Meet and Learn from Top Tea Editors at World Tea Expo

Attend This Powerhouse Panel Session in Las Vegas, June 16 from 8–9:30 a.m., Room S230 WTE Press Panel 2016 - Working with the Media - Promo for Social Media lo-resAre you a tea business looking to generate publicity in the trade press or on a blog? Have you tried to do it yourself, but you’re not quite getting the results you desire? Perhaps you have a PR professional and are generating some great attention in the press. But more than likely you don’t have a PR pro on staff and are attempting a campaign yourself – guerilla marketing style – and failing because of common mistakes. Yes, in PR there are standards, dos and don’ts, and best practices for working with the media. In this one-of-a-kind learning experience, you’ll hear directly from a panel of top editors and industry writers. These journalists will give an overview about their media outlet and the types of stories they like to cover. They’ll give insights on how to best approach them and pitch stories. You’ll learn bad PR (mistakes to avoid) and good PR (the right way to build a relationship with an editor, journalist or blogger). And you’ll get valuable insights that will help your organization generate publicity now and in the future – all to build the image and credibility of your organization, reach your target audiences, support search engine visibility and make you stand out from your competitors. Panelists in this session include the following professionals: Gail Gastelu, publisher/editor of The Tea House Times (panel co-moderator), will highlight the importance of taking the time to do things right when it comes to PR and working with the media. Jan Weigel, publisher, Fresh Cup Magazine, will focus on building a relationship with a magazine or member of the press, whether you’re working with an editor, writer or folks on the business side (advertising, publisher). She’ll offer her best tips and advice for building a positive relationship. Vanessa Facenda, editor-in-chief, Tea & Coffee Trade Journal, will reveal specific dos and don’ts of working with an editor. She’ll offer examples of the little things that make a big difference and examples of what not to do. Lorna Reeves, editor, TeaTime magazine, will cover knowing the audience. Reeves will talk about the importance of getting to know a magazine or media outlet before you pitch. She’ll point out how the magazines on the panel have different areas of focus and audiences. She’ll talk about what TeaTime covers and what it doesn’t, and she’ll share stories of what people have done right and have done wrong when pitching her story ideas. Linda Gaylard, blogger/tea sommelier, The Tea Stylist blog, will help attendees get into the mindset of a blogger. She’ll touch on giving your story pitch a twist, how bloggers have more freedom in their coverage and the importance of social media to a blogger. She’ll also suggest the importance of looking for and reading a blogger’s policy statement, plus other key tips and advice. Kathy YL Chan, freelance Journalist, Condé Nast Traveler, The Ritz-Carlton Magazine, etc., will give a brief overview of the life of a freelance journalist. Then she’ll focus on developing worthwhile/exclusive story angles. She’ll talk about it from both a writer pitching to an editor perspective and also how tea businesses can do their part to help the writer in this. Scott Reitz, freelance journalist, will point out the value of building a relationship with a reporter or freelancer, as you never know where they may end up. For example, Reitz was working at the Dallas Observer as a food critic and now he writes for LA Weekly and is a freelancer. A relationship with a journalist can carry over to wherever that journalist works next. He’ll also focus on the local angle when it comes to a pitch. Dan Bolton, publisher/editor, Tea Journey magazine, World Tea News and STiR magazine, will give a brief overview of the Tea Journey magazine launch (what it covers, what story ideas they’d like to hear, etc.) and talk about the magazine’s recent and successful Kickstarter campaign. He’ll touch on World Tea News and STiR, and discuss how to be authentic when you’re pitching or telling a story to an editor (you don’t want to be an overly promotional hype machine). He’ll also point out some things to think about if you’re working with a millennial editor or reporter.
Panel moderator Aaron Kiel
Panel moderator Aaron Kiel
Aaron Kiel, ak PR Group, PR for World Tea Expo, will moderate the panel, which will include a Q&A portion at the end of the editors’ presentations. To register or learn more about World Tea Expo, visit WorldTeaExpo.com.