrity of your PR event.

E-mail is always the best means of communication. It leaves an audit trail of the exchange. Chat platforms can collapse and are subject to manipulation - whether third party or in-house and messages can sometimes fail to get through or "not be read on time-.

At times you plan, plan and plan; create mitigation measures, and carry out risk mapping - yet, some common risk may be unavoidable. Don't lose heart, don't let it get the better of you. Always remember, what matters is how you respond to the risk. The truth is, risks aren't really risks at PR events, till you react to them in a particular way. I've often found it useful to remain calm, have a smiling face and view adversity and diverse situations as an opportunity rather than a challenge. Deal with these commons risks as one team. Respond to them together and delay your reactions. Our impulsive reactions to risks may inadvertently increase the level of exposure. It's important to learn from them.

What is the primary objective of PR events? It’s about effectively conveying messages. Even a simple event can turn into a PR disaster if the spokesperson conveys the wrong messages to the press or other stakeholders. The key lies in briefing the spokespersons. This preparation equips the company’s spokesperson with the right messages and effective dissemination tactics. It helps in delivering coherent narrative and prevents unproductive doorstop interviews. Additionally, it enables effective handling of questions during media briefings and one-on-one media interviews.

Despite all the planning, some risk will rear its head and that can be in the form of your own client whose behaviour can derail their own trajectory. Understanding as much about them, the sponsor and the audience gets you half- way there but being honest about how, when, what and more importantly why, is the key to establishing and maintaining rapport in the comms 'Venn diagram' . When that happens people are more forgiving and in some situations - willing to help.

Public relations events are really media events that amplify the messaging you have. Unless it is for a public matter, PR events I have held had media coverage as the main objective. Ensure the presentation has easy, repeatable snippets they could take back and insert in their articles/stories without them interpreting what we said and getting the messaging wrong. Often, the media's take on what you said gets you in more trouble than what you actually said, so points they can parrot in their stories/reports help avoid misinterpretation. Also, I found it necessary to anticipate risks so any questions could be answered truthfully and in a manner that lined up with the organizational objectives. Don't overpromise anything just to get PR..

In my experience, another important step in avoiding common risks during a PR event is to create a comprehensive checklist. This checklist should include not only the essential tasks, but also the nitty-gritty logistical details. It will serve as a reliable guide for you and your team, ensuring everyone is on the same page and well-prepared for the event. In addition, this checklist should also include contingency plans for unexpected situations. While we want everything to be perfect and in accordance to the plan, there's always a chance that unforeseen issues will arise on the day of the event. Having contingency plans for various unexpected scenarios will enable swift issue resolution during the event, minimizing any adverse impacts.

Be ready with any difficult questions may raised by the audience on the spot. Get your spokesperson trained, develop your key messages, and rehearse when neccessary!