Unlike other events that lend themselves readily to highly produced spectacles, press conferences have traditionally been understated affairs. The traditional setup involves an ordinary stage with a lectern and microphone, facing chairs set for members of the press. But some press conferences have broken with tradition to add a bit of splashiness to their presentations, with details such as slick staging or seating, eye-catching backdrops, or interactive elements. These nine examples provide inspiration for jazzing up the experience to keep members of the media engaged—and to provide visual interest for their cameras.
Seating surrounded the stage—which was set within the mall—with the entire event done in a striking all-white palette.
Victoria’s Secret celebrated the reveal of its new bralette collection at the brand's Herald Square location in New York in April. Cameras captured the eye-catching backdrop, which displayed the products within gilded frames against a hedge wall.
At the Victoria's Secret launch event, the models—so-called Angels—were on hand. The press event kicked off with a global media live stream via YouTube, where the models answered spring fashion questions.
The Beverly Center mall in Los Angeles hosted a press conference to announce a mega $500 million remodel. Stoelt Productions produced the event, where dotted white lighting added visual interest on the stage, seating, and surroundings.
The 30th annual Cubs Convention in Chicago in 2015 included a "Kids Only Press Conference.” There, the underage set of attendees was invited to ask questions of Cubs players Anthony Rizzo, Justin Grimm, Kyle Hendricks, and Travis Wood.
To drum up buzz for the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts, which happens only every two years, the Kimmel Center staged a multisensory press conference in February. The event included three food-theme installations that engaged guests, including an ice sculpture featuring musical instruments meant to illustrate the concept of an underwater concert.
Los Angeles’ Electronic Entertainment Expo—better known as E3—is known for its over-the-top press conferences. In 2014, Sony's press event immersed guests in the experience before the show floor even officially opened, surrounding them with screens on multiple planes and hung at various angles.
Looking to raise its profile, weight-control brand Jenny Craig partnered with Mariah Carey, and launched a new image and new relationship with the American Heart Association in 2011. To tout these announcements, the brand hosted a New York press conference in which Gayle King interviewed Carey in a one-on-one discussion, an element that was streamed live to the Web via Ustream.
About 30 members of the health and beauty media gathered in New York in 2009 to learn about the State Farm Insurance-sponsored 50 Million Pound Challenge. There, interactive elements engaged attendees. A set of airplane seats served as a prop to illustrate one challenge participant’s story, and guests could step on the scale or climb stairs while wearing weighted vests as a means to better understand the program.
