Covering Events for Clients

Occasionally, as a freelance writer, you may be asked to cover an event for a client. You might also want to cover an event if you write a blog. I found myself is such a situation this past week, when i helped to cover E3 for the video game website I help run, Binge Gamer.

In case you aren’t a big geek like me, let me explain to you the concept of E3. Every major company in the gaming industry comes to the event, which is held in LA, and has booths filled with game demos, information, giveaways, and more. The largest gaming companies – Microsoft (makers of the Xbox 360), Sony (makers of the PlayStation consoles), and Nintendo (makers of the Wii and DS), along with a few other large companies have press conferences. These keynote addresses last over an hour each and are filled with information about the past year of sales, demos of upcoming games, trailers for new games, and tons of surprise announcements.

The scene from inside E3, with permission from Binge Gamer and Perry Piekarski

Anyone who’s anyone in the gaming industry covers this event. Half of our writers went to the event. The other half – myself included – covered it from afar. Covering an event like E3 isn’t easy, since there are always multiple things happening. Here are some tips:

• Make appointments ahead of time. If there are certain people you want to interview, email them before the event and set up a time that you’ll come by their booth.
• Split up if you have more than one writer attending. Usually, you should go in groups of two, so one person can talk, and the other can take notes and pictures.
• Make a flexible schedule. Create a loose schedule, but leave plenty of time for cool things you’ll notice that you hadn’t working into your day originally.
• Whenever you get a business card, jot on the back a few words about the convo you had or things you saw. Trust me, when you get home, it is easier than trying to remember or using the Internet to look up company names. You won’t remember everyone.
• Stay at a hotel close to the event. You may pay a little more, but it’s SO worth it. You can go back to your room in the middle of the day to unload stuff you pick up, you don’t have to worry about traffic making you late, and you’ll save money on parking.

Remember, save your reciepts – anything your client doesn’t pay counts as a business expense for you. Even meals may qualify! Have you ever covered an event? Share your tips below!