Tickets? Check. Itinerary? Check. Journalists? Check.
Last week Broadgate Mainland took some journalists on a two day trip to Frankfurt to meet a client who is based there. While Frankfurt may not seem like the most glamorous of locations, the point of these kinds of trips is not really glitz and glamour; it is however a great way to introduce journalists from key target publications to a number of fund managers at one time, and in their own environment. The success of this kind of trip is not just dependent on the amount of coverage received, but also the long term relationships that are formed.
By inviting a range of news and features journalists, too much crossover is avoided. While the features writers are on the hunt for themes and story ideas, the news hounds can sniff out a story or two.
Most journalists have met more fund managers than I’ve had hot dinners so there did have to be an element of fun in Frankfurt. What to do in a city known more for its bankers and airline stewards than its amazing architecture and tourirst attractions?
Those reading this who are old (and wise) enough will remember a film called ‘In The Name Of The Rose‘ starring Sean Connery. It was partly filmed at The monastery of Eberbach which now plays host to wine tasting tours and musical extravagansas. On the first evening, this is where we decided to take our party of journlaists for a guided tour, along with some wine and some food. Under the moonlight, it looked an amazing setting and the wine that was tasted wasn’t too bad either.
The second day was all about getting down to business. The journalists has a tour of the world via Frankfurt. The CEO kicked off proceedings followed by fund managers coming along to talk on topics including investing in agriculture, China and Africa. During the break for lunch, the keen journalists in the group got their laptops out and filed stories there and then, while others took the opportunity to get a feel for the environment and got better aquainted with the in-house commuications team.
No journalist trip, or event, would be complete without a parting gift. It seemed only appropriate to get copies of ‘In The Name Of The Rose‘ for all, especially as some of the journalists were not even born when the film was made!
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