Event PR
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Event PR earns press coverage for a festival, conference, concert, fundraiser, author event, or premiere by announcing it early, pitching it widely, and following up after the day.
Susan von Seggern built her events PR framework through decades of PR and hundreds of events, and PR News interviewed her about it. She combines media outreach, press releases, lead monitoring, and event tactics into one individualized campaign for each event.
You get event coverage by giving journalists news before the event, access during it, and material after it. In practice that means an exclusive or pre-brief announcement, a release serviced by email to targeted contacts, listings and hyper-local pitches, podcast and interview pitching for producers and speakers, and a press invitation.
Events also create their own story. The CONTACT in the DESERT release, for example, opened with a 2016 sighting at the event that was covered by the Daily Express and Coast to Coast AM, giving press a reason to return the following year. Strong hooks like that are what Susan looks for when she plans a campaign.
Evidence
A three-mile parade on Hollywood Boulevard with over 30 bands, a Carnival Culture Village at Highland Avenue, and six related events around LA from June 22 to 25.
A conference at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, May 19 to 22, described in the release as the largest UFO conference in the US, with more than 30 paid workshops.
A music showcase luncheon at Bardot, a film festival screening at the Lyric Hyperion in Silver Lake, and free panels at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
A community-powered fashion show and sale presented by The HER Group, with runway lines, live painting, VJs and DJs, held October 19.
Over thirty national launch events, including an AFP Golden Gate Chapter celebration at the California Academy of Sciences and a reading at Book Passage.
Figures as stated on susanvonseggern.com, as of November 2026. “Hundreds of events” is her own description of her event PR work.
Event PR is the publicity work around a live gathering: turning the date, lineup, and venue into news, inviting press, and converting the day into coverage. Susan von Seggern's version also uses events as a PR tool for clients who are not event producers, through sponsorships and media intro events.
Formats
| Format | What it is | Typical fit |
|---|---|---|
| Large celebrity and media event | A produced event built to attract press and notable guests | Festival launches, premieres, major openings |
| Small media intro event | A cocktail hour or luncheon introducing a client to journalists | Galleries, new ventures, companies building press relationships |
| Event sponsorship | Placing a brand inside someone else’s event | Companies supporting festivals and cultural programs |
| Conference exhibit or talk | Exhibiting or speaking where media and buyers gather | Companies, authors, experts with a point of view |
| Gifting event or gift bag | Exhibiting at gifting events or including product in gift bags | Consumer products and designers |
Procedure
Identify what is new: the lineup, the first-ever, the cause, the visuals, or the story behind the event.
Give a key outlet the news first, then service the release to a wider media list by email.
Pitch listings, hyper-local outlets, podcasts, and interviews with organizers, speakers, and performers.
Invite journalists to attend, support them on the day, and follow up afterward for coverage.
Company sponsoring an event rather than producing one? See corporate and sponsor PR, or return to the arts PR Los Angeles overview.
Send the date, venue, lineup and goals. The earlier the inquiry, the more room for an exclusive.
FAQ
Inviting press is a core part of event PR, though attendance is never guaranteed. Susan von Seggern’s events framework covers large celebrity and media events as well as smaller media intro events such as cocktail hours and luncheons, which give journalists a reason to meet a client in person. Strong visuals, access, and timing all improve the odds.
As early as you can. Many outlets plan coverage well ahead, and listings, previews, and interviews need time to land. Bringing in a publicist before dates, venue, and lineup are public leaves room for an exclusive or pre-brief announcement. Confirm the specific lead time your event needs with Susan von Seggern when you inquire.
A media intro event is a small gathering, such as a cocktail hour or luncheon, that introduces a client to journalists in a relaxed setting. Susan von Seggern lists it alongside large-scale celebrity and media events among her event PR options. It suits galleries, companies, and new ventures that want lasting press relationships rather than a single headline.
Yes, as PR tactics. Susan von Seggern’s events pillar includes event sponsorships, exhibiting or speaking at conferences, exhibiting at gifting events, and gift bag inclusions. These put a brand in front of attendees and media at someone else’s event, which can cost less than producing an event of your own while still creating a story to pitch.
The main drivers are the weeks of outreach, the number of announcements, whether a release goes on a newswire, and the event format. A large celebrity and media event takes more production than a small press luncheon. Sponsorship, conference exhibit, and gifting event fees are paid to the organizer and sit outside the cost of PR time.
Yes. Susan is based in Los Angeles, but releases on her site include events in Joshua Tree, Indian Wells, and the San Francisco Bay Area, plus clients in Miami, London, Iceland, and Cambridge, England. Media outreach and press releases reach national and trade outlets from anywhere. Ask about on-site support if your event needs it.
Published by Susan von Seggern