The COVID-19 pandemic has seen many events go virtual and with the second wave proving to be worse than the first, it’s safe to say that many more events will be forced to do the same. This includes that staple event of media relations: the press conference. While it is completely possible to organize an in-person, physically distanced press conference, many organizations are opting to hold virtual press conferences (on Zoom or similar platforms) instead. Not only does this eliminate any risk of spreading COVID-19 among participants, it also eliminates the need to travel, reducing hassle for time-starved reporters and making it possible for multiple speakers located in different cities to participate.

While the benefits of a virtual press conference are clear, organizing one can feel like a daunting task. We have all seen what can go wrong on a video call – from annoying sound issues to people forgetting that their camera is on to the dreaded Zoom-bombing. So, how can you organize a Zoom press conference and ensure that it goes off without a hitch?

Here are our tips on how to hold a press conference on Zoom:

Tip #1: Know the difference between meetings and webinars

Zoom allows you to host two types of events: meetings and webinars. Meetings are what you have most likely been on when you’ve done Zoom calls in the past. They allow all participants to turn on their audio and video, share their screen and see who else is in attendance.

Webinars, on the other hand, only allow the host and designated panellists to share their audio, video and screen. All other participants are in view-only mode, but can interact via polls, Q&A, chat and by being unmuted by the host.

Webinars are a paid add-on though, so not all Zoom accounts will be able to host one. For that reason, in this blog post, we will be focusing on how to use a Zoom meeting to host your press conference.

Tip #2: Adjust settings when scheduling

When you schedule the press conference in your Zoom account, there are a number of useful settings that you can adjust to make it more suitable for a press conference.   

• Check the “Waiting Room” box. This will send all attendees to a waiting room when they first join the call. You can then choose when and if you want to add them to the main call. This is useful because it allows you to prevent against Zoom-bombing and admit speakers and other press conference participants before letting in media.

• Turn participants videos to “off”. This ensures that participants’ video cameras will automatically be set to off when they join the call. You can then allow individual participants to turn their camera on when it is their turn to speak.

• Uncheck “Enable join before host”. This will keep attendees from joining the call before you do.

• Check “Mute participants upon entry”. This ensures that participants’ microphones will automatically be set to off when they join the call. You can then allow individual participants to turn their mic on when it is their turn to speak.

There are also a number of useful settings that you can adjust when you first start the call:

• After clicking on the “Security” button:

  • Uncheck “Allow participants to unmute themselves”. This will give you full control of who is muted and who isn’t. Note that when you do unmute someone, they will have to consent to being unmuted. 

  • Uncheck “Allow participants to share screen”. This will prevent any of the other participants from sharing their screen without your consent.  

• After clicking on the “Participants” button/window:

  • Rename participants. Not everyone’s Zoom account clearly displays their name, so it can be helpful to rename them or, in the case of media, add their outlet to their name. You can also rename yourself so that your role is clear (e.g. “Moderator”).  

• After clicking on the “Chat” button/window:

  • Change chat to host only. This will allow participants to send messages only to the host via chat and not to other participants or the whole group. This is better than disabling chat completely as it allows participants to alert you in the event of sound and video issues or other problems.

Tip #3: Do practice calls using different devices and formats beforehand

Zoom’s features and user interface change slightly depending on what your setup is (desktop vs. mobile, window vs. full screen, app vs. dial in). It’s good to play around and do practice calls using different devices and formats so that you are aware of their subtle differences and are better placed to help participants should they encounter any difficulty.

Tip #4: Ensure that you take into consideration participants who will be dialling in

Since some participants may prefer to dial in from a phone as opposed to joining from their computer, it’s a good idea to think about how you will accommodate these participants on the call. For starters, you should consider including dial-in details (phone number and passcode) when sending the Zoom link to media. You should also inform participants of how they can unmute themselves and raise their hand if they are dialling in from a phone.

Tip #5: Have all the speakers join the call early

This is important because it will allow you to test everyone’s sound, microphone and camera to ensure that everything is working properly. It will also give you an opportunity to run through the agenda with the speakers and explain how the unmuting procedure will work.

Tip #6: Let all the media in at the same time

When the waiting room feature is enabled, Zoom gives you the option of letting everyone in the waiting room join the call at the same time. This will save you the trouble of having to manually admit each participant and allow you to get off to a quick start.

