by Anne Sweeney
January 2013

The Press Release is Dead. PR’s most time-honored tool will soon wind up in a virtual landfill, alongside video cassettes, Hostess Cupcakes and print newspapers. It’s electronic all the way. Press Releases are an anachronism, and the tweets the thing – your entire marketing message in 140 characters.
 
Most of the PR people who are expressing this view are of an age where they have not had enough experience with the “Old Media” to be declaring it DOA. The press release is not dying; it is evolving, expanding and interacting with “New Media” in many dynamic and effective ways.  
 
Unfortunately, some hotels have stopped sending or posting press releases on their web sites, leaving the task of reaching out to media to their Facebook and Twitter pages. But social media does not replace a website or an on-line press kit.  Travel reporters, food writers, business editors, meetings publications and weddings media – all the outlets a hotel wants to reach - will look first to a hotel’s website for current, concise information written expressly for journalists.

The operative words here are “expressly for journalists.” The Five Ws – Who, What, When, Where and Why – still apply. A press release needs to be written differently from marketing copy. It needs to be newsworthy, succinct, factual and to the point. It should avoid editorializing, overblown adjectives, jargon and clichés like "unique,” “cutting edge,” and “paradigm.”  The good news is that your clients and partners will appreciate this direct approach, so the press release becomes a sales tool.

Every hotel website should have a Media Section with links to press releases with current and relevant information. There should be a press kit with a general release describing your property and services, a fact sheet and possibly releases on food, meetings, events, etc. These should be up-to-date. However, a recent survey of four- and five-star hotels showed that many did not have any kind of media outreach on their web pages, or worse, had releases on them more than a year old. A journalist accessing a site like this is not likely to do so again.  And what does that say about your hotel? Nothing has happened since your Mother’s Day Brunch in 2012?    
 
Press releases are key to gaining local news coverage and mention in relevant trade publications. Even if your property is part of a major hotel brand, corporate communications will not provide that kind of media outreach unless you have a really singular story.

Used properly, the press release is not an anachronism – it’s the launching pad for all your “new media” efforts.  E-Mail your release to a targeted, current list of local, regional and national business trade and lifestyle outlets. Post it on your property’s website with a URL that links to the release on the site. Here is where your press release will do double duty on Facebook, Twitter, and other social media outlets. Post the link on your Facebook page with a quick comment and an attractive photo and it not only spreads virally but both the Facebook and the web link will show up on Google as two separate entries.  Tweet the release out, or better yet, tweet out key statements in increments to extend the life of the release and spread it virally. That’s really the key to social media – the rapid spread of information.
 
For example, let’s say your Twitter Page has 500 followers. A number of them should be journalists who are familiar with your property and cover travel, food, business and events. They will also be on your Media List. Suppose you tweet out news about a food festival and the restaurant editor of a regional magazine picks it up and re-tweets it to her 2000 followers. Several of her followers pick it up and e-mail it to friends saying, let’s attend. Or, the item is picked up by your state tourism office with more than 100,000 followers on Twitter and even more on Facebook. They cross post to both sites.  Do the math! You have over 202,000 potential readers of your press release and post.  

The press release still has a few more tricks up its sleeve.  Post the link on other Facebook pages with an audience that might be interested in your news. See if your posts would be welcome on the pages of your state tourism organization, the Chamber of Commerce, or the pages of various companies you do business with. These organizations should also be on your press release list.
 
A growing trend among short-staffed print and online publications is to make you, the sender, responsible for posting press releases, event announcements, and photos.  At first, this practice was confined to smaller, local online news platforms such as Patch and topix. But recently, I posted four press releases on the business blog of our state’s largest newspaper. I will still send the releases to reporters and columnists, but this ensures that the news is out there and ready to be picked up by search engines.
 
The press release will continue to evolve in format and utilization. It may well outlive some of the more trendy social media sites. The Old and New Media, working in synergy, will deliver much more together than separately

Until about the early 1950s most wedding receptions were held at the home of the bride. The style and scale of entertainment was determined by how much the family could afford. Wealthy families had a grand ball while the middle class settled for a luncheon or afternoon tea. Working class families celebrated with cake and lemonade. The economic status of the family dictated how they celebrated the occasion.

Times Change

In the early part of the last century it became increasingly common to hire a dance hall, a community hall, or the social hall of a church to conduct a wedding celebration, especially if the number of guests were more than could be located in the bride’s home. In time the venues began to change with hotel ballrooms and other large public halls becoming increasingly popular. Smaller weddings were conducted in restaurants which also catered the food while garden parties at home became another widespread option.

A Rising Business

In time a new breed of professionals began to appear who specialized in different facets of a wedding. This heralded the arrival of the professional caterer, the decorator, the outdoor florist, entertainers, wedding photographers, and a legion of others including professional masters of ceremonies and toastmasters.

