Introduction to the press conference
Author: Yi Shenghua
Press conferences include press conferences, press conferences, cocktail parties and other forms. Generally speaking, the reception is relatively free, informal and the atmosphere is relatively relaxed. It can be held separately or in other forms, for example, some people hold a reception or tea party after the reception. Press conferences are generally thematic and feature "answering reporters' questions". In addition, the press conference can be held by the head of public relations, while the press conference is generally attended by higher-level officials. Among these forms, the most common is the press conference. So we pay attention to it. In order to make the explanation more specific, let's assume a case first, and then use this case to say:
A biopharmaceutical company in China has developed an "AIDS vaccine" and a new drug "Erbituo" to treat AIDS. Vaccines can be implanted into human body by injection or oral administration, and "antibodies" are completely produced within three days after implantation. When the injected person is exposed to HIV through various transmission routes, the "antibody" will automatically exert its immune function. The new drug "Erbituo" for the treatment of AIDS can control the disease and gradually achieve the therapeutic effect (it cannot be cured at present, and the radical medicine is under further study). Its effectiveness has been recognized and patented by the Drug Administration.
Enterprise A is going to market the drug on a large scale in China, and the next step is to find a general agent abroad, so they are going to hold a press conference in Beijing. Because this product fills the gap in China and is at the forefront of medical technology in the world, the company decided to make great efforts to do this conference.
The target audience of information release is: domestic medicine, medical industry and adult general public, while foreign public only covers both.
To be invited: news media; Officials and experts from health and medicine administration departments; Drug distributors, patient representatives or celebrities who care about this cause.
Press conference scale: 90 news media (about 100 people), 25 officials and experts, 40 dealers, 3 patient representatives and 2 celebrities.
Now that you are the chief planner and coordinator of the conference in China, how will you organize it? What are the steps and points for attention?
The issues involved in the conference are similar, generally including these major parts:
1, event planning and theme determination
2. Project planning and agenda arrangement
3, data preparation
4. Invitation, communication and confirmation of participants
5. Time, venue implementation and scene layout
6, product display, demonstration and information release
7, the scene atmosphere control
The number of participants in this case is less than 200, which should be a small and medium-sized press conference. Now let's discuss how to do it well step by step.
First of all, make clear the goal to be achieved and the type of meeting, so as to determine its specifications, direction and basic style.
The main purpose of this meeting is to convey the information of new products, the image of leading technology and the brand image of "promoting human health" to the medical and health care community and the public through the news media. The press conference type belongs to information release, and the specifications should be high. Because it is an enterprise's information release, so, unlike political meetings, the basic style should not be too serious, and there is excitement in the formal norms.
Two, the establishment of the preparatory committee, organize relevant personnel, determine the organization and personnel security.
A press conference involves all aspects, and all the work is interrelated, interrelated and cross-cutting. We must make overall arrangements and take a multi-pronged approach at the same time, which is extremely difficult to accomplish by ourselves. Organization, communication and coordination are very important.
From this conference, the main work can be divided into several parts: event planning and data preparation, invitation and communication of officials and experts, invitation and communication of news media, invitation and communication of dealers, product explanation and display, logistics and conference, venue layout, etc. The establishment of this organization should be decided according to the specific circumstances.
The principles of establishing an organization: First, the "professional principle", that is, professional people do professional things, know others and be good at their duties. For example, the communication of dealers, the marketing department is the counterpart department. Among them, the communication between experts and officials generally requires the head of public relations and the top management of enterprises, and there are no other groups. News dissemination and information preparation are the professional specialties of public relations personnel, so there is no separate group for news dissemination; The second is the "balance principle", which is grouped by events, and the workload of each group is relatively balanced; The third is the principle of "division of labor". The division of labor should be clear and the responsibilities should be clear to prevent the phenomenon of mutual selection. In addition, the division of labor and horizontal cooperation of subordinates should be clear; The fourth is the "flattening principle". In large-scale activities, there is generally a multi-level "pyramid" structure, but in medium-sized activities, it is not appropriate to have multiple levels to ensure flexibility, not too many people, and to be lean and efficient; The fifth is the "institutional principle". Although it is a temporary organization, once it joins the organization, its personnel will be bound by rules and regulations.
