A media event for a construction project carries real stakes. It can be the first time the public sees a project, and it puts the project owner, the contractor and their leaders in front of cameras together. The part the public sees can last less than an hour, after weeks of planning.
We spoke with reVerb Project Director Jennifer Villeneuve about planning a May 2025 media event for an LRT infrastructure project in Edmonton, and what goes into an event that runs smoothly.
What should people know or do differently after the event, and what budget is available to get there?
What image will media capture and share, and will the site deliver good video and clean audio?
How will guests and media arrive, move around and leave an active construction site safely?
Planning for More Than One Audience
A construction media event speaks to the general public, nearby neighbourhoods and future users of the project. For the May 2025 event, Villeneuve also planned for another audience: the construction company's corporate leaders.
"One thing I need to consider is that they are not here every day," Villeneuve said. "So it is important that they feel up to speed on the brass tacks of the event: what is happening during the event, minute by minute, who is speaking, what the messages are, who is managing what."
Front-line crews are part of that planning too. "You need to bring everybody in who is impacted by the event and make sure they know what is going on," she said.
The Work Behind the Scenes
Internal coordination shapes every part of the external event. On a typical construction media event, the planning covers:
- Identifying the journalists and outlets who cover the project or area.
- Writing the media advisory, news release and speaking notes.
- Setting the speaking order so each speaker's messages fit together.
- Building a minute-by-minute run of show for every partner.
- Planning parking, site access and safety for guests and media.
- Setting up staging, sound and presentation equipment, then rehearsing.
- Recording the event and managing media questions afterward.
- Preparing a plan for weather.
We plan and run media events, groundbreakings, openings and public events for construction and infrastructure projects across Alberta.
Explore Event ServicesPlanning for the Unknown
"You just know that an unknown can pop up at the last minute, and you are ready for that and you deal with it," Villeneuve said.
At the May 2025 event, the unknown was the wind. Forecast gusts of 40 km/h and stronger arrived just as the event began. Two large pop-up banner flags on either side of the lectern snapped back and forth, held in place by metal pegs the team had put in ahead of time.
"We talked about the possibility of the wind, and the construction team did a great job to make sure we were ready and that the flags stayed put on each side of the speakers' lectern. Every detail matters."
Villeneuve said the team enjoys this work. "We really enjoy helping to put together memorable events. We like to take the pressure off the people who are involved in them."
- What do we want people to know or do after this event?
- What is the one image we want in the news?
- Does every speaker and partner know the run of show?
- Have front-line crews been briefed on what will happen on site?
- What is our plan if the weather turns?
Planning a groundbreaking, opening or project announcement?
We handle media events from the first planning call to the last media question.
