Meet up to 25 technical/engineering publication editors on one day in one location – The UK’s original and official editors’ briefings that reduce the cost of briefing the media.
Next briefing …. Friday 13th April 2012 - Spotlight on - NOW FULL! Please see events listing for other up coming events.
The Engineering Press – First Friday Club Editors’ Briefings
A unique opportunity to present your company to leading trade magazines.
What are First Friday Club Editors Briefings?
Since 1998, regular as clockwork, once a month, 15-25 editors from the leading UK engineering magazines attend a press briefing in Central London to hear from up to six companies with news on new products, white papers or thought leadership. After half an hour meeting the editors over coffee, the formal presentations are followed by a relaxed networking lunch during which the editors have a chance to meet with company representatives to find out more about the presentations. Companies also get the facility to distribute press information, and, if required, the chance to have one-to-one discussions with editors afterwards
Who runs the First Friday Club Editors’ Briefings?
The club was set up by the editors themselves, and they rely on Engineering PR consultancy CadenceFisher to deliver a successful event each month.
What are the benefits to the editors?
There are two main benefits. First; to save time. All editors receive dozens of invitations to company ‘product launch’ press conferences each month, but pressure of work and reducing staff numbers mean that it is becoming increasingly difficult to justify a whole day out each time.
Few editors attend more than one or two product launches each month. In fact, we know that because of falling attendance at major conferences that many companies no longer organise stand alone press events. The First Friday Club Editors’ Briefings are more attractive to editors as it makes it possible to hear from several companies in different fields at a single event.
Second; we know that some companies avoid holding press conferences because it can be such an expensive and time consuming exercise. At the First Friday Club Editors’ Briefings, the expenses are shared and there’s no organisation to be done so it attracts companies which editors normally never meet face-to-face.
What sort of companies attend?
Up to six companies attend each Briefing, usually to present their new products, but sometimes to introduce a white paper or to make a business announcement.
The first companies to attend, in 1998, were Erwin Sick (safety components and sensors), SMC Pneumatics (pneumatic components), Infranor (drives and controls), Mannesmann Rexroth (automation components) and Rockwell Automation (control systems). Since then many of the major players in the engineering sector have used our Briefings to get in front of the media. We always ensure that presenting companies are from different fields unless their is a spotlight session in one sector, in which case, we avoid competing products.
What do the companies have to do?
Two people may attend from each presenting company. All you need to do is to prepare a 15 minute PowerPoint presentation and press material for distribution afterwards. AV equipment is available and visual aids are encouraged. The First Friday Club undertakes all other organisation.
Where and when is the event held?
The First Friday Club meets on the first Friday of each month (except August), at The London Capital Club, we sometimes revert to the club’s spiritual home at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese, Fleet Street, London – but as the club is becoming even more popular with the editors this venue has recently become too restrictive.
Which Editors attend?
This can vary slightly, depending on the areas of business of the presenting companies (please tell us if you’d like certain specialist magazines to be invited), but about 15-25 editors are likely to attend on each occasion. They come from the main titles in the engineering, utilities, HVAC, business, design engineering, process engineering, drives, controls and instrumentation press sectors. Please contact us for the full list or click on the media link for a recent list.
How do I reserve a place?
Simply call Neil Fullbrook on +44 (0)20 7043 8847 to discuss how to make the most of the First Friday Club or email neil@ffc.org.uk. We look forward to hearing from you!