How to Host a Press Conference Versus a Conference Call

Journalists are busy and have tight deadlines, making it important to adhere to your stated timeline.

Press Conference CallPress conferences don’t always involve a spokesperson standing at a podium in a roomful of reporters.

While that’s a common scenario at the White House, in the movies, or for big and breaking news stories, holding in-person press conferences isn’t practical for smaller news stories. Hosting a press conference using a conference call is a practical alternative with a broad reach (including international if required). Here’s what you need to know.

How International Press Conference Call Work

Conference call-based press conferences work much like any other type of conference call in that the host sets up the conference call, invites participants, (in this case, members of the press), and interacts with attendees during a live call.

However, there are a few considerations with a press conference.

  • Access — For example, is this a local story, a national one, or an international one? If you’re inviting local reporters only, access to the call is less complicated than if you’re inviting a larger press pool or international reporters. Fortunately, we offer local, domestic, and international access numbers, making it easy for reporters to join your conference from around the world.
  • Convenience — The easier it is to initiate and manage a conference call the better. Our dashboard, mobile app, and phone menu features are user-friendly and ready to be used on short notice. You can even record your press conference quickly and easily.
  • Call management — For many press conferences, especially those with large audiences, it may be necessary to book an “event conference call” rather than a standard conference call. With this service, our live operators assist with the logistics of the call while a dedicated event conference call director oversees everything. For example, we manage the question and answer queue, prioritizing and presenting relevant questions so that you can focus on communicating with the press and not on scrolling through a list of questions.
  • User experience — The press has the option to join your press conferences or not. If your agency’s press conferences have horrible sound quality or are poorly managed, your attendees may leave early, if not right away. They may not join future press conferences, resulting in less reach for your stories. Our domestic, international, and event conference calling plans use modern digital fiberoptic PSTN networks for crisp, clear connections every time.

Tips for a Successful Conference Call-based Press Conference

  • Provide local or toll free access numbers (this includes international access numbers for international correspondents) — No one wants to worry about using up their personal minutes or paying long distance. We offer local and toll free access numbers for cities and countries around the globe.
  • Start and end on time — Journalists are busy and have tight deadlines, making it important to adhere to your stated timeline.
  • Explain how to access a recording of the conference call (if applicable) — If you will be recording the call, let attendees know how to access the recording after the call. For example, will you email it upon request or post it to your website?
  • Take advantage of our event conferencing services — As the spokesperson for your organization, you don’t have to do it all. Our event conferencing team is here to help.

Learn more about domestic or international press conference calls