Here are Promotion Options open to you in promoting your Symposium. 

Choose those that work best for you and your team in your area.  Remember: Promotion becomes most effective when people see or hear the same message delivered through different channels.

Host Action

Host Invitations

If there is a host individual or organization for the event, this will be the single most effective method for building an audience. Help the host(s) to translate their enthusiasm for the event into personal invitations to their own friends and communities. Help them use personal invitations, emails, letters and phone calls and support them in their efforts.

Effectiveness: A+

Time: Low, but vital

Cost: Free

Personal Action

Invitations to Personal Contacts

Invite your personal contacts, in person or by telephone. Then send an e-mail with the Symposium flier as an attachment. Follow up by phone a few days later, making sure you get hold of them and allow them to make a decision about it.

Effectiveness: A+

Time: Low

Cost: Nearly free (only the cost of the calls)

E-Invitations to Local ATD mailing list

Send e-mails to past ATD participants in your area to elicit referrals. Hopefully they have been tracked and you can use the e-mail list (check with your community group about this status). The e-mail should inform them of the upcoming Symposium—and ask them to refer some friends or colleagues by making a direct personal invitation.

Request that they send you specific names with phone numbers and e-mail addresses. You then can follow up with them by phone a few days later and send an individual e-mail to the referrals (mentioning who referred them to you), attaching a Symposium flier, if required to help them decide.

Effectiveness: A

Time: High

Cost: Nearly free (only the cost of the calls)

Invitations to Allied Organizations

Send e-mail invitations with the Symposium flier as an attachment to everyone you know in organizations that are, or might be, sympathetic to our aims. Make reference to our alignment with their aims and refer to any experience any of their colleagues/fellow members might have had with the Symposium. Follow up by phone to help them decide.

Effectiveness: A

Time: High

Cost: Nearly free (only the cost of the calls)

Personal Networking at related events

Make a point of attending related events (environment, social justice, etc.), with fliers and cards available. Be high intentioned to meet and network with others. Let them know about the Symposium (have your elevator speech down). Get their business card, and if they indicate interest, follow up by phone.

Effectiveness: B+

Time: Medium

Cost: Nearly free

Announcements at related events

Talk to the event producer of a related event in advance to see if they would be willing for you to make an announcement about the Symposium, including where people can go to pick up materials (e.g. at the back table). Even better, have the announcement made by a supportive emcee or event producer.

Effectiveness: B

Time: Low

Cost: Free

Flier posting

Post fliers in your local area on kiosks and other prominent, high traffic areas. Ask in stores (yoga and dance classes, schools, etc.) to post in prominent windows.

Effectiveness: C-

Time: Medium

Cost: Medium (the cost of fhe posters)

Media Action

Website calendar listings 

There are many events calendars on the web as well as many group e-mail services with event schedules. Find out how to connect with these calendars in your area by asking others who have promoted events before. Calendar listings often have a basic required format (see template below).

Effectiveness: B

Time: Low

Cost: Free

Newspaper calendar listings

You should submit a basic calendar listing to any local newspapers. See template below for sample calendar listings.

Effectiveness: C+

Time: Low

Cost: Free

Press releases

Prepare a good release based on the template (see below) and adding any relevant information to your time and place: topical concerns, local concerns, and unusual angles. It is best to get hold of a media contact list for press releases, PSAs and newspaper calendar listings; a colleague that has promoted events before may be able to share a list with you, otherwise a public relations person should have this list. Note: it takes persistence in doing phone follow up to get press releases to be noticed and acted on, given the high volume that are submitted every day.

Effectiveness: C

Time: Medium

Cost: Free