Here's a way to build an organization:
The press conference involved many departments. Generally speaking, the company's top management and vice president in charge will hold certain positions in the Preparatory Committee. The top management of the company, even the top leaders, will make some speeches and statements. During the whole activity, the work of relevant departments may conflict with their daily work in time, so it is very important to win the understanding and support of all departments.
Organizing a press conference involves a lot of energy and time, and qualified enterprises can invite professional public relations companies to act as agents.
Third, determine the time, process and target management, and make feedback and adjustment.
Time control is generally expressed in the form of timetable (countdown). Pay attention to the reasonable arrangement of time and leave room at the same time. Generally speaking, the time and schedule in front should be arranged compactly to ensure that there is time to adjust, allocate and improve later.
Process management means that the whole activity is a systematic project, and all kinds of work contents and their organic combinations are interrelated, coordinated and coordinated. For example, for this activity, the agenda and specifications can only be determined if the theme content and significance are determined, the number of people can only be determined if the scale and specifications are determined, and the venue can be implemented and arranged on the spot only if the number of people is determined. Process management makes the general coordinator have a clear understanding of all parts of the whole activity, and it is easy to find out the key points, emphases and difficulties of the work, which are generally represented by program block diagrams.
Fourth, activity planning, determine the theme of the activity.
Activity planning mainly includes the following contents:
1, meeting agenda planning and arrangement
The whole process of most press conferences is talking, reading manuscripts and routine demonstrations. In fact, although the press conference is a formal meeting, it can be more active, especially the opening of the meeting.
From the product nature, routine singing and dancing is obviously not suitable. But obviously, it will be more innovative to write a drama or sketch as the opening with the dramatic experience of a mother and daughter infected with AIDS due to blood donation, and it will not destroy the style of the whole conference.
We should pay attention to compactness and consistency when arranging the agenda of the meeting. From a practical point of view, it is generally appropriate to control it for one or two hours. Especially the speaking time, the number of words in the speech should be controlled in the length of clarifying the problem, not too long or too short. In practice, 15 minutes to 20 minutes is more appropriate.
2. Theme planning
The theme of the meeting can be understood in many ways. It is common for the words "XXX Congress" to appear directly in the theme, and some themes are very large. The following are the topics, and there are also combinations of the two.
For example, this meeting can have the following three forms:
(1), corporate news conference on listing of new AIDS drugs.
(2) "Let mankind stay away from AIDS"
——A press conference on the listing of new AIDS drugs in enterprise A.
(3) "An enterprise? Stay away from AIDS "new product launch conference.
The theme will appear on the background board of the scene, and the media will often mention it, so it should be concise and catchy, and not too many words.
In addition, according to the regulations of the relevant departments of the State Press and Publication Administration, any news conference with the word "news" in its subject must be approved by the State Press and Publication Administration. Generally speaking, in practice, many enterprises will omit the word "news" and adopt other names.
In this way, the whole meeting can be a virtual simple agenda as follows:
"A company? Stay away from AIDS "new product launch conference.
Agenda table
Venue: Hall XX, Building X, Beijing International Conference Center
Time: September XX 15 (Monday X)
9: 30 am-11:30 am
9: 00-9: 15 company presentation film screening
9:15-9: 30 skit
9: 30-9: 35: The host announces the meeting and the guests introduce it.
9: 35-9: 50 President's Speech
9: 50- 10: 10 new product introduction
11:00—11:30 Answer the reporter's questions.
1 1: 30 The moderator declared the meeting closed.
Verbs (short for verb) identify participants.
Determining the participants is a very important task, and it is also a variable factor. Its change will affect the specifications and scale of the whole meeting, and then affect all the factors of the meeting. For example, the attendance and absence of important people may affect the specifications, or for convenience, arrange the meeting place or part of the meeting in the airport or VIP room, or adjust the time. Therefore, this is the "key point" of overall coordination and work control, which should be paid special attention to.
In the selection of participants, the principle of service publishing content demand, choose people with strong relevance to participate. Generally speaking, officials choose people who speak with more weight, while experts are people who have achieved or are famous in this field. The officials and experts of this conference mainly come from health, medicine, quality supervision, business administration, trade associations and academic institutions.
Patient representation is a difficult problem. Hospitals have the obligation to treat AIDS patients equally and keep them confidential. Due to conceptual reasons, few people can attend the meeting in public, but they can be found, but they need their consent. In addition, some foreign stars and movie stars are openly infected with HIV, and we can try to contact them.
