Just four weeks into my role as PR Assistant for BlueSky Education, I was lucky enough to attend BlueSky Media Connect London 2026. Last year, Media Connect was impressively labelled the ‘Glastonbury of PR conferences’, so I absolutely could not wait to attend.
As I stepped into the luxurious Hyatt Regency Blackfriars, I felt excited about the day ahead. What followed was a day filled with thought-provoking panels and networking, followed by a gala dinner at the iconic OXO Tower.
I gained a wealth of new knowledge of the business school world and have since had plenty of insights to reflect on.
Here are my top three (of many) takeaways from this year’s conference – particularly useful if you’re also new to education PR:
In a time where hybrid working is the norm and daily interactions revolve around your Outlook inbox and LinkedIn connections, it is easy to forget the importance of communicating in-person. It can also be easy to feel anxious, especially at conferences, filled with big names and publications.
Personally, it was my first time attending a conference and interacting with some of our clients here at BlueSky. But I was soon reassured by just how friendly people are, and how some simple small talk can end up being the start of a professional relationship.
Nothing beats an in-person “hello”. This is the start of how you make yourself memorable and begin to build valuable working relationships. PR, after all, is all about this.
So, if you have been holding off on going to that event, or inviting a journalist for coffee, challenge yourself! It really is worth it.
Through a series of panels, I had the privilege of hearing directly from journalists at the likes of The Financial Times, The Economist, and The New York Times themselves. A key theme that kept coming up throughout the day was what exactly makes a story newsworthy.
Firstly, it is important that your story is relevant to the publication’s current beats. Before pitching, familiarise yourself with the topics the publication is currently prioritising. Read it closely and identify its recurring themes so that your story is timely and genuinely appeals to readers.
Journalists also value stories with a human-interest angle. So, stop fixating on data and statistics and ask yourself how your story affects people. What impact does it have? What could it lead to? Why should people care?
Additionally, a positive angle is more likely to stand out and catch a journalist’s eye. There is a current influx of news focused on current affairs and disasters, so this is an easy way to differentiate from other stories and offer new insight.
Just over a month into my time at BlueSky Education, I have already learnt that a good pitch is absolute gold dust. A story’s success very much depends on how well it is pitched.
The panels at Media Connect emphasised ‘letting go’ of technical language. This especially applies to PR professionals in the business education sector, who are working with highly complex research. Unfortunately, academic jargon just won’t make the cut. Your story needs to be clear and understandable – tell it like you would when talking to a friend over coffee.
Journalists are also desperate to receive short pitches. Half receive at least 50 pitches a week, so there really is no time to waste when it comes to getting to the point. This includes resisting the urge to preface a press release with a long explanation - journalists just don’t have the time.
For instance, to stand out in a journalist’s inbox, you could include the top three things that the reader should know. This would prevent any waffle and hopefully make them much more likely to read the full thing. A win-win.
If it’s not clear already, BlueSky Media Connect is an invaluable way for your business school to network with leading journalists and editors and to learn the art of successful communications from the very best in the industry.
If you’re interested in attending our future conferences (more details coming soon), make sure to contact us at: experts@bluesky-pr.com
Or if you’d like our support with pitching to the press and getting compelling media coverage for your institution, get in touch today.
Having achieved First-Class Honours in Communication and Media from Bournemouth University, Gabriella is now putting her varied skills and knowledge to use in supporting the media ambitions of universities, business schools and other organisations from around the globe.