Media Tours

A press release can tell someone about your business. A media tour lets them feel it, taste it, and see it for themselves. That difference shows up in the coverage.
 
I plan and host media tours and familiarization trips that bring journalists, editors, food writers, and influencers directly to my clients' businesses. The result is coverage that reads like a genuine recommendation because it is one.

What a Media Tour Actually Is
A media tour, sometimes called a FAM trip or familiarization tour, is an organized experience designed for press and influencers. Instead of pitching your story from a distance, you invite the people who cover your industry to show up in person: to eat the food, walk the space, meet the team, and understand what makes your business worth writing about.
Done well, a media tour produces coverage that no press release can replicate. Writers and content creators who attend leave with a real story to tell, not a summary of talking points.

Why Most Media Tours Underdeliver (And How to Avoid That)
A media tour is only as good as the people in the room and the experience you create for them. Inviting the wrong journalists, scheduling too much, leaving too little time for organic conversation, or failing to follow up afterward are all ways a well-intentioned tour falls flat.
My background as a reporter gives me a useful perspective here. I know what journalists are looking for when they accept an invitation like this, what makes them leave excited to write, and what makes them feel like they've been used for a photo opportunity. That shapes how I plan every tour from the guest list forward.

How I Approach a Media Tour
Every media tour I plan starts with the same question: what do we want people to walk away wanting to say about you?
From there, I handle the logistics and the strategy together.

• Guest selection: I research and identify journalists, editors, bloggers, and influencers whose audiences match yours. I draw on my existing media relationships in the Pacific Northwest and beyond to recruit the right people, not just whoever will say yes.

• Experience design: I work with you to shape an experience that feels natural and memorable, not staged. The goal is for attendees to have a story worth telling, not a checklist of brand messages to repeat.

• Storytelling prep: Before the tour, I help you and your team prepare. That might mean light spokesperson coaching, developing a few conversation-worthy talking points, or simply deciding what to lead with and what to let people discover on their own.

• Follow-through: After the tour, I follow up with attendees, provide any additional assets they need, and track coverage as it comes in. The relationship doesn't end when the last guest leaves.

 
Who This Is Right For
Media tours work particularly well for businesses where the experience is the story: restaurants, hotels, wineries, farms, food producers, tourism destinations, and hospitality brands across Seattle and the Pacific Northwest.
They're especially valuable for:

• New openings or concept launches where you want to build coverage momentum quickly

• Established businesses ready to reach a new audience or geographic market

• Seasonal campaigns tied to harvest, a menu change, or a signature event

• Brands with a strong visual or experiential element that photographs and films well

 
What You Can Expect
No two media tours look the same, but the process is consistent. We start with a conversation about your goals, your timeline, and your budget. From there I build a plan, handle outreach and coordination, and stay hands-on through the day of the event and beyond.
I work with a small number of clients at a time, which means you get my full attention throughout the process, not a handoff to a junior coordinator.
 
Let's Talk About Your Media Tour
If you have a story worth experiencing, I'd love to help you share it. Reach out and we'll talk through whether a media tour makes sense for where you are right now.
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