How to Write a Press Release for an Event: A Master Blueprint

Events are a fabulous way to make your brand shine. They connect you directly with your customers and bring your message to life in a way they’ll never forget. But a simple newsletter and X post aren’t always enough to draw in the crowds. An event press release spreads the buzz across a broader, more diverse audience.

Not sure how to write a press release for an event? No sweat. As your content writing besties, Lyon Content is here to help you craft kickass announcements that draw in legions of fans and make your brand events the talk of the town. 📣

We picked the brain of CEO, founder, and pack leader Christina Lyon to deliver pro tips, examples, templates, and more to help you write an event press release that’s sure to make waves.

Types of Event Press Releases

Event press releases typically fall into four main categories:

1. Upcoming invitation-only events: These press releases invite journalists to closed (or exclusive) events or announce their scheduled happening.

2. Recaps of recent closed events: These detail private events that took place, highlighting newsworthy aspects despite not being open to the public.

3. Promotion of upcoming public events: These aim to leverage media outlets to attract a wide audience, like a charity function or major sales event.

4. Recaps of recent open events: These give a rundown of recent public events, focusing on their key moments and overall impact.

Let’s take a closer look at their must-have elements. 🔍

What to Include in an Event Press Release

Part of learning how to write a great press release for an event lies in striking the right balance between excitement and information. 

via GIPHY

You’ll want to make sure your press release includes:

✓ SEO

If you want to optimize your event press release for search (and come on, why wouldn’t you?), you’ll need:

• An SEO title tag (approximately 50-60 characters long)
• A meta description (approximately 150-160 characters long)
• Keywords related to your event and industry
• A few high-quality internal links
• Skimmable format (Headings, subheadings, bullets, etc.)

✓An Irresistible Headline

Craft a headline that’s succinct and captivating, capturing your event’s essence at a glance. This is prime real estate to steal attention, so make every character count toward persuading the media of its newsworthiness.

✓ Release Date + Name and Date of Your Event

In a standard press release, this would be the date you’re ready to launch your big announcement into the public eye. For an event press release, however, you want to highlight your event name and date most prominently. 

✓A Can’t-Ignore Lead

This is your moment to tease what makes your event a must-see for your media contacts. But remember, you’re not writing fun, punchy website content that puts your biz on a pedestal. Here, Christina emphasizes you’ll want to stay objective:

“While your news may be groundbreaking, if you write with bias skewed to how great your business is, you’re going to dim your credibility. Write objectively, and lead with a strong hook that compels journalists to learn more.”

✓ Event Details

Drop all the important details about your event, such as:

• The purpose of the event 
• Location address/parking info
• Dress code (if applicable)
• Web address and access code (for digital events)
• Ticketing information

✓ Contact information

Who can audiences contact if they have questions about the event? Make sure to include the following:

• Contact person/agency
• Phone number
• Email address
• Social media handles

✓ Include relevant visuals or quotes

Here’s the perfect spot to include quotes, pepper in relevant photos, or share highlights of previous events, all designed to draw audiences into the experience.

✓ Boilerplate

Wrap up your event press release with your brand’s boilerplate – a concise description that captures your brand’s essence. Don’t forget to add your logo, website, and social media links for easy access and brand recognition.

✓ ###

Place 3 pound signs (###) at the very bottom of your press release, following your boilerplate. This serves as a clear indicator to media outlets that they’ve come to the end of your announcement.

For a deeper dive into how to write, send, and execute a press release, peep our extensive guide here.

Examples of Real-Life Event Press Releases

The best way to learn how to write a press release for an event? Examples, examples, and more examples. 

Here are a few different types of event press releases to get your creative juices flowing:

1. Fashion and Lifestyle Showcase Event

This press release announces a fashion and lifestyle showcase focused on sustainable and local textile fashion:

2. Product Promotion + Brand Collaboration Event

Here’s an example of a press release announcing a special collaboration event, the FOLLEA Sip & Style, between Daniel Alain and a local salon:

3. Entertainment Event

This press release announces the launch of a new season of “Dr. 90210” on E! Entertainment, featuring Dr. Cat Begovic as a surgeon-to-the-stars:

While each of these press releases is distinct, they all adhere to the same foundational principles. Christina weighs in:

“All press releases should be unique. So, for instance, if you’re hosting a fundraising gala rather than a merger celebration, you still want to follow the same professional structure as an event press release. What changes are the details and key information, but it should still maintain the same level of professionalism,” she says.

Event Press Release Template

Ready to write a press release announcing your next event? We’ve got you covered with some easy-to-follow press release templates:

Template 1: Open Event Press Release

Click here to edit this template in Canva. 

Template 2: Closed Event Press Release

Click here to edit this template in Canva. 

How to Make Sure Your Event Press Release is Effective 

The goal of your press release is twofold: snag some stellar media coverage for your brand and reel in attendees. All of this helps you connect with your community and, ideally, ramp up loyalty and sales. 

Here are some insider tips for turning your event press release into a media sensation:

Build a relevant media list

Create a curated list of journalists and media outlets that align with your event’s theme and audience. This’ll ensure your press release goes directly to those most likely to be interested in and report on your event.

For instance, if you’re a skincare brand, your media list might include beauty and skincare journalists from leading magazines, along with influencers and bloggers focused on beauty and wellness.

Time your release wisely

Be strategic with your announcement timing. It should be early enough for journalists and readers to see, share, and act on it, but not so early that people forget or so late that attendance becomes impractical.

Proofread

This one goes without saying, but just in case, we urge you to double-check for accuracy, professionalism, and clarity. Even minor mistakes can undermine credibility and distract from your core message, causing the media and your target audience to not take you seriously.

Follow up with journalists

Your media contacts often juggle tons of stories, so a timely follow-up can highlight the importance of your event, potentially leading to better coverage. Every nudge keeps your event on journalists’ radars, preventing it from blending into the background.

Gauge your press release’s success

The best way to measure the impact of your release? Monitor journalist engagement and media pickup, advises Christina. Are news outlets covering your story? Are journalists reaching out with questions? Is there buzz about your event on social media? 

These indicators signal that your press release is hitting its mark and effectively capturing attention.

Learn the don’ts

“If you can’t tell what a press release is about from the first sentence, people aren’t going to read it. Put your biggest news front row center,” says Christina.

Another faux pas? 

“Going too far in depth about the brand’s background. A small paragraph is fine, but we don’t need to know about all of your accolades and achievements. Keep it simple, effective, and to the point.”

Ready to attract the masses?

Now that you know how to write a press release for an event, you’re all geared up to hype up audiences about your next big shindig. 

Still unsure where to start? Let the pros take the reigns, so you can focus on perfecting your event’s magic.

“A contracted press release writer will always be objective,” Christina says. “As hard as you try to DIY it objectively as a business owner or marketing director, you may be too invested to remain objective. That could hurt your chances of journalists taking you seriously.” 

Our team of press release writers specializes in blending creative storytelling with strategic savvy, ensuring each press release reaches the right people and makes a lasting impact.

For content that’s not just read, but remembered — look no further than Lyon Content.