When I worked at AVN, a publicist for Shane’s World asked me to come to their release party at a major night club in Hollywood.
“Yeah, sorry, I don’t get let into events like that. Sorry.” I responded.
She begged me to come, and insisted I would be on the press list and get in.
So, I show up, business card in hand, there’s the line for the “guest list.” I flash my card for AVN and say I’m on the press list. The bouncer insisted there was no list and I had to go to the other line and pay (a lot) to get in.
As I turned to walk away, pissed that I had spent money for parking, and wasted my time, Tod Hunter comes walking up. Hunter was a senior writer for AVN and was also invited to cover the party.
“Let me show you how it’s done,” he said. You had to love the charming smug smile he gave saying it. Hunter flashed his business card, dropped the publicist’s name.
And he too was given the “sorry buddy” line.
Not giving up, he pulled out his cell phone and called the publicist. The call went straight to voicemail. Hunter and I walked away and got burgers.
This has happened repeatedly. I was at the AVN Expo in Vegas one year where someone had insisted they scored us a place on the guest list for a major party at an A-list night club, in the convention hotel. I tried warning them it wasn’t going to happen, and bang, we were stopped at the door.
We can poke fun at this, but the reality check is, it’s poison for anyone doing publicity.
Working for Bondage Ball, I had a major rule. I had to be outside the club and act as liaison to get the press in. It was non-negotiable. Was I in the club all night rubbing elbows with Hollywood’s most wanted? No, I was out front, in the cold, with my press list in hand, and handing out the press passes myself.
Not the first time I’ve done that either. When clients sponsored Hollywood events, and the event asked me to send out press releases, my rule was I had to be out front to let press in.
There’s nothing wrong up front to say there’s no press list. I’ve done that for a few release parties. The writers stay home and catch up on TV. The photographers go shoot somewhere else or enjoy time with their family. But the important take home here is credibility.
I buried rival events in Hollywood, because I got the word out, we got the press in, and we delivered a great party. Reporters would excuse themselves because they were assigned to a rival’s party, then come back an hour saying ours was significantly better.
It’s the sort of thing that can make or break you. Don’t leave your press out in the cold.
