Media Exposure

Media exposure at IAAPA Expo helps share your company’s brand, services, and products with attractions professionals worldwide and journalists who cover the Expo. This exposure can lead to potential new customer leads, increased sales and brand awareness. Plus, sharing information helps the IAAPA Press Office pitch your story to local, national, and trade media before and during the Expo.

A variety of major attraction industry trade publications, traditional news outlets and emerging digital media companies attend the IAAPA Expo. Recent trade coverage before, during and after the big event include stories by Funworld, Amusement Today, Planet Attractions, Attractions Magazine, Theme Park Review, InPark Magazine, and more.

Additionally, prominent business and consumer media outlets from around the world cover Expo to learn what’s new in the attractions industry. IAAPA Expo has been covered by The Associated Press, BBC, CNN, Fox News, Los Angeles Times, Orlando Business Journal, Orlando Sentinel, Reuters, Travel Channel, USA Today, and more.

IAAPA Expo is THE place to unveil the biggest news in the attractions industry — and you can be part of this by announcing your company’s exciting new developments and showcasing your innovative products. 

• Press Conferences: Schedule a press conference to take place during Expo to unveil your new product or service.
• Pre-Registered Media List: Request a list of pre-registered media who will cover Expo and pitch your news and your company ahead of Expo. Book interviews and schedule potential meetings.
• “What’s New on the Trade Show Floor” Press Release: Share your company’s new product information for IAAPA’s annual “What’s New on the Trade Show Floor” press release.
• Digital Booth Profile: Upload up to two (2) press releases to IAAPA’s Online Exhibitor Press Room.

Recent exhibitor and/or member participants who have taken part in press conferences and benefited from participating in IAAPA Expo media outreach efforts include:

• Merlin Entertainments
• Sally Dark Rides
• Extreme Engineering
• Fun Spot America
• Garner Holt Productions
• Zamperla
• LAI Games
• Polin Waterparks
• Triotech
• WhiteWater
• …and more

The media exposure opportunities are free to IAAPA Expo exhibitors. However, there may be additional fees for sound equipment, a podium, and/or if you require space off the trade show floor for food and beverage services. Contact [email protected] with specific questions.

There are several ways exhibitors can make a splash at IAAPA Attractions Expo without needing to spend a lot of time:

Pre-Registered Media List

• Use the pre-registered media list to distribute your company’s press releases or media advisories.
• After Oct. 1, contact [email protected] to request the Expo pre-registered media list. It will be updated and re-distributed just before Expo.
• Note: Media list is available to IAAPA Expo exhibiting companies only.

Social Media

• Consider a social media post about your product or service and your participation at Expo using the IAAPA Expo hashtags, #IAAPAExpos and #IAAPA.

Partner with a facility

• Press conferences are increasingly popular each year at Expo and draw increased media attention.
• Ask the facility to partner with you on a press event to unveil details, unveil a ride car, or provide milestone information leading to the debut. Keep in mind, attractions may have the staff and resources to help promote and facilitate your announcement.  
• For examples, check out previous press conference videos on IAAPA’s YouTube channel. 

Brainstorm with the IAAPA Press Office

• The IAAPA Press Office is happy to offer suggestions on how to best promote your product or service at Expo. Contact [email protected] to schedule a call with IAAPA’s communications team. 

The IAAPA Press Office will respect any request for confidentiality with regards to information received in advance of IAAPA Expo. IAAPA will not make information regarding specific products debuting on the trade show floor or media events taking place at IAAPA Expo available if instructed not to do so. 

If necessary, IAAPA will sign a non-disclosure agreement with an exhibitor. If you would like to enter into a non-disclosure agreement with IAAPA, please fill out the agreement here and alert [email protected] to discuss next steps.

• Holding a press conference is the best way to personally connect with reporters and promote your news.
• Press events are to be held either in an exhibitors' booth or on the Innovation stage, an IAAPA-provided location. Conferences that take place in the IAAPA-provided space will be held Wednesday or Thursday afternoon due to scheduling needs. You are encouraged to invite attending media and reporters to your booth after your announcement for further coverage opportunities and to maximum visibility.
• IAAPA will make an official schedule of press conferences available to media and attendees before and during Expo.

To participate:

• By Sept. 19, submit your request to schedule a press conference.
• IAAPA will contact you in advance of Expo with your scheduled time so you can promote the event to the media.
• For guidance on how to conduct your press conference and make it as successful as possible, see IAAPA’s Press Conference Tips below.
• Please note: IAAPA shares the schedule comprehensively and does not pitch individual press conferences to the media.

IAAPA will send a press release before the show floor opens to all registered media previewing the new products and services being introduced at Expo. 

To participate: 

• Contact [email protected] with your company name, website, booth number, and a brief description (less than 50 words) of your product by Sept. 19.
• If you are not ready to share your information due to product development or uncertainties before Sept. 19 but are interested in ways IAAPA can help promote your product, please contact [email protected] to explore potential opportunities. 

• The IAAPA Press Office will distribute the list on Oct. 1 and again just prior to Expo.
• Exhibitors may use the registered media list to distribute media advisories, press releases, and announcements to media members who have agreed to share their contact information.
• Click here for sample media advisory and press release.

Tips for communicating with journalists

• Always begin your communication with your most important news.
• Do not spam or harass members of the media with multiple emails.
• Always include you/your company’s on-site contact information and let journalists know where to direct follow-up questions.
• Be prepared to answer questions about your product and company.
• Follow reporters and outlets most important to your business on social media.

