In 2026, the world’s media gathered at Farnborough International Airshow, creating an unrivalled opportunity for businesses of all sizes across the aerospace, defence and space industries to share their stories.

Whether you are attending a major international airshow or a smaller industry event, these five practical steps will help you maximise media opportunities.

1. Plan like a pro

Before attending any event, set clear objectives with your team and agree on what you want to achieve.

If your goal is to build brand awareness, media relations can put your business on the map, but before sending your first communication, you need to define the story you want to tell: What are you promoting? Is it new? Why is it newsworthy, and why should audiences care now or during the show?

Once you have those answers, use them to shape your announcement, target the right journalists and plan when to approach them.

2. Keep it simple

When preparing announcements or any communications to journalists, the key is to keep it simple and specific.

Let the journalist know who you are, what you do and why you are getting in touch.

If you are sending a press release, aim to keep it to one side of A4, with a handful of bullet points at the beginning to highlight the key elements of the story and any statistics. Put the essential information in the opening lines, then include a relevant quote and suitable images in your initial email so the journalist has everything needed to assess and develop the story.

3. Utilise the organisers’ tools

Many event organisers, like Farnborough International, will do some of the work for you to help you maximise your investment of attending the event.

Start by identifying the event’s media partners. They often publish pre-event news from speakers, exhibitors and partners, as well as daily magazines and digital newsletters during the show. Review their editorial team pages to find the journalist who covers your subject, then approach them with a relevant and tailored story.

Farnborough International also provides exhibitors and partners with a GDPR-compliant, opt-in list of journalists attending the airshow who are open to hearing from them. Use it to identify relevant media and share targeted pitches ahead of the event rather than sending the same announcement to everyone.

4. Don’t wait until the last minute

Journalists receive hundreds, if not thousands, of emails every day. Ahead of an event on the scale of Farnborough International Airshow, that volume can increase significantly.

Share your news in good time and, where appropriate, offer it under embargo. Giving journalists advance access provides more time to assess the story, conduct interviews and prepare accurate coverage for publication when the embargo lifts.

5. Don’t sleep on trade media

One of the most common mistakes businesses make is starting from zero and expecting national coverage from their first announcement. Building relationships with the trade media that cover your industry is one of the most effective ways to strengthen brand awareness in both the media and generative AI search.

According to Muck Rack’s recent report, 89% of links cited by AI originate from earned media sources, and a recent Reuters Institute report found that more than half (56%) of UK journalists use AI professionally at least once a week,

Conversational and generative search tools, including Google’s AI-powered search features and ChatGPT, do more than index web pages like traditional search engines. They draw on a wide range of credible third-party sources, including news coverage, thought-leadership articles, expert commentary and other forms of earned media.

The more high-quality trade media coverage your business earns, the more likely it is to appear in generative search results. That visibility can help potential clients and national journalists discover your brand, while also benefiting from trade media relationships.

Turn preparation into opportunity

The strongest event media strategies begin well before the doors open. Set clear objectives, develop a genuinely newsworthy story and give relevant journalists the time and material they need to cover it. Use the organiser’s media resources, identify the outlets that matter to you and your customers and begin building relationships that will deliver value during the show and long after it ends.