A day in the life managing a Press Office at a congress
At Beyond, managing press and media activities for international medical congresses is a core focus of our dedicated Medical Societies Team. With a successful track record of supporting multiple societies in running effective Press Offices over the past decade, we understand the critical role our work plays in ensuring the congress’s scientific content and stories reach the right audience and leave a lasting impression.
While each congress presents unique challenges, and no two Press Offices are the same, one thing is for certain: our team is ready to handle whatever comes our way!
Let us take you behind the scenes to show you what a day might look like when managing a busy Press Office.
Morning
The day starts bright and early, as we arrive at the congress centre and head straight to the Press Office to set up for the day. We always make sure to get there before the press to ensure they are welcomed, can collect their badges, and have any questions answered. These questions can range from technical support, such as helping journalists log into the virtual platform, to guiding them to the scientific sessions they wish to attend or connecting them with key experts at the congress for interviews and commentary on their stories.
While handling in-person requests, our team also closely monitors the dedicated press inbox we oversee. In the lead-up to the congress, we typically produce and pitch embargoed press releases covering the most anticipated topics being presented. As the day of the presentation approaches, we often receive a flurry of requests from journalists seeking interviews and additional information. Our top priority is to provide timely, accurate responses, so journalists can break their stories on the day the abstract is being presented.
We also keep track of the coverage of each press release as the embargo lifts, providing our client with an overview each day to showcase the story’s impact and mentions of the congress in high-profile publications.
As all this happens, our team remains busy with a wide variety of other activities, including the filming of onsite interviews with selected presenters to discuss the most exciting aspects of their study, the production of daily recaps that provide a written overview of the day’s sessions, and live social media reporting of key congress events and presentations.
Afternoon
After breaking for lunch and taking the opportunity to wander around the congress centre to see all the exciting activities going on, it’s back to the Press Office for the second half of the day.
This usually involves checking in with onsite journalists to offer support where needed, responding to requests that have come through the inbox and preparing for the next day.
Our preparations can include editing the interviews filmed that day, writing and scheduling social media copy to accompany them, and reviewing the daily recaps produced by our specialist medical writers to ensure they are ready to be posted as soon as the day concludes.
We may also begin developing a Congress Review – a 20–30-page designed document offering a comprehensive overview of the meeting. Published about a week after the congress, we will begin drafting the copy onsite, selecting photos and briefing our creative team to ensure it’s ready for a quick turnaround.
Once the day ends and we close the Press Office, it’s time to focus on one very important final task: deciding where our team should go for dinner in the European city that we’re in!
Over the course of 2024, we achieved over 7,500 pieces of media coverage as a result of our medical society congress work, from targeted healthcare publications to the front pages of global media outlets.
Want to hear more about our press and media work for medical societies? Get in touch by contacting: hello@beyondpr.com