Tip #7: Use the raise hand feature to take questions from media

 When you’re ready to take questions from media, you can ask them to show their interest by clicking the “raise hand” button. You will be able to see in the “Participants” window a hand symbol appear next to everyone who has raised their hand. From there, you can choose who you would like to take a question from and unmute them.

Tip #8: Have a co-host

If you will also be moderating this press conference, it is a really good idea to have another person from your organization join you as a co-host. This will give you an extra set of hands to help you admit participants from the waiting room, unmute speakers and select reporters to ask a question while you are busying moderating.

You can designate a participant as a co-host by hovering over their name in the “Participants” window and clicking on the “More” dropdown menu. Designated co-hosts will have greater privileges in Zoom such as the ability to mute/unmute people and admit people from the waiting room.

Tip #9: Consider recording the press conference

Zoom gives you the option to record the press conference either automatically when the call starts or at any time during the call (you just have to click the “Record” button). This can be useful in case media outlets ask for a recording – either to use as b-roll for a news broadcast or because they were unable to attend the live press conference. Just ensure that the recording you share with media doesn’t include the first part of the call before you let the media in.

Photo Credit: Ema Peter

In a year where few companies have dared to undertake a major office expansion, Edit Studios is unveiling a space that eschews the conservative design aesthetic generally associated with wealth management firms in favour of a more modern and welcoming approach. Located in Vancouver’s iconic Marine Building and designed for BlueArck Private Equity, the space mixes the elegant comfort of French country with the sophistication of a modern Parisian office. This innovative design move is a reflection of BlueArck’s corporate culture and its desire to foster a diverse and inclusive work environment. 

The conventional dark woods and leather chesterfields of the typical private equity office have been swapped for a soft grey palette, herringbone floors, and luxurious drapery. The move towards a warmer atmosphere was a deliberate choice designed to address the imbalance between the number of men versus women that the profession usually attracts. 

“From my first conversation with BlueArck, it was clear that the founder is committed to a culture of balance, not only between work and life, but also in the composition of his team,” says Janay Koldingnes, Founder of Edit Studios. “The space had to reflect this balance. From soft draperies to cozy chairs and reading lamps, we created an environment of comfort and warmth, with all the functionality of the modern workplace.” 

The main entrance reveals a reception area that feels more like a living room for family and friends. Likewise, the modern bar is outfitted with all the comforts of home highlighted by book-matched black and white marble with gold accents. 

Inspired by the hidden passageways in an old French château, the office’s inner workings are tucked behind hidden doors that are masked by intricate mouldings. Soft draperies provide a way for staff to share spaces that can be easily cordoned off for privacy. Crown moulding and wainscoting accent the walls, while modern furniture pieces, rich marbles and traditional French light fixtures juxtapose old with new. 

“Edit Studio’s design perfectly articulates our culture,” says Aleem Ahamed, Managing Partner at BlueArck Private Equity. “We now have a warm, sophisticated, welcoming space that our team will feel comfortable transitioning back to.” 

The process of transforming the space started in March 2020 right as the province went into lockdown, and businesses and governments were scrambling to adapt to the new reality of remote working. Forced to adapt themselves, the Edit Studios team immediately transitioned to working online, and began using FaceTime and other video conferencing tools for meetings with suppliers, contractors, and the client. Construction partner Etro Construction also began using 3D scanning tools to give the design team project updates without the need for in-person site visits. This not only allowed Edit Studios to follow COVID-19 protocols and keep their employees safe, but also had the benefit of speeding up project timelines and saving money thanks to reduced travel time and greater productivity. 

With international supply chains disrupted by the pandemic, Edit Studios moved quickly to find and source replacement products like flooring and glazing from local suppliers. 

With city hall closed, the permitting process looked especially daunting. Thankfully, procedural changes made by the City of Vancouver’s Planning Department in response to the pandemic allowed developers and design teams to submit drawings and documentation online for the first time ever. The changes also allowed what were previously in-person meetings to be conducted virtually, saving developers and design teams considerable time and travel costs. 

