Mohegan Sun recently hosted their second annual Sun Brewfest; a celebration of one of the oldest, most finely crafted beverages of them all: Beer. The event offered two separate tasting sessions featuring more than 100 varieties of Craft and Microbrews to Imports & Domestics and limited editions, live entertainment, concluding with a Sunday morning “BrewBrunch.”
While the festivities are always fun and the weekend was a success, an event of this magnitude involves months of advanced planning from a PR perspective. It took strategic coordination from three of the Regan Communications offices and multiple hands on deck to ensure we were providing the necessary attention this BrewFest deserved.
Securing more than 65 media outlets from all over New England and New York is an accomplishment in and of itself, but it is critical that attention to small details including reporter’s hotel reservations, check-in times, and event schedules are all organized well ahead of the game. Also ensuring that all the needs of members of the media are met while they are on property is crucial. A negative experience on property could leave a sour taste in a reporter’s mouth when they write their story.
In fact, a very positive experience can garner more media attention than you originally expected. Case in point: Gail Ciampa, food editor of the Providence Journal, decided to make a pit stop at Ballo Italian Restaurant and Social Club while she was at Mohegan Sun to review BrewFest. She had such an amazing experience while she was there she decided to both tweet and post an Instagram photo while she was at dinner and write a full review of the restaurant for an upcoming feature in the Providence Journal.
Large client events are always exciting and truly bring together the account team that works on them, but they do require a high level of detail, planning, and, of course, execution. But even once the planning is complete, there is always more work to be done on the ground, especially when going above and beyond to accommodate our media friends – you never know when that extra effort will pay off!
-Providence Team
