PRs and Event Organizers

CONTRARY to common belief PRs or public relations consultants are not event organizers and vice versa. Although a PR practitioner can do event organizing as part of his efforts at promoting publicity.

As a PR specializing in publicity I usually tap the expertise of a full-time event organizer for my clients’ needs. That way, events will be in the hands of experts and my concentration with publicity efforts will remain unhampered.

For clients who have little budget and shriek at the cost of hiring event organizers, I do my share – but still more on a consultancy basis and most of the legwork done by the clients themselves. Most of the events that I do handle, with close coordination with my clients, are press and broadcast media conferences. Even with product launchings, I prefer to tap out-source event organizers.

Cebu abounds with event organizers more than publicists. These event organizers have their own preferred expertise as well. Some organizers specialize in concerts, some in fashion shows. Others specialize in trade shows and conventions. Some others do weddings and debuts, others contests – beauty contests, students contests, etc.
In this highly dynamic era, specialty is the name of the game. Being a jack-of-all-trades more and more makes one a master of none. So I have high regard for experts in their own chosen field. Event organizing requires a lot of legwork and manual labor. From planning to implementation and after-event work, event organizing is tedious to say the least.

Event organizing requires knowledge in stage management and direction. Choreography even plays a key role here. Stage decoration is another aspect and props creation is definitely not my cup of tea. The technical aspect is another thing – lights, sounds, wirings, cables – they all get jumbled up in my hands alone. There are plenty of people who can do much better.

Event organizing is very sensitive as well. One small act of neglect or omission can spell disaster. That’s why experience is a treasure here, thus more experienced event organizers are true gems.
And where does publicity come in? By making these high-costing events worthwhile. More often than not companies expend lots of time and money organizing events that fail to achieve the desired result. This can be avoided by a thorough and well-coordinated publicity plan.
In fact, events should be supports for successful publicity programs – not the other way around.

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April May Tudtud-Ramos is an out-source corporate publicist since 1999. She is also an Advanced Communicator of Toastmasters International affiliated with the Queen City Toastmasters Club. For comments send e-messages to apriltudtudramos@yahoo.com.