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Making The Most Of Trade Show Media Opportunities

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Heading to ViVE 2024 in Los Angeles or HIMSS24 in Orlando? These key industry trade shows aren’t just a chance to escape the winter weather for warmer destinations! They can present a great opportunity for executives to establish relationships with journalists from a variety of publications and mediums.

Chances are if you’ve landed an interview, it’s for a brief window, so read on for best practices for making the most of your time.

  • Plan Ahead

Most journalists attending trade shows start to populate their calendars weeks, if not months, in advance – which is why many PR pros also start early to secure interviews for key subject matter experts. It’s important for companies to identify which trade shows they will be attending as well as key personnel well ahead of the show. This can be done as part of an annual marketing plan. An added benefit to planning early is that some shows offer early bird registration, so you may even get a deal to attend.

  • Do Your Homework

If you’re offered an interview, make sure you have basic knowledge of the outlet, the topics it covers, and their target audience. You’ll want to frame your responses in a way that’s relevant to readers of the publication.

For example, if the outlet targets members of the C-Suite, big-picture, high-level strategic responses are appropriate. If readers or listeners are clinicians, you’ll want to address clinical or patient benefits of your technology. You can’t tailor your answers if you haven’t researched the outlet. Additionally, reporters appreciate it when you reference past stories they’ve done on the topic at hand. This shows that the relationship is a two-way street and further establishes that you aren’t only interested in talking about your company – and are dialed in on relevant conversations and coverage of key issues in the industry.

  • Arrive Early

The show floors at ViVE and HIMSS are a maze of vendors, sponsors, analysts, media and more. Be sure you keep and use the map you get at check-in. Confirm your meeting location. Is there a designated media meeting area? Will the reporter be stopping by your booth?

Find out and arrive early for the interview. Set an alarm in your phone to remind you of the meeting, just in case you get caught up talking to a client, prospect or colleague. With only a few minutes for each interview, if you’re late, you might miss out depending on the reporter’s schedule. We’ve seen this happen many times. While many journalists will graciously offer to connect another time, the odds of it happening in a timely manner are understandably slim, as journalists are just as busy in the days immediately following a show as they are while they are onsite.

  • Have Something to Say

There’s nothing worse for PR professionals than sitting through a client interview where the interviewee rehashes old news or espouses cliches. If you want to stand out in the crowd, have something to say. Everyone knows that “innovation is key” and “AI is the future.” But how is your company disrupting your space? How does this benefit patients, clinicians and others in the healthcare ecosystem? Where do you see the industry going and how are you helping to get there? What are you doing that’s different than the other guy?

Clearly defining your differentiators (without directly referencing the competition) and outlining talking points ahead of time are key for a successful interview. For extra credit, have a colleague or your PR team do a mock interview in which you can practice steering likely questions to your talking points. And remember, if you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s perfectly acceptable to say you will follow up. Don’t try to answer what you don’t know.

Pro tip: Shows such as ViVE offer the opportunity to share news in a group distribution to media attending the event. This is an extra opportunity for you to get your message in front of journalists who will be there. While you may not get an interview out of it, your news could be included in a roundup during the show or in a post-event wrap-up.

  • Be realistic

Remember that every meeting does not yield immediate coverage. However, we have repeatedly seen “meet and greets” at trade shows turn into follow-up, in-depth interviews or coverage that seems to be out of the blue months later. The main goal of these trade show meetings is to meet key journalists, introduce them to your company and technology, and explain why you are making a difference in the healthcare scene.

  • Give them something to remember you by

Have you done a recent study, survey or analysis? An eye-catching infographic with meaningful information and guidance (URL or QR code) on where to learn more can be something that sets you apart from others. However, don’t give journalists run-of-the-mill marketing collateral. Anything you leave behind should have a news peg and not simply be self-serving information about the company.  

  • Be authentic

This may be the most important tip of all. While you shouldn’t be overly casual and should always keep in mind that nothing is ever really “off the record,” you do want to establish a rapport with the reporter. Interviews don’t need to be buttoned up and extremely formal. Use a conversational tone and avoid jargon whenever possible.

Best of luck with all your trade show media opportunities!

For more tips on getting the most from trade shows, check out these tips.

