How to Maximize a Press Trip

If I could only list 3…

1. Take notes in unusual situations
2. Interview that cool surfer dude
3. Think like your reader

1. Sure you had your note pad ready to go at the Sydney Opera house, but so did the rest of the world. You’re goal is to capture the real action. Sometimes the best parts of a press trip are when you’re dared to eat kangaroo, the bus driver plays a trick on everyone and you teach a bunch of foreigners how to play Kings. You’re probably too in the moment to think about documenting. It’s hard to do, but if you’re laughing or enjoying an experience, it’s probably worth writing down.
































2. Who doesn’t like a good character? My strongest interviews stemmed from talking to real people that I thought were cool. Before I even thought about interviewing a subject, I asked myself whom I was absolutely dying to hear a story from. In this case, was it the student who went surfing for the first time or the surfer dude who sees tourists all over the world fall off their boards every day?













































3. I’m fortunate to have a pretty awesome reader: college students. It’s important to always remember your audience. What does the student want to know? The top beers in Australia? Has anyone ever fallen on the bridge climb? How to hook up in a hostel and leave without an STI? Or D, all of the above?

To the Land Down Under

Right around the time I meant to start The 23 Year Old Publisher blog, I received one of the most shocking emails ever. It went something like this: “Dear Amanda, We would like to invite College Media on a press trip to Australia.” Australia! Sure I’ve tried Vegemite and yes, I’ve had an Australian boyfriend at summer camp, but I never imagined actually traveling to Australia, not yet at least. I’m at the age where beach vacation usually means Ocean City, not Queensland.

The email continued: “The trip is next week.” My first thought: scam. Well, little did I know, in the media industry, these press trips are not that unusual. Tourism Australia is promoting their fairly new U.S. student work/holiday visa and since College Media caters to their target demographic, they wanted to work with us. What better way to promote a country than to send magazine editors there to experience it themselves?

At first I was hesitant, because with only a weeks notice, I wasn’t sure if I could step away from College Media for a whole ten days. In fact, I’ve never really taken off. Is it wrong to wonder if your whole business will die if g-d forbid you’re not there? Wait a minute, what was I thinking. I have the best team imaginable and there’s a solid system in place; College Media doesn’t need me physically there 24/7, and if it did, then I have failed as an entrepreneur. Plus, wasn't the perk of entrepreneurship the ability to experience a different kind of working world, one where adventure and possibility exists—this was an opportunity of a lifetime.

A week later, I was on a flight to Sydney along with a few other lucky media representatives. I would tell you all the sweet details but you’ll have to wait until the article releases in our September issue. I will, however, reveal that I did in fact see a koala, I tasted kangaroo...and liked it, I can officially say I’ve herded cattle on a horse and I learned how to surf.

Stay tuned for my post on maximizing your press trip!