Memorable event journey with Chevron Malaysia

I was really excited today as finally my senior executive brought me out from office to our client’s launching event after one month of internship! It is a launching event by Chevron Malaysia to introduce a loyalty card program called Caltex Journey Card which in partnership with Berjaya Corporation’s BCARD loyalty program. My senior executive, colleagues and I arrived at the launching venue, Bukit Kiara Equestrian & Country Resort early in the morning around 8am. The reason was that we had set up media registration counter, prepare press kits & media kits, and also brief the speaker about the speech before the event starts. The press kits include official news releases, biographical information about the company, event agenda and flyers of the Caltex Journey Card. Is it the contents of press kit sound familiar? I think we all have learnt the way of preparing press kits such as media releases, backgrounder, factsheet, newsletter, speech, running sheet and event checklist earlier before in the unit of Public Relations Techniques 220. So what is the difference of press kit and media kits? Press kits is the information materials about the client and event that distributed to the media for getting them have the clear message of the event whereas media kits  act as an appreciation gift or promotional freebies for the media who attend the event includes of food & beverage vouchers, calendars and notebooks which related to the client and commercial partners.

Caltex media kits

I have been assigned to the media registration task such as requesting the media to register their contact detail on a log book upon arrival, distributing media kits and also guiding the media in the process of complimentary sign up for the Caltex Journey loyalty card. Media registration is not only doing the following tasks, it is also the best time to strengthen your media industry network by having a quick and small conversation with them to establish a good relationship base. I also found out that normally media person like editor, reporter and blogger from the automobile and technology section will be more interested to attend and cover this kind of event news which is related to petrol industry. My senior associate also have told me that public relations consultant usually will handle all the media works during event planning such as distribute media invitations, prepare question and answer (Q & A) sheet for the press conference, prepare the emcee’s and speaker’s speech, train the media spokesperson, suggest the client to produce what types of promotional video can bring out the key messages, meeting with client to discuss the event program and others. This event made me clearly understood the role that PR plays in organizing a product launching.

As a professional public relations consultant, we must be well prepared for this one-off event because event can be a powerful public relation technique to bring up the company profile to another higher level and effectively disseminate the corporate key messages to the large range of diversity target audiences. Moreover, I finally understood the main reason of why public relations must participate in the preparing event management task that is because public relations will plan accordingly with a properly well research based on latest company business strategies plan and current issues from the aspect of politic, economic and social. For instance, my senior associate have prepared the Q&A sheet about the question that might be asked by media such as price hike of petrol and the upcoming plan of the 100 petrol station outlet of  Caltex before the event. This Chevron event has given me a golden opportunity to gain experience of organizing a product and press conference. I hope I can attend more events like this in future.

Official launching ceremony of Caltex Journey loyalty card.

Reporter register at the media registration counter upon arrive.

Press conference after the loyalty card launched by Mr.Jeremy Oh, Country Chairmain of Chevron Malaysia and Mr.Gary Yeoh, Director of Loyalty Sdn Bhd.

Introductory video of Caltex Journey Card was showing during the launching.

Lim Min Yuan

Curtin Sarawak

15625074 / 7E0B7821