Making the Most of a Media Event

Whether you call it a “media gathering,” a “junket,” a “writers conference” or something else, you know that you’ve been noticed as a member of the outdoor media when companies start inviting you to meet with their staff and discuss their projects. Of course, this obvious quid pro quo is fraught with potential conflicts of interest, but I’m proud to say that most members of our industry handle them ethically.

Once you get on the list, you’d be surprised at how many days each year you can spend getting wined and dined and receiving free hats and lures. In fact, there seem to be a handful of writers who spend their time “making the circuit.” Others go to just one or two a year. That’s the conundrum that I find myself in. With a full-time job and limited vacation time, I’ve had to turn down lots of great opportunities. It forces me to be judicious in which ones I attend.

Once you’ve been invited and you’ve decided to attend, there are still some steps you can take to make it worthwhile for you, the company putting on the event, and the anglers who attend. Here are some of the factors to consider:

Ask What is Covered

Oftentimes the organizing company will cover everything from the time you leave the house until the time you get home – from gas or airfare to lodging to food. Usually they’re quite generous because it’s in their best interest for you to be comfortable and happy. Just confirm ahead of time so that there are no surprises when it’s too late.

Try to Get a Sense of What They Expect

If they’ve invited you, they certainly know what type of content you produce, and for whom, but they might be looking for very specific highlights. Perhaps they’re introducing a new product or they want one of their younger anglers to get some ink. Don’t make any promises that you can’t or won’t keep, but try to outline what you intend to produce.

Will There Be Fishing?

This may seem like a dumb question, but I’ve been to an event where they shuffled each writer from angler to angler for brief periods of time. The angler may fish, the writer may not, or you end up fishing very little. That may be ideal for some writers who want to gather content every minute, but if I’m going to a premier fishery I want to wet a line. I won’t go otherwise.

If You Can’t Go

Maybe the event conflicts with an existing obligation, or you don’t have any vacation time left, but if you can’t go that doesn’t mean you can’t produce. Ask what products they’ll be featuring or which anglers need some press. Ask for a Zoom session describing the new products. Make it clear that you want to be invited in the future and that you’re a go-getter.

Go In With a Plan

Keep yourself open to stories and information that might arise unexpectedly, but go into the trip with some sort of assignment or concept that you’ll pursue. That way if nothing else comes up, you’ll have something to show for your efforts. 

Build Relationships In Addition to Stories

Yes, they’re inviting you because they want you to write about their products or their anglers, but you want this effort to have a long tail. That means getting to know the people there. Don’t hesitate to ask if there’s an empty seat at the personalities’ dinner table  and try not to be the person who returns to their room immediately after dinner. You want to get to know them so that when you have a need in the future you can call and they’ll know who you are.

Get What You Don’t Have

As a non-photographer who is not at many major events, I struggle to have images to accompany my articles. That’s why when I attend a media event I try to get as many as I can, even if they’re just phone pics to illustrate a concept or product. Don’t hesitate to ask someone to stop for the photo – that’s part of their job.

Don’t Be “That Guy”

This is a time to get comfortable around new people and get to know them, but you don’t want them to remember you for making an ass of yourself. There may be alcoholic beverages – try to exercise moderation – and resist talking about irrelevant controversial topics or picking an argument with anyone else.

Get to Know the Other Writers

You may be starstruck by spending time with a Kevin VanDam or Skeet Reese, but don’t spend all of your energy fawning over them like a fanboy. First, it’s creepy. Second, it pays to get to know the other writers or media personalities at the event. I have a close circle of writers, some of whom I never would have met but for these get-togethers, who I rely upon for all sorts of information – rates, who is good to work with, industry gossip.

Send the Results

Want to get invited back? Produce something as the result of the trip. When the articles or YouTube videos go live, email them to everyone who was involved. If there’s going to be a long lead time between submission and publication, let them know that they can expect something in the future – so they don’t develop the idea that you were just there for a good time.