“The City of Vancouver’s move to a digitized planning process enabled us to work more efficiently and get our permits approved in record time despite the challenges posed by COVID-19,” continues Koldingnes. “This is a great first step and it is our hope that the City will continue to digitize all aspects of the permitting process. As it stands, physical copies are still required to be stamped, sealed and sent to city hall. Other cities like Toronto and Edmonton have already eliminated this, and we hope that Vancouver will also move in this direction.” 

While it’s usually PR professionals who are trying convince media outlets to interview their clients, certain events can cause the tables to turn and see media outlets reach out en masse to try to secure an interview. How do you handle such a situation? How do you ensure that your clients take advantage of this sudden media interest while not putting themselves at risk?

Over the years, Elettra has helped numerous clients navigate this very situation – one of the most recent cases being when we worked with Tiger King’s Dillon Passage (Joe Exotic’s current husband) to help him deal with the flood of interview requests that followed the release of the docuseries on Netflix.  

Should you or your client ever find yourself buried under an avalanche of media requests, here are some tips on how to handle (and make the most of) the situation:

1.     Create a system to handle incoming requests

While the deluge of media requests blowing up your inbox may feel overwhelming, setting up a system to manage them will help alleviate some of that stress and ensure that you are able to process and respond to these requests in an efficient and orderly way.

How you structure your system is a matter of personal preference, but a key component to include would be an interview request log to record incoming requests, centralize important information (like journalists’ contact info) and track the status of each request. Another key component would be a shared calendar document for your clients that you can use to schedule interviews on their behalf. Finally, you should have an agreed-upon method to inform/remind clients of upcoming interviews and provide them with the necessary contact details – whether via a daily email or a shared Google Doc.

2.     Prepare the infrastructure and media tools that you will need

Before you start granting interview requests, it’s important have the right infrastructure in place. This means setting up a dedicated email address where journalists can direct their interview requests, if you haven’t done so already. That way, all requests will go to one place instead of being scattered between your clients’ personal email, social media channels and your inbox. You should also ensure that your clients get a dedicated phone number to use with the media. You don’t want reporters to get a hold of your client’s personal phone number, otherwise they may just call them directly the next time they want to do an interview.

With at-home Zoom/Skype interviews becoming the norm during the pandemic, you should also ensure that your clients have a dedicated space at home where they can do interviews. This space should be quiet, have an appropriate background and have a good internet connection.

As for media tools, you should anticipate what journalists might ask for. These might include a photo of your client that they can run with the story, b-roll footage that they can splice into a video interview or a fact sheet or one-pager on your clients and anything that they are promoting at the moment. For celebrity and rising-star clients, some media outlets will be happy to give a shout-out to your client’s latest project, product or initiative, so the more information you can provide them with, the better they will be able to incorporate it into their piece.

3.     Vet media requests based on your clients’ objectives

Not all interviews are worth your time, especially if the amount of requests exceeds your clients’ ability or desire to do them. You should establish beforehand your clients’ communications objectives and evaluate interview requests based on how they contribute to these objectives. Things to consider could be the outlet’s audience size, how this audience overlaps with your clients’ audience, the story angle and how this outlet has reported on people like your client in the past.

Another consideration is timing. If you’re scheduling interviews a couple days or a week out, is there a chance that new information will be made public between now and then that might affect your clients’ willingness to do an interview? Do you need to prepare your client for any new questions that the media might ask?

4.     Respond to all media requests, even the ones you’re rejecting

While the media is knocking down your door right now, that might not always be the case. One day, the roles may be reversed and you’ll be the one asking for coverage, which is why you should strive to maintain good relationships with all the media outlets that reach out to you – even if they are not ones that you want to move forward with right now. For media requests that you don’t intend on granting, respond with a short message thanking them for their interest and stating that you cannot grant an interview at this time. No need to give any further explanation. In fact, further explanation or excuses could spark a time-consuming back and forth with the reporter.

5.     Be prepared for different media practices across countries

If your clients are doing interviews with international outlets, you may encounter some different media practices from what you are used to. For example, some British outlets will ask interview subjects to fill out a form that includes highly personal questions about their mental health, criminal record and family situation. The form is meant to protect interview subjects who may be experiencing mental health problems from being taken advantage of, but you and your clients might understandably not feel comfortable disclosing that type of information.

If you encounter a situation that seems strange or makes you uncomfortable, don’t be afraid to ask questions and push back. Outlets are usually willing to be flexible if it means securing an interview.

