Those of you exhibiting at E3 this week have probably spent the past months working your butts off to secure press meetings. Having been through this process many times for my clients, I know how much work booking each meeting takes. Because of this, I also know how frustrating it is when a meeting doesn’t show. The unfortunate truth is that no-shows are inevitable at big events, however, sending simple email reminders can decrease their chances.
 

Press Meeting Reminder Template

Over the years, I have developed an effective press meeting email reminder template. It is short, but informative, and when I use it, I see a noticeable decrease in the number of no-shows I get at an event. Typically, I’ll use this template to send email reminders to press contacts the day before their meetings are scheduled. Below I have shared this template with you, as well as further detail on its important elements.
 

Press Meeting Email Reminder Template Elements

• Subject Line: Keeping the subject line short, but relevant helps with recall/recognition. This is especially true if you don’t keep regular communication with press contacts, or haven’t spoken with them since you booked their meetings weeks ago. To get your email’s purpose through the mountains of email your contacts are sure to receive during the week of the event, include your game’s name, the name of the event you’re meeting at and what you’re meeting about. For example, “Klang E3 demo tomorrow [Reminder].”
• Date, Time and Location: Including specific details, like when and where the meeting is scheduled, is critical. These details give press contacts clear instructions as to where to go to easily find you, as well as how long is needed between meetings to get to you by their scheduled time. If you’re meeting at your booth, don’t forget to include your booth number and/or nearby landmarks.
• Who They’re meeting With: Verifying who press contacts are meeting with, as well as what roles those people play in your company, helps contacts prep for meetings. Allowing this prep time can make for a more interesting meeting, as press can plan out questions and story angles beforehand.
• A Cancellation Plan: You are going to get cancellations. It happens at every show and when it happens to you, it’s better to be prepared than taken off guard. The last sentence of the email template is not intended to encourage press contacts to cancel an appointment, but rather encourage them to contact you first if they must cancel. This affords you the opportunity to work with your contacts to reschedule during the show instead of missing an opportunity all together.
• Your Contact Info: If you’re going to ask press contacts to reach out if they can’t make an appointment, include the best way to get in touch. Most press will reply via email, however, it’s wise to list your phone number as a back up. With reception and Internet often being spotty at shows, texting is a good alternative to emailing.

While press meeting email reminders may seem obvious and simple, it’s easy to forget to send them in the chaotic days leading up to and during an event. It can be just as easy for press contacts to lose track of your meeting in the gazillion of other meetings they have scheduled. Help decrease your number of no-shows while making things easier for you and the press contacts you’re meeting with by planning ahead and taking the time to send email reminders.