So far, 2019 has been a year of tech showcases. CES 2019 brought us debates over the meaning of artificial intelligence, the dawn of 5G and the growth of pet tech. Davos brought us the power of Big Tech, smart city architecture and blockchain technologies for business optimisation. Now it is the turn of Mobile World Congress 2019 (MWC).

Each year, the entire mobile industry alongside various technology companies meet in Barcelona to present their latest and greatest innovations. Products are launched, sought-after media are in attendance, and industry connections are made: It is a golden PR and communications opportunity.

But with such a packed news agenda how can you ensure your product, brand and message stand out from the crowd?

Here are Missive’s top tips for leveraging event attendance. If you are attending MWC this year, take a look, you might be surprised how effective these tactics are.

Get in front of influencers

Making connections is a critical part of event life. Building new relationships and nurturing existing ones will help to expand your network and build your industry presence.

Encourage your top spokespeople to attend the main event and connect them with influencers in advance. These could be journalists, industry experts or other business leaders. If you can, get hold of the media list, identify your top influencers and engage with them.

It can be slightly more difficult to engage without a speaker slot or a corporate announcement but don’t let this put you off, continue to secure one to one briefings with your target influencers and media titles. There is a lot to be said for face to face contact and building relationships that could be beneficial down the line.

Leverage social media

Beyond the media interviews, speaker slots and networking events there is one key tactic at your disposal that should be leveraged at all times: Social media.

• Reach out to influencers or fellow attendees on LinkedIn
• Get involved in conversations on Twitter. All events have a hashtag and it will be easy to work out which discussion is most relevant to you
• Share photos and videos throughout the event
• Add to the conversation by posting your key learnings and insights to social
• Curate blog content that can be shared before, during or after the event
• If there is an event app available, download it and see what it has to offer

Secure a speaker slot in advance

One to think about for MWC 2020. Speaker opportunities offer the perfect platform to present your innovation and position your key spokesperson as a thought leader. Securing a high-profile slot provides an authentic reason to engage with media and have those all-important follow up conversations.

Confirming a slot on a line-up is easier said than done, there’s a lot of competition for high profile billing and securing a slot that aligns with your business objectives is even more challenging.

It’s important not to lose sight of your business’ communications objectives throughout the process. This is something that can sometimes happen in the panic of trying to secure a slot. For example, while it’s great to secure a slot on a blockchain panel, unless it’s a topic or area that aligns with your business strategy and objectives, it is hard to justify it as the right choice.

In such a busy and noisy (tech) market, it’s important to use every opportunity to raise your profile and shout loud about your brand and product.

Interested in finding out how to drive business results through PR at industry events? Take a look at our post on The Missive.

For more thoughts about MWC, check out our blog from last year’s event: Takeaways from MWC 2018.