In late March, as everyone (including the Elettra team) was cooped up inside due to COVID-19, a certain Netflix docuseries about a colourful zookeeper took the world by storm. Little did we know as we watched our way through all seven episodes that this fantastical series about a big cat zoo in Oklahoma was going to hit far closer to home.

Indeed, it wasn’t long afterwards that, through an unlikely client connection, we found ourselves doing PR for none other than Dillon Passage, Joe Exotic’s current husband.

Now, it won’t surprise you to learn that doing PR for a reality TV star is different than doing it for a CEO or a politician. The strategies that you need to employ and the approach you need to take are completely different. To give you an idea, here are some of the ways that doing PR for a reality TV star is different than regular PR:

1.     The normal PR rules no longer apply

Reality TV stars are different from your typical PR client. While audiences expect CEOs and government officials to provide information in a serious and professional manner and to be accountable to the public, they expect celebrities to be entertaining and authentic. As such, things that we would normally advise against doing in interviews like making jokes, being flippant and using sarcasm are much better received by audiences when done by celebrities. With celebrity PR, the celebrity is the brand, so the more they are able to come across as likeable and relatable, the more they will be able to endear themselves to the public.

2.     It will get personal

While interviews with traditional clients tend to be confined to their professional lives and will only delve into their personal lives if it is relevant, celebrity interviews are much more likely to be broader in focus and touch on intimate areas like relationships, politics and even sexual preferences. You and your client should be prepared to respond to these types of questions or use bridging tactics to steer the conversation back to more comfortable territory.

3.     You can dictate the terms

Unlike with traditional clients where you have to go out and pitch the client to media, with celebrity clients, the media will come to you. As a result of this power reversal, you have freer rein to dictate the terms of any interview. This could be by setting a time limit, establishing no-go areas or even asking the interviewer to make a point of mentioning whatever your client happens to be promoting at the moment.  

4.     You will be overwhelmed

Given their fame, celebrity PR clients can generate an incredible amount of media interest. As a result, you may find yourself quicky buried under an avalanche of media requests. What’s more, granting an interview to one outlet can have the knock-on effect of generating more interview requests from other outlets.

In order to stay on top of it all, it is important to have a proper system in place for receiving, vetting and scheduling media requests. It’s also important to prepare in advance any media tools that you might need such as promo photos, fact sheets and b-roll so that they can be sent out on the fly. You’ll also want to set up some of the basic infrastructure that your client will need like a secondary phone number that can be used for phone interviews (to avoid giving out clients’ primary phone number to media) and a quiet, well-lit location for at-home video interviews.

Read more about how to manage a deluge of media requests.

This week, Elettra helped simultaneously launch And-Co, a new shared workspace concept, and NOX, its on-site restaurant. Launching the two together created opportunities to cross-promote both of them in each other’s media campaign and reach a wider audience.

Arpeg Group of Companies announced today that it is launching And-Co, a private office collective, amenities hub and business community in Vancouver. Located in the newly constructed Cardero building at 1575 West Georgia Street, And-Co will feature two levels of private office suites with shared amenities, on-site wellness centre, event space and a contemporary Italian restaurant. The private offices can accommodate from four to 16 people, and are being targeted at established companies and boutique firms as well as out-of-town businesses looking to set up a base in the city.

Beyond their private office space, members will also have access to shared meeting rooms, breakout areas, phone booths and meditation rooms as well as a kitchen, lounge and AV production room. The on-site wellness centre includes a massage, physio and chiropractic treatment room as well as a gym offering personal training and small-group fitness classes. The building is also dog friendly and equipped with a pet wash station for members’ four-legged friends.    

In addition to the shared kitchen and lounge spaces, And-Co members will have preferential access to NOX, a contemporary Italian restaurant with West Coast flavour, that will be located in the same building as And-Co. Created by Alejandro Diaz and Sam Fabbro, the owner-chef duo behind el Santo and Amaranthus in New Westminster, this new eatery will offer a West Coast take on Italian cuisine with a strong emphasis on local and seasonal ingredients.