Pu Cunxin, a well-known person who is enthusiastic about AIDS propaganda, can consider trying to get in touch with his agent and set a time.
Journalists are the most important part of the press conference. Generally speaking, make a list of invitations first, send out invitations one week in advance, and then implement them by phone. News events with sudden time can be made by telephone and fax. Do a good job of classified statistics after implementation. The media of this conference is divided into four parts: daily government media, evening newspapers, metropolis newspapers and other mass media, medical and health professional media and international or overseas media.
Intransitive verbs make activity plans and specific operation plans.
The activity planning case is a strategic and tactical text that guides the whole activity and is used to plan the activity. Generally speaking, it is provided by the core members of the conference.
The specific operation plan is used in enterprises or assisting public relations agencies to guide the specific operation of the whole activity, which is generally detailed, specific to everyone's every step, even to the content of badges, and the time is specific to minutes. General meeting personnel have one.
Seven. Prepare press releases and related materials
The materials provided to the media are generally in the form of advertising handbags or file bags, which are properly sorted and placed in an orderly manner, and then distributed to the news media before the press conference. The order is as follows:
1, meeting agenda
2. Press release
3. Speech
4. Company Manual
5. Related pictures
6. Souvenirs (or souvenir coupons)
7. Business card of the person in charge of enterprise news (further interview after news release, contact after news release)
The press release includes the following contents:
1, press release. The number of words is small, generally within 1000 words, and the release is fast. Some media published it less than an hour after the press conference. Some people call it a spear.
2. Newsletter. The length is long, the content is substantial, and it is generally in-depth analysis and focused reporting. Problems such as the inability to explain the background of the information can be elaborated in detail.
Generally, one piece of news is enough, while the newsletter can provide multiple pieces from different angles, and can also be expressed in the form of answering reporters' questions. Some people call it a spear.
3. Background materials.
4. Picture information.
The above information is generally provided in written form, and can also be attached in the form of computer CDs and floppy disks.
5. Important speech. A useful speech for reporters. For example, the top leaders of enterprises, leaders in charge of technology and marketing, etc. And some newsworthy representatives' speeches can also be included in journalists' information, but the standard is conducive to journalists' reporting.
6. Company brochure.
7. Materials of important persons and celebrities attending the meeting.
Eight, time selection and site implementation, site layout.
Timing is an art in news planning. Different release times have different effects.
Corporate press conferences sometimes have to avoid major events and meetings. For example, during the "two sessions", the layout was tight, and most reporters had plans, so the time could not be guaranteed. Sometimes it is necessary to approach certain opportunities, such as when the correlation is large, to play a role in taking advantage of the situation.
For example, this meeting can be held on International AIDS Awareness Day, which will have a good effect. Of course, considering the enterprise's own situation, is this opportunity worth waiting for? Can you come in time? Is it necessary? Make a decision after comprehensive analysis.
In addition, in terms of time, people generally choose days that are easy to remember, such as festivals, and some taboo days should be avoided at the beginning of 1 month and at the end of 1 month. If it is Saturday, Sunday or other holidays, you can consider the afternoon.
In site selection, the following points are generally considered comprehensively:
One is taste and style.
The venue can be outdoor or indoor, but indoor is common. Because all aspects are better matched.
Hotels have different star ratings. Judging from this conference, it is ok to choose five or four stars.
In addition, informal meetings, or products close to nature and health, can be held in summer resorts and other places.
Hotels also have different styles and different orientations, such as the Great Hall of the People and Diaoyutai State Guesthouse, which are more political, Kempinski and Hilton, which are more beautiful than Germany, and some are more athletic, such as the Asian Games Village or the Olympic Games. The style of the hotel should be consistent with the content of the meeting.
The second is practicality and economy.
How many people can this conference hall hold? How big is the podium? Projection equipment, power supply? Cover, chest microphone, remote control microphone? How about related services?
Provide accommodation, wine, food and drinks?
Is the price reasonable? Is there a waste of space?
Wait, all these have to be considered.
The third is convenience.
Distance to major media and important people, convenient transportation and convenient parking?
