Retorts

Conferences Need Publicity

Many major advances in New Zealand science are announced at conferences but few make headlines. This is not because the media is not interested in science -- it is. However, getting media coverage takes time, effort and planning.

Conference organisers spend lots of time making the conference a success for those attended. They find a venue, choose themes, select speakers, and sort out the programme. Organisers should also make the conference a success for those who will not be there. They should publicise the scientific advances announced at the conference for the benefit of their branch of science and for the "public good".

Employing a professional publicity person is worth it, especially when organising a large international conference. A professional will take much of the worry out of conference publicity, although they can be expensive.

To get help with publicity "on the cheap" organisers should decide which institution will be sending the most speakers. They should then ask a publicity person from that institution to help. For the publicity person this is a similar honour to being an invited speaker. Since they can publicise the conference as part of their job, their institution can support the conference (and publicise itself) without having to part with cash.

Judging by the standard of overheads, slides and posters at conferences, CRIs have more resources for communication than universities so a CRI publicity person may be more able to help. An advantage of having help from a publicity person from a CRI is that they have experience in publicising science. They may also know reporters who cover that branch of science.

The publicity person will invite reporters from newspapers, trade or industry magazines, radio, and television. Organisers should not ask reporters to pay registration fees, but they will pay for their own travel and accommodation. Invite reporters to social events as they are good places for reporters to make friends and contacts, too.

Once the organisers set the programme, the publicity person should select the most newsworthy papers. They will then need the text or an abstract to prepare a news release or they may ask the presenter's institution to prepare a news release. The presenter, the publicity person and a member of the organising committee should check all media releases. Embargo all news releases and papers until the conference starts.

Some publicity people make up media kits and send them to reporters before a conference. Media kits include an RSVP invitation, a tip sheet of story ideas, news releases, the names of invited speakers, and events of interest to media. Reporters usually prepare their stories well before their deadlines so the media kit is very helpful.

Receiving the news release or the text of a paper is only the beginning of a story. Reporters use them as an aid to interview speakers so that they can get their own story and angle. News releases also improve the accuracy of the reporting.

When the conference is over, the publicity person should use a newspaper clipping service or some similar means to measure their success. This feedback helps them, and conference organisers, to do it better next time.

And good publicity means there will be many more "next times".

Brian Ellison, Journalist, Landcare Research