5 Reasons Why Meeting In-person is so Important for Comms Pros and Journalists
Comms pros from across the country came to London last week to join Off the Record's first live event.
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I was reminded of the joy of meeting people in the flesh last week when more than 50 of you came along to our inaugural Off the Record live event.
I’ll be honest, I’d been a little apprehensive beforehand. Just normal concerns ahead of a new venture: who will turn up, how will the panel of experts go down with the audience, will we get enough questions and what will people think?
Suffice to say, my fears were misplaced. The place was buzzing, everyone was engaged with great questions and incisive answers from a fantastic panel of journalists. And best of all? The networking afterwards, where journalists and PRs mixed freely with a glass of something in their hand, discussing the serious matters of the day – and also plenty of easy banter and chat.
Thanks to everyone who came along – Steph and I appreciate the support so much.
But it also made me think about why those times we get to meet fellow professionals are good to do. They are interesting and thought-provoking and they lead to more opportunities and better relationships.
Look, I know in our post-covid digital world that dragging ourselves into an office can be hard work. And even at my age there can be a bit of apprehension when meeting new people.
But at a time when it sometimes feels we are all in our individual silos (and with AI set to automate so much of the workplace) it’s important to remember the very real benefits of human contact. So here are a few thoughts, just to remind you why the personal touch is so important.
Building trust and credibility: Journalists receive hundreds of pitches every week. Meeting face-to-face helps a PR professional become a known, trusted source rather than just another email address. Believe me, it can absolutely make a difference.
Understanding what journalists actually need: The danger can be PR teams pitch stories they think are interesting rather than stories journalists need.
