Waking up in Vegas: A B2B Tech PR’s guide to travelling for work

When you think of roles that involve jet-setting overseas, perhaps your mind goes to ambassador, pilot, or 00 agent if you’re watching too many spy films…. But what about a B2B tech PR professional?

It’s not all pitching stories and content writing – we also get the chance to travel around the world from time to time. After a few years of COVID disruptions (see Gus’s great blog on navigating events post-COVID here), we’re seeing global events come roaring back, from ones organised by our clients, like the Ivalua Now EMEA conference in Paris, to wider industry forums, such as Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Some events will even take you across the pond to the US, which I just experienced for the first time flying to Las Vegas for Black Hat USA 2022. The cybersecurity event was held at the glamorous Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in the enormous conference centre (which of course has a fully functional aquarium attached to it because… Vegas).

But when you’re away for work it can take a bit time to adjust, so to ensure you start events abroad on the front foot, here are a few tips worth remembering:

• One hour at a time – While on holiday you might be able to sleepwalk through the first day, but at a busy conference you’ll need to be on your toes from day one. Before travelling on a long-haul flight, start changing your sleep patterns to adjust slowly to the time difference – for me, this meant staying up later each night watching the Lord of the Rings films to gradually get closer to US time...

• Prep for everything – Conferences are chaotic at the best of times, but even more so when you’re working through jet lag and rushing between booth duties with journalist interviews and client panels. Make sure you firm up journalist interviews and always have a schedule and mobile numbers to hand so you can make changes on the fly and save running across the show floor!

• Scope out the venue asap – At a hectic event, double bookings happen, areas are closed unexpectedly, and meeting rooms change all the time. When you arrive, make sure you scope out the venue and find a quiet spot where an interview, meeting, or call could take place if your location is pulled out from underneath you. This has saved me multiple times over the years.

• Meet and greet – Shows are a great place to catch up with old contacts or meet new ones, whether they are journalists, clients, or just like-minded PRs. Make sure to do a round at the event and see if there’s anyone who will meet for a coffee to talk shop, share intel, or (if it’s a new client or journalist) introduce yourself and find out more about what interests them.

• Enjoy yourself! – Wherever you go, make time to see some of the sights when you can – it’s not every day you wake up in a city that has a Venetian canal on the second floor of a hotel, 24-hour restaurants, or world-famous fountains!

No matter where work takes you – from San Francisco for RSA Conference to Money 20/20 Europe in Amsterdam – hopefully this advice can help you on your way!