“As a second-generation Italian immigrant who grew up on the West Coast, I wanted to create a restaurant that captures and celebrates the two worlds I grew up in,” says Sam Fabbro, Corporate Chef at NOX. “I wanted to combine the best of Italian cooking with the exceptional produce that we have here in B.C. to create something that is unlike any other Italian restaurant in the city. This isn’t your nonna’s Italian”.

Beyond local ingredients, the restaurant will also make all of its pasta and bread in house while the wine list will feature a curated selection of vintages from top Italian and B.C. producers. In terms of the interior, the restaurant will be divided into two distinct spaces – an upscale dining room and a more casual lounge area – with separate menu offerings to match each space.

Joining Chef Sam in the kitchen will be Executive Chef Michael DeGrazia who counts 20 years of experience leading kitchen teams at well-known restaurants in Vancouver and Toronto. Managing the bar program will be Kate Bohn who is also the mastermind behind the cocktails at el Santo and Amaranthus.

“I’m really excited to be partnering with And-Co to bring an Italian restaurant to the Coal Harbour neighbourhood,” says Alejandro Diaz, managing director of NOX. “With all of my restaurants, I have wanted to give diners the chance to experience well-known cuisines in a new way and I think we will certainly achieve this at NOX”.

The restaurant’s name is the Roman name for Nyx – the Greek goddess of the night renowned for her exceptional power and beauty.

Photo Credit: Leila Kwok

el Santo is bringing back brunch and happy hour – complete with new menu items – starting today. While the contemporary Mexican restaurant re-opened for dinner service back in June, it remained closed during the day so that it could act as a temporary kitchen for the Lookout Housing and Health Society.

“It’s not just businesses that have had a hard time adapting to the pandemic, many non-profits are also finding it challenging to offer their preferred level of service,” says Alejandro Diaz, owner of el Santo. “We are happy to have been able to help the Lookout Housing and Health Society when they needed it and now are looking forward to welcoming guests back in for brunch and happy hour.”

el Santo offers brunch from Friday to Sunday between 11:30 am and 3 pm while happy hour takes place every weekday from 4 pm to 5:30 pm. New items on the brunch menu include:

• Tortas ahogadas (bolillo bread filled with your choice of shortribs or potatoes along with avocado, onion and radish, drenched in salsa de árbol)

• Quesadillas con huitlacoche (Homemade tortillas filled with Oaxaca cheese and huitlacoche – a delicacy commonly referred to as the Mexican truffle)

• Molletes con alce (Sliced bolillo bread covered with white beans, seared elk, charred tomato and onion salsa and manchego cheese with a fried egg)

el Santo’s partnership with the Lookout Housing and Health Society saw the restaurant make three meals a day for 91 residents of the Society’s housing facilities in New Westminster. Normally, the Society would have made these meals in their on-site kitchen, but new physical distancing regulations forced it to close temporarily until it could adapt its space to meet the new requirements. el Santo was able to step in and act as a temporary kitchen until these upgrades were completed.

The meals were provided to the Society on an at-cost basis.

We’re very proud of this new video we produced for Forestry Friendly Communities. The animation explains the concept of carbon sequestration and explores how BC’s sustainably managed forests and wood products can be part of Canada’s climate change solution. Huge thanks to Anthony Chopin for video animation and Lisa Edward for art direction and illustration.

We had great fun working with the team at UBC Faculty of Forestry on the second video series we’ve produced for them. The new series is designed to show students what to expect for the Fall 2020 semester, and to explain how they’ll be inspired by the interactive and engaging education they’ll receive.

You can watch the full video series here or watch our highlight video above.

Do you want to tell your community about the changes you’ve made as a result of COVID-19? Video is a great way to do that. Contact us to learn more.

On May 6, Elettra Managing Partner and co-founder, Gwen Hardy, presented a webinar on How to Communicate During a Pandemic as part of the Downtown Vancouver Business Improvement Association’s “Members Helping Members” series.

With COVID-19 dominating the news cycle day in and day out, organizations have questions about how to adjust their communications strategies and whether they should be conducting proactive media relations at this time. 

Gwen tackles these questions and more, including how to better understand your audience during this crisis, how to leverage a potential decrease in the pace of your communications team and how to navigate the gradual reopening. 

Check out the full recording here.

 If you need help with your communications or would like to work through your reopening plans, the Elettra team is here to help. 