How To Get the Most Out Of Healthcare Trade Conferences

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Attending healthcare conferences is an investment for your company. Balanced against the costs of travel, lodging and registration are the opportunities to make valuable connections, showcase your company and learn more about the industry. Accomplishing those goals requires a plan to get the maximum benefit from your two to three days at the conference.

At Amendola, our public relations experts boast decades of combined experience planning strategy and executing performance across a wide range of healthcare trade shows, from HIMSS and HLTH to RISE and ViVE.

Creating a successful conference strategy begins with defining what your company is and how it can help clients improve care delivery, reduce costs, or boost efficiency – and how you want to characterize those factors to the market.

“Healthcare tradeshows give you the opportunity to showcase your company’s identity to the world,” says Grace Vinton, account director. “Similar to the way each person has a unique identity and personality, so does your company. Are you smart? Funny? Wise? Risk-taking? Get out of your comfort zone and show the industry who you really are!”

Once strategy is set and media targets are selected, schedule meetings and interviews, but don’t make the mistake of walking into these discussions unprepared. It’s important to prepare and know your audience.

“Plan ahead!” recommends Jodi Amendola, CEO. “Schedule meetings well in advance with prospects, partners, potential investors, new hires, etc.  When I attend a key trade show, I have a full calendar of meetings and events before I even pick up my badge and this has served me well. Trade shows are the ideal venue for meeting new people, but also a time to build on existing relationships and catch up over coffee or drinks. Reuniting with former clients, editors and other industry veterans that I have known for years is my favorite part of the craziness at conferences.”

“As a thought leader packing a lot into just a few short days, it’s vital to stay organized,” notes Katlyn Nesvold, senior account director. “Make sure all your meetings are on your calendar, including media interviews, networking lunches with clients or prospects, and add any sessions you would like to attend directly into your calendar so you know where you’re going on the fly! Print and review briefing documents for interviews in advance in case wi-fi isn’t working, and so you can plan for your day.”

In other words, do your homework.

“My best recommendation for clients participating in media interviews is to spend time reviewing the media briefing information so you are familiar with the publication, the reporter, and the likely direction of the conversation,” says Michelle Noteboom, senior director of accounts and content. “Check out previous stories and interviews to familiarize yourself with the topics that might be of interest to the interviewer.”

Whether your company has a booth, is speaking, or is hosting an event, a thoughtful social media strategy is also important. “When I’ve taken the time to align social content with clients’ conference activities, I’ve seen a huge jump in exposure online and in booth traffic,” notes Maddie Noteboom, account manager. “Whether it’s on LinkedIn or Twitter, there is so much chatter throughout these conferences and it’s a wasted opportunity to be sitting on the sidelines. Start by researching relevant hashtags and trends, making a checklist of photo opportunities, and planning out pre, during, and post-conference insights from company leaders. Do the prep work ahead of time and get in on the action during the conference!”

For newer companies, healthcare trade conferences are an excellent opportunity to raise their profiles among key stakeholders such as investors, partners, and analysts.

“Startups looking for industry credibility to increase sales should implement smart thought leadership strategies to drive recognition from credible third parties, such as industry analyst firms, awards programs, speaking opportunities at high-profile events, and even creative collaborations that allow the lesser-known company to leverage the brand equity of a more-known entity,” recommends Mardi Larson, media relations and account director. 

Similarly, journalists come to conferences hungry for news and the chance to learn about latest industry developments. Companies attending trade shows can take advantage of this need for news by delaying big announcements until the show.

“I always advise clients to save their big announcements for a trade show,” shares Marcia Rhodes, vice president. “Journalists are always looking for news so if you can hold off announcing a new product or acquisition for a few months so that it is unveiled during a trade show, your odds of getting media coverage doubles. Then be sure to bring hard copies of the press release to hand out in your booth and during media and analyst meetings.”

Of course, there’s never a bad time for a refresher on the basics of trade show attendance, including perhaps the most important consideration for conference-goers: The right footwear.

“The important things to remember about healthcare trade conferences are to get plenty of rest, wear comfortable shoes, and leave enough time between meetings for contingencies,” says Philip Anast, general manager.  “Employing these basic tips will amplify your chances of making the most of your media interviews and analyst briefings and bringing the best reflection of ‘you’ to your company and the influencers you’re targeting.”