Event PR | Los Angeles
Event PR for festivals, conferences, premieres, and launches
Event PR from Susan von Seggern gets your event announced, attended, and covered by the right press.
Susan von Seggern has worked hundreds of events, including festivals, conferences, concerts, fundraisers, author events, and premieres, and has turned that experience into an events PR framework. She pairs established tactics like press releases and sustained media outreach with podcast pitching and hyper-local coverage that brings in people who live nearby.
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How do you get press coverage for an event?
You get press coverage for an event by giving media several dated reasons to cover it, then making attendance and reporting easy. In practice that means announcing in stages, pitching both local and topical outlets, and inviting press with clear logistics. A typical sequence looks like this.
Lock the story and assets
Confirm dates, venue, lineup, spokespeople, photos, and what makes this year newsworthy.
Announce the date
A first release and listings so long lead outlets and calendars can include the event.
Stage follow-up news
Speakers, performers, sponsors, and charity partners each become their own announcement.
Pitch local and niche press
Hyper-local coverage to fill seats, topical outlets and podcasts for depth, and reporters invited to attend.
Host media on the day
Press check-in, interviews, and photo access so coverage is easy to produce.
Follow up afterward
Photos, results, and recaps sent to press so the event keeps earning coverage after it ends.
New to this? Start with the guide to what a public relations package includes.
Which event formats can work as PR?
In Susan’s framework an event is not only something to publicize. It can be the PR tactic itself. These are the formats she uses.
- Large media eventsProducing large scale celebrity and media events built to draw press.
- Media introductionsSmall events such as cocktail hours or luncheons that introduce a client to journalists.
- SponsorshipsSponsoring an event that already attracts the right audience and press.
- ConferencesExhibiting or speaking at conferences where reporters and buyers gather.
- Gifting eventsExhibiting at gifting events attended by influencers, stylists, and press.
- Gift bag inclusionsPlacing products in event gift bags so guests take them home.
What events has Susan von Seggern publicized?
CONTACT in the DESERT
A UFO conference at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center, described in its 2017 release as the largest UFO conference in the US. That release announced a speaker lineup including Erich von Daniken, Giorgio A. Tsoukalos, George Noory, and Graham Hancock, plus more than 30 workshops.
Hollywood Carnival
In its 6th year, the parade took over Hollywood Boulevard for three miles with over 30 bands, ending at the Carnival Culture Village at 6800 Hollywood Blvd. The weekend included six other events around LA.
SewDown at LA Fashion Week
The streetwear show and sale returned for LA Fashion Week Fall 2024, presented by The HER Group, on October 19. Since its 2003 Hollywood debut it has showcased more than 100 designers. Proceeds went to the C.O.A.L.I.T.I.O.N for the Homeless and Families in Need.
DIY Convention
The 14th annual DIY Convention: Do It Yourself in Film, Music and Books ran March 6 and 7, 2015, with a showcase luncheon at Bardot, a film festival at the Lyric Hyperion Theater and Cafe, and free panels at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.
Book launches count as events too. For the Wiley book Redesigning Nonprofits, the October 2026 release announced over thirty national launch events, including a reading at Book Passage in Corte Madera and an appearance at an AFP Golden Gate Chapter celebration at the California Academy of Sciences.
Which event PR tactics fit which kind of event?
| Event type | Strongest media angle | Useful tactics |
|---|---|---|
| Festival or parade | Community, culture, and the lineup | Listings, hyper-local coverage, staged lineup announcements |
| Conference | Speakers and the ideas they bring | Speaker announcements, podcast pitching with speakers, trade press |
| Concert or premiere | Talent and access | Red carpet press, interview requests, photo access |
| Fundraiser | The cause and its impact | Local news, sponsor announcements, charity partner stories |
| Author event | The book’s argument | Author interviews, podcasts, bookstore and library listings |
Event PR questions
What is event PR?
Event PR is publicity built around a live moment: announcing it, filling it, getting press there, and earning coverage afterward. Susan von Seggern has worked hundreds of events, including festivals, conferences, concerts, fundraisers, author events, and premieres, and has developed an events PR framework from that experience.
What kinds of events does Susan publicize?
Susan’s events work has included festivals, conferences, concerts, fundraisers, author events, and premieres. Press materials on her main website include CONTACT in the DESERT in Joshua Tree, the Hollywood Carnival parade and festival on Hollywood Boulevard, SewDown during LA Fashion Week, and the DIY Convention in Hollywood.
Can PR include producing a media event?
Yes. In Susan’s framework, events can serve as the PR tactic itself. Options include producing large scale celebrity and media events, small media introduction events like cocktail hours or luncheons, event sponsorships, exhibiting or speaking at conferences, exhibiting at gifting events, and gift bag inclusions. The right format depends on the story and budget.
When should I hire a publicist for an event?
Earlier is better. Long lead outlets plan well ahead, listings need confirmed details, and journalists need time to schedule attendance. Bringing a publicist in before speakers or performers are announced lets each announcement become its own news moment. If your date is close, contact Susan anyway and ask what is still realistic.
Does Susan handle conferences and festivals?
Yes. Conferences and festivals are among the event types in Susan’s events framework. Press releases on her main website cover CONTACT in the DESERT, described in its release as the largest UFO conference in the US, and the Hollywood Carnival, which took over Hollywood Boulevard for a parade and festival.
Is event PR useful for nonprofits and fundraisers?
It can be. Fundraisers are one of the event types Susan has supported, and cause clients are part of her practice. Press releases on her main website include a book launch for nonprofit leaders and a children’s charity campaign. Event PR gives a cause a dated news hook, which helps reporters justify covering it.
Have an event date on the calendar?
Send Susan von Seggern your dates, your news, and your budget range. Event and corporate inquiries are a current priority, and every campaign is scoped individually.