Since 2015, Elettra has helped Nassau Airport Development Company (NAD) produce their annual report. As the manager and operator of Lynden Pindling International Airport – the largest airport in The Bahamas – NAD plays a key role in the tourism-oriented economy of this island nation. As such, their annual report is widely read by government officials, airport stakeholders, tourism industry partners and other Bahamians, representing an important communications opportunity for NAD.

Each annual report begins with a brainstorming session where a theme is chosen that encapsulates the spirit of the past financial year. The rest of the report – from the copy to the design to the photos used – are all crafted to reinforce that theme. Given the wide readership of the annual report, care is taken to ensure that the content is easy to understand and accessible to all readers – even if they are not in the aviation industry.

An organization’s mission, vision and values aren’t just some nice-sounding words created to fill space in annual reports and employee onboarding manuals, they play a fundamental role in shaping an organization’s strategy and communications. That’s why it’s critical for organizations to ensure that their mission, vision and values accurately reflect their organization even as it grows and evolves.

The John Howard Society of the Lower Mainland of BC (JHSLM) found that after expanding their focus from justice reform to also include services for people living with homelessness, addiction and developmental disabilities, their old mission and vision statements no longer expressed the full breadth of their activities. For that reason, they reached out to Elettra to help them update their mission, vision and values.

To achieve this, Elettra held a number of brainstorming sessions with JHSLM employees from all departments as well as their board of directors to identify the key points that would shape the new mission, vision and values. Their feedback was also sought throughout the entire process in order to ensure that everyone could identify with and be proud of the new mission, vision and values. Given that many of JHSLM’s clients come from marginalized communities, a great deal of care was taken to ensure that the language used recognized clients’ autonomy, resilience and value as people.

At the end of this collaborative process, JHSLM was able to implement its new mission, vision and values and have them be embraced by the entire organization.

“The work Elettra did with us has really had a positive and ongoing impact on us and the way we communicate. We refer to our mission, vision and values much more than ever before and they have become the cornerstones that they always should have been.”

- Mark Miller, CEO of JHSLM

Mission:

We strengthen communities by supporting people experiencing barriers so they can achieve greater independence. 

Vision:

A safe, healthy and inclusive community for all.

Values:

INCLUSIVE

We create an environment where everyone can feel welcome and respected.

ACCOUNTABLE

We are responsive, take responsibility for our actions, and honour our commitments.

PERSON-CENTRED

We adapt our approach to the individual and use empathy and compassion in all of our interactions.

COLLABORATIVE

We engage and work closely with others – both within and outside our organization.

DETERMINED

We are passionate, do not shy away from tough challenges, and respond to setbacks with a renewed drive to succeed. 

Our client ,Tiger Bay, presented their vision for a complete community in South Britannia this past weekend. We invited neighbouring communities to the site for an information session and to introduce the vision for a complete, outdoor-adventure inspired community.

The proposed project will unfold in phases over the course of 25 years, with many benefits for the community and the region. This walkable, close-to-nature community includes residences, a world-class surf park, shops and services, small-scale tourism accommodation, and parks and trails for all to enjoy.

South Britannia will also be home to a full-size surf park, powered by Wavegarden. The world-class, state-of-the-art facility will offer surf training waves for all ages and abilities, welcoming residents and visitors alike. Don’t fret! The surf park will be in the initial phase of the proposed project. 

For the past two years, we’ve had the best time traveling to various BC coastal communities to shoot and produce videos for our client, Forestry Friendly Communities (FFC).

With Forestry Friendly Communities, our mandate is to tell interesting and positive stories (primarily through video) about the forest industry and the benefits it brings to communities. While the videos cover a wide range of themes/topics, including wood remanufacturing, jobs, and education; the most rewarding stories to tell are about forestry families!

We are so grateful to have met three wonderful forestry families based out of Campbell River. Did you know? People who work in forestry are just the best!  

Watch our 2019 forestry family videos below. And check out FFC's website or Facebook page to see more awesome videos about BC’ sustainable forest industry!

It all started in 1977 with one truck. Meet the Thompson family of Ironside Contracting in Campbell River, BC.

Meet Bill & Otto Schulte, a father and son from Campbell River, BC.

Meet Lisa Perrault and Bob Craven, a wonderful couple from Campbell River, BC.