An event press release is like an exclusive invite to the hottest party.

Its purpose? To get people hyped.

Some examples of events that can warrant a press release include:

• New branch openings

• Gallery showings

• Moving screenings

• Charity fundraisers

• Concerts and theater shows

• Video game release parties

Well-executed events are an amazing way to let your brand shine.

Whether it's a release party for an upcoming album, a conference celebrating your industry's newest innovations, or a play featuring an up-and-coming cast, one thing's for sure – the event invite has got to sparkle if it's going to win any coverage.

What is an event press release?

An event press release is pretty much what it sounds like: an announcement letting the world know about an event that will soon be happening. Presumably an event you are planning, as making press releases for other peoples’ events is pretty weird. 

There are essentially no limits on the type of event press releases you can send. Whether it's a big to-do or a small, intimate shindig, if you think the people will want to know (and think the press will pick it up), send out an event PR!

However, a press release for an event is not just an advertisement. There are social posts, flyers, radio ads, and skywriters for that. No, no.

An event press release is to get the media hyped for your event. See, if they’re excited about your event, and if they see the newsworthy potential, they’ll turn around and share it with their audiences.

And that, my friend, is a recipe for success (and earned media).

Event press releases are pretty straightforward and easy to execute but tricky to perfect. Of course, the who, what, when, where, and why should all be included.

There’s literally no point to an event press release if you’re not going to tell the people where to sign up, when the event is, how many circus clowns will be in attendance. You know, the basics.

But the real purpose of an event press release is the hype. You want people excited about your shindig. You want people RSVPing at a lightning pace. And, of course, you want the media to pick it up and tell their audiences.

What is the best way to do that? Show, don’t tell. Visuals are far more effective than plain text at getting people excited about, well, literally anything, but definitely an event. Including an online press kit of high-quality visuals is key to getting media attention for your fete. 

A good event press release will share the facts. A great event press release will communicate excitement and energy.

If you’d like a more in-depth breakdown of all the nuts and bolts of event press release drafting, take a gander at this handy dandy event PR guide. 

Event press release template & recommended layout

Creating a template for an event press release is sort of like creating a template for a book or a song. It’s going to change so much that outlining is borderline pointless.

But SEO has told us that the people want a template, and who are we to disappoint the algorithm?

So, without further ado, here is a solid event press release template that you are free to use, copy, destroy, malign, or adapt in any way you deem necessary ->

Yeah. This is, uh, fine. 

Did it sparkle? Were hearts touched and minds melted? Not really.

That’s why we at Prezly are such sticklers about having a useful but beautiful newsroom full of all of your best press releases, where you can stun the media with your glorious, downloadable assets and tons of multimedia, all showcased with your beautiful, branded aesthetic.

Events press release template to the right ->

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

[Date]

[Grabby, evocative headline about the event]

[City, State] – [Organization] is thrilled to announce [insert details about the event that you’re excited to announce].

[Insert all the pertinent details about the event: 

- Who is going to be featured and what will be discussed

- The target audience

- The time, date, location, entry cost, and relevant event/transportation details]

To register for [event] or learn more, visit [event website or registration link]. 

For media inquiries or additional information, please contact:

[Media Contact Name]

[Email]

[Phone number]

[Boilerplate info about the organization]

How to get the word out about your event press release?

Now that you've written your event press release, how are people supposed to find it?

You can certainly buy a media list, but should you? We're not so sure. In fact, we'd almost wager money (or our entire business model) on the idea that a personalized pitching approach is highly preferred by literally every media contact.

Who you contact is almost as important as how you contact them. Instead of blinding emailing a bunch of harried reporters and blasting them with a bunch of bloated PDFs of an event they may or may not care about, why not send them a thoughtful pitch email with a link to your aforementioned curated newsroom full of the best downloadable assets? Again, not that we know anything about that. 👀

Why are event press releases important?

Technically speaking, you don't need an event press release. You could absolutely have an event, do some traditional advertising, buy a few billboards, send out paper and email invites, and just do the thing. In fact, many organizations and brands run their events exactly like this.

An event press release is effective because it gets the media to pick up your event and distribute it to their audiences. Press releases, in all shapes and forms, are meant to garner earned media. It's sort of a shortcut or lifehack because then the newspapers do the advertising for you. Your email distribution list might reach a few hundred or even if you thousand people, but the average news publication can reach way, way more.

So yeah, you don't need an event PR. The world won't stop spinning. But it is a nifty, strategic form of advertising, and we at Prezly certainly love a good strategy.

When to send an event press release?

The rule of thumb for when to send a press release often boils down to: the sooner the better. This is another way in which event press releases are different from event advertising. You don't want to advertise an event with too much notice, or the hype will fizzle, and, frankly, people will forget.

But a press release is meant to capture media distribution, and often media calendars are scheduled far in advance. If you message your journalist friends too late, they'll likely already have their content already planned, written, and ready to go.

Generally speaking, event press releases should be sent two weeks to two months in advance, if possible. However, part of the ✨ magic ✨ of building media relations is having, you know, an actual relationship. And with that relationship comes the ability to ask your trusty journalist friends when and how they'd like to be pitched. Because of the interpersonal connection and all.

Wrapping Up

Your event press release is the first impression of your shindig, so make it a good one. Try Prezly today for free with a no-hassle (and no credit card) trial to see if it's a great fit for your event PR needs.

Here's to all your future events being a huge success! 🎉