A Full Service Affair

Today many couples who can afford it hire an event manager or a professional wedding planner to take care of details. A wedding planner for example will take charge of everything right from printing of invitations and sending them out, finding a suitable location for both the ceremony and reception, decorating both, arranging for florists and photographers and overseeing the actual proceedings including the reception. The planner will hire a caterer, select a menu, and see to the entertainment. He/she will also see to the pickup of guests at airports and organizing the transportation on the big day. In fact there is no limit to the services a planner can provide.

A Beautiful Establishment

But with all that much of the success of a wedding reception depends on its location. The perfect reception venue is the Gastonia Conference Center in Gastonia, NC, for the many advantages it offers. The conference center is centrally located and close to all the surrounding cities. It is near the airport and to several major highways which makes it convenient for guests from out of town.

Working Hard to Satisfy You

Additionally the center can provide areas to suit virtually any size of gathering from the grand ballroom to smaller independent rooms. The icing on the cake is its own Event Planning team which takes a hands-on professional approach to ensure that every reception of their premises leaves fond memories with the couple and the guests. Call the Gastonia Conference Center today and ask about the special wedding packages on offer.

Today a bridal veil is more an accessory to the traditional white or cream bridal dress, but it has a long history behind it. While it signified different things to different cultures it was generally intended to cover the bride’s face so it remained hidden till appropriately unveiled. In some cultures the groom got to see his bride's face only after they were wed. In others only the groom got to see the bride’s face and no one else.

Tradition

A veil was also used to hide the bride’s face as a demonstration of her modesty before God or to suggest the passage from virginal maidenhood to marriage. In some cultures the veil was a protection used to ward off evils spirits.

Bridal veils might date back to ancient Greece and Rome where marriages were arranged. To safeguard the bride and ensure the marriage took place veils were used to conceal the bride’s face just in case the groom didn’t like her looks and call the wedding off. So the bride didn’t reveal her face till her wedding day.

How a bride wears a veil is a matter of choice, it doesn’t always have to cover her face. But if it does it remains there for part of the service till the actual marriage ceremony is over after which the groom lifts it up gently to give her the first kiss. Some brides however wear it only to cover their head and a part of the back of the head. The design of the veil is the bride’s choice –it could be short and simple or extravagantly long.

Subjugation

Some historians believe that the tradition dates to the Norse invaders who literally kidnapped their brides then literally unveiled her. It could have descended from the old habit of throwing a blanket over a captured woman just to subdue her.

In the Jewish custom the groom could ceremonially veil the bride as a form of respect for her regardless of her looks. In many Middle Eastern countries women are veiled to shield them from the gaze of other men and only their husband or their family could remove her veil.

Ignorance Overcome

While some feminists argue that the veil represents suppression of women by men, most women now wear a veil because it is part of the bridal dress and is generally considered beautiful.

Regardless of how beautiful the bride looks the wedding is incomplete without the perfect reception. The ideal location for a reception is the Gastonia Conference Center because of the various facilities it offers. This venue is conveniently located to all surrounding cities, in close proximity to the airport and near to many major highways. It offers a choice of areas from the Grand Ballroom to more modest rooms which are perfect for a smaller gathering. You can choose from a selection of wedding menu packages and the on-site event planning team will go the extra mile to ensure that your wedding is memorable.

Most wedding receptions have a Master of Ceremonies (MC) whose main job is to keep the whole event running smoothly. Sometimes the best man does the job or else one of the groom’s close friends. The MC makes certain that everything runs like clockwork by making the right announcements at the right time as the events unfold. Some of the important announcements the MC has to make are:

Before the reception to pronounce the entrance of the wedding party, more especially the bride and groom. The MC also introduces the parents of the bridal couple and any other close relatives or friends who deserve mention. As the bride and groom are generally the last to enter, their arrival signals that the party has begun.

To keep guests informed of events as they go on so they know about them and don’t miss out. This includes the first dance of the newlyweds, the dance of the bride and her father and when the groom dances with his mother.

The MC also makes random announcements of interest and announcements to help the guests know where everything is like the location of the wash room and so on. The MC goes out of his way to ensure that the guests are made comfortable and enjoy themselves.

He announces the toasts for which he coordinates with the toastmasters so it all goes off seamlessly and within time.

The MC announces when the bride and groom are about to depart, an important moment in the celebration (this is the first day of forever for them). This is one of the most significant parts of the reception because it is one occasion when all guests are together to wish the newlyweds on their way.

Flexible Accommodations

And ideal location for a wedding reception is the Gastonia Conference Center in Gastonia NC. Apart from being a very impressive architectural structure, the Center offers a wide choice of rooms and ballrooms to match the number of guests for any size of reception.

Accessibility

The center is centrally located in Gastonia and within reach of all the nearby cities surrounding it. It is well appointed and near to three major highways.

Reputation Matters

Another huge advantage in holding your wedding reception at the Gastonia Conference Center is that its Event Planning team will not only help you plan your wedding but also ensure that the reception is memorable, and a success. The catering department of the Center offers a range of wedding packages either for a formal sit-down dinner or for a buffet. The chef will help you make a selection from the Center’s gourmet menu.