Site layout, including the following main contents:
1, background layout. There are themes and meeting dates on the theme background board, and some will write down the host city. Colors and fonts are beautiful and generous, and colors can be based on enterprise VI.
2. The peripheral layout of the hotel, such as banners, vertical banners, floating balloons, arched doors, etc. Depending on the hotel, some are allowed and some are not allowed.
3. Placement of seats.
Placement: the general press conference is placed on the rostrum, the desk is placed below, and some informal and discussion meetings are placed on the round table. Pay attention to determine the rostrum personnel. However, at present, many meetings adopt the way that the podium only has chairs and speakers' seats, and the guests sit in the first row below.
Resettlement principle: "the person with high position is in the front, and the person with one's own side is in the back."
This meeting can be arranged as follows:
(1) Row 1 and Row 2: VIPs and business leaders. Those with high status are often in the middle and front. If there are many people, you can consider two rows, and the farthest position is vacant. If necessary, there are seat cards, indicating the names of distinguished guests and business leaders, and sometimes the units and positions.
(2) Below the third row are several rows: the press gallery, where TV reporters are arranged in the front as far as possible. On the side of the passage, the camera can face the rostrum or scan the venue below.
(3) Competing for dealer seats again.
(4) ordinary employees of the company and the public gallery.
Pay attention to the reservation of seats. Generally, there will be some seats without tables in the back.
4. Relevant equipment should be debugged repeatedly before the meeting to ensure that there is no fault.
5. Check-in and welcome: generally, there are welcome signs guiding and instructing in the lobby, elevator entrance and corner, and this service is available in general hotels. Please welcome the hostess in advance.
In the general meeting, participants are asked to leave their business cards and prepare a box of "Please give your business card".
Nine, on-site control.
Field control is a part of the overall coordinator's adaptability. In fact, a good coordinator will do a good job first: first, prevent the occurrence of variables. For example, do some training at ordinary times and do some rehearsals beforehand. From a practical point of view, the sudden change of the scene is often due to poor communication, thoughtless consideration and poor courtesy. Emphasis should be placed on these aspects; Secondly, we should prepare alternatives in advance; Thirdly, pay attention to the accumulation of flexible handling skills on the spot.
The coming officials and dealers should accompany and communicate with each other, and the reporters should be treated equally. Some information should not be disclosed to media A but kept confidential to media B. Generally, it is not appropriate for reporters to tell others the news dug up by themselves.
In the control of the atmosphere, the general coordinator is in a balanced "center of gravity", the atmosphere is relaxed and lively, and the participants' mood will be comfortable. Another important factor is the host. It would be better if I hosted it myself, but I was often too busy. Therefore, in the press conference, you need to arrange some things in advance and fully communicate with the host in advance, so that he or she can have a general understanding and grasp of the style of the whole meeting.
In the process of product demonstration and explanation, we can use some modern scientific and technological means, combined with well-made schematic diagrams, three-dimensional graphics, videos, slides and so on. To help participants understand.
When answering a reporter's question, generally speaking, a main respondent is responsible for answering, and if necessary, if it involves professional issues, there will be other people to assist.
At home, most journalists don't ask difficult questions, and sometimes even well-meaning questions are rarely involved, which often feels too exciting. In fact, asking questions can reflect the breadth and depth of the reporter's understanding and grasp of the content of the meeting. It is the controversial points, key points, difficulties and "points" put forward by reporters from the standpoint of the public, which is more conducive to communication.
The outline of the reporter's question-and-answer memorandum will be prepared before the press conference, and an agreement will be reached in advance, especially for the main and auxiliary questioners.
In the process of press conference, you should seriously answer the reporter's questions, politely stop irrelevant or lengthy questions, and directly and politely say the questions involving corporate secrets. Generally speaking, reporters can understand and others can answer politely. It is not appropriate to take a "no comment" approach. For complex questions that need a lot of explanation, you can simply answer the main points first and then invite them to discuss after the meeting.
The whole meeting should have a formal conclusion. If the conference is scheduled to end at 1 1: 30, there should be a luncheon reception or buffet banquet. At the end of the meeting, the host will inform the time and place.
After the press conference and before the banquet, more in-depth interviews are usually arranged in the VIP room.
It is worth noting that the press conference is more complicated and different, and there are still many details that cannot be reflected here. This is just a method, and more readers need to experience it in practice.