Email [email protected] and ask to receive the registered media list.

• Post press releases to your IAAPA Expo Digital Booth Profile through Connect+.
• Exhibitors may upload up to two (2) press releases to their IAAPA Expo digital booth profile. Sponsors and those that purchase the Premium Upgrade receive 6.

• Press releases will be available to the attendees and the media in Connect+.

  Once Connect+ opens to exhibitors on Sept. 3, you can upload your press releases. More information is available here.

Exhibitors can display media kits, press releases, flash drives, and announcements in the IAAPA Press Office. A sample press release is available here. 

To participate:

• Bring copies of your materials to the Press Office during operating hours beginning Monday, Nov. 17 through Friday, Nov. 21.
• Materials may be restocked throughout the week.
• Please note, materials will be recycled unless they are retrieved by 4 p.m. Friday.

• IAAPA has established guidelines for the application and authorization of influencers who independently apply for media credentials to cover IAAPA Expo. Authorized influencers will have their information included in the IAAPA Expo media lists that will be shared with exhibitors.
• If your company intends to hire or engage with a Social Media Influencer for hosted or paid-for coverage, please note that person is still required to receive media credentials from the IAAPA Press Office.
• Contracted individuals are required to adhere to current FTC blogger, advertising and endorsement guidelines and act accordingly when representing the relationship with your company and IAAPA.
• Please contact [email protected] for paperwork required to authorize and credential any paid/hosted media as it relates to your appearance at IAAPA Expo.

IAAPA Press Office Hours of Operation and Location:

Orange County Convention Center
Room S210E, South Concourse 
Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Friday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

IAAPA Press Office Contacts:

For assistance on-site at Expo, please contact [email protected]. 

Main Contacts:

• Eryka Washington, Director of Global Communications: [email protected]
• Destiny Taylor, Manager, Global Communications: [email protected]

Be sure to provide journalists with your contact information. If you are not responsible for media relations at your company, provide the journalist with that person’s contact information. 

If you have additional images, facts, or other resources related to your Expo experience, share with the journalists. The more relevant details you provide, the more likely a journalist will be to include your product in a story, simply because the information was easy to obtain. 

• If you find articles that feature your company and/or products, thank the journalist who wrote the story. This gesture lets the journalist know you are interested in maintaining a relationship with them. You may also want to thank them for stopping by your booth or attending your press conference even if they don’t write a story right away.
• If you do not have contact information for a specific journalist, their information is usually available on their employer’s website. If you are unable to locate a journalist’s contact information, contact the IAAPA Press Office at [email protected] to see if IAAPA can share that journalist’s contact information with you.

• To build upon your relationships started at Expo, ask if you may add each journalist to your mailing list. If he or she accepts, be sure to include him or her on your distribution list for future press releases, media advisories, and other communication targeted to the media. Each communication could prompt follow-up questions or potentially another story featuring your company.
• Familiarize yourself with the journalist, their publication or outlet, and their audience. It’s best to tailor the information you send to a journalist. Scan their publication periodically and read their articles to understand the important trends and hot topics featured. When you send them information on your company’s recent news, make sure it’s relevant to the stories they cover and mention that connection in the materials you send.

• Promote your press event to media in advance of Expo. Distribute a media advisory to the pre-registered media list. (Please note IAAPA promotes the entire schedule of Expo media events comprehensively and does not pitch individual press conferences to the media.)
• Request the registered media list by emailing [email protected].
• A sample media advisory is available here. 

• As you are planning your pitch, answer the question “Why should the media outlet and its audiences care about this news?”
• During your announcement, explain the impact of your news on your company, consumers, the economy, the attractions industry, or any other relevant party. 

Give each reporter information and resources that will help them write the story. Media resources can include a press release about your announcement, fact sheet about your company or product, high resolution images and video, and contact information for further communication.   

Have clear and concise news to announce. Remember you have 25 minutes for your press conference. Deliver your remarks in 10-15 minutes and allow time for questions.

Incorporate a visual aid, such as a video of the product in action, a model of the product, poster, or PowerPoint to make the presentation more interesting and to better explain its significance. Consider allowing time in your event for a photo-op. 

When addressing media, make sure to make eye contact with the crowd to help keep them engaged.

Unless you are using the designated Press Conference space, you will want to rent sound equipment so the media can hear you due to the noise level of the trade show floor. It doesn’t matter how great your news is, if the media can’t hear your information, they can’t cover it. Contact [email protected] in advance of Expo if you need to rent sound equipment or reference the A/V Form and pricing information available in the Exhibitor Services Guide. 

Incorporate your company’s high-ranking officials to add cache to your event. Complete the Celebrity/Guest Appearance form and submit to [email protected]. 

Let the media know they are welcome to visit your exhibit space after the press conference for additional interviews and other support elements to help them tell your story. 

• Before, during, and after your press event, use social media to generate buzz and build excitement with your fans and followers. Join the conversation by using the Expo hashtags #IAAPAExpos and #IAAPA.
• Include your company Twitter handle when requesting a press conference to be included in IAAPA’s on-site Twitter campaign.
• Share the video of your press conference via IAAPA’s YouTube channel. 

Let the media know where they can find more information about your company and product following your press conference. Direct them to your website or share your contact information to field possible follow-up questions.