Thanks to our sponsors
Plat_sponsor1

Guess What? Your Press Release Sucks!

#sxsw #yourpressreleasesucks

Press releases and bios are the foundation stones of any publicity campaign. These materials are often the first information writers, editors and other content producers encounter on an artist and their decision to want to learn more, hear music and so on usually hinges on the impact they make. Good press materials, properly distributed are almost a campaign in themselves and can be a great help for artists doing their own press for budgetary reasons. They are THE essential tool for publicity professionals.

Presenters

772
MODERATOR Howard Wuelfing Owner Howlin' Wuelf Media Inc

Howard Wuelfing is the owner of Howlin' Wuelf Media which he founded in 2002 after having been a part of the Publicity team at Columbia Records for some 12 years, that following 4 years at JEM Records.

He's worked with such acts as Jeff Buckley, Swans, Devendra Banhart, mike watt, Midnight Oil, Lisa Germano, Christopher O'Riley, Psychedelic Furs, The Incredible String Band, Cypress Hill, Akron/Family, Petra Haden, Afghan Whigs, Soul Asylum, Twilight Singers, Public Enemy and dozens more.

Before entering the world of publicity he was an active writer who's worked appeared in the Washington Post, Spin Magzine, the Village Voice, Creem, Forced Exposure and Your Flesh among others. He was also an active musician on the original DC punk rock scene playing with the Nurses, Slickee Boys, Underheaven and Half Japanese -- also chronicling bands like Minor Threat, Bad Brains etc. as a writer.

Howard brings his intense love of diverse musics as well decades of practical experience to the undertaking. He works closely with each individual artist, label, or management firm to custom-design a media campaign that best suits their vision and needs taking into account the full range of opportunities available in the 21st century, be it print, online or electronic media.

4290
Randy Alexander Pres & CEO Randex Communications

Now in its 16th year, Randex Communications is a boutique Entertainment, Lifestyle, Consumer and Music publicity firm founded in 1997 by Randy Alexander. Recently named a “tastemaker” by the Philadelphia Inquirer, one of “24 People to Watch” by SJ Magazine, and one of South Jersey Magazine’s 2010 “Names to Know,” Randex Communications’ owner, Randy Alexander, brings over 20 years of award-winning entertainment and sports journalism experience to his public relations company. Randex Communications was nominated “Publicity Firm of the Year” in the 2008 New Music Awards/Hollywood, and Randy was twice nominated as “Top Publicist” in the 2011 and 2007 NARIP (National Association of Recording Industry Professionals) Best in the Biz Awards. He was honored as a top public relations professional in the 2009 global directory of Who's Who.

Randy Alexander is a member of the Entertainment Publicists Professional Society and Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia, an executive board member of the Philadelphia Music Alliance (Philadelphia Walk of Fame), and member of the Grammy® Recording Academy (NARAS), for which he volunteer s as "Grammy in the Schools" instructor and panel moderator. He also is a frequent guest lecturer in university classrooms and has moderated or participated in panels for SXSW, CMJ Music Marathon, NARAS, Garden State Film Festival, DIY Convention, IMC, Cape May Singer-Songwriter Conference. Randy has been sought for national and local TV appearances on the CBS Early Show and the CBS3 Morning Show, and gets quoted nationally as an industry expert (CBS Radio, CNN Radio, FOX TV, Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Philadelphia Inquirer, KYW Newsradio, FanBridge). He successfully made the transition from daily newspapers to founding his own public relations firm after interviewing hundreds of celebrities and entertainment executives over 20 years covering music, TV, radio, Atlantic City casinos and numerous lifestyle stories for The Trenton (NJ) Times.

A nationally respected music journalist and winner of three writing awards (New Jersey Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and Garden State Association of Black Journalists), he reported daily on the historic birth of Live Aid and marked the 10th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death on an extended mission to Memphis and Tupelo, Miss., to explore and uncover the roots of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll. He has been a daily contributor to America Online’s MusicSpace Channel, pop music critic for the Courier-Post (Gannett’s South Jersey daily) and rock columnist for Action, the in-house publication of the Wachovia Spectrum, then Philadelphia’s leading entertainment arena. His coverage of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” tour was included in the best-selling biography, Glory Days.

Alexander lured an array of celebrities to his talk radio show and has covered TV nationally as a member of the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles and New York. He made a cameo on ABC’s One Life to Live’ and was Philadelphia bureau chief for cable industry trade Multichannel News. He also edited two national cable guides published by TVSM and was a regular video reviewer for Home Viewer magazine.

Alexander started his career in North American pro and college sports press boxes as an Amfax Communications correspondent covering championship events for the NFL, NHL and Major League Baseball. While still in college, he switched from sports to entertainment at The Philadelphia Journal, a sports- and entertainment-oriented daily tabloid. A Philadelphia native, Alexander holds a bachelor of arts degree in Journalism with a News-Editorial concentration from Temple University’s Annenberg School of Communications and Theater, and also is a graduate of Germantown Academy in Fort Washington, PA

Mike Greenhaus Exec Editor/VP Relix

Mike is the Executive Editor of Relix magazine. In addition to his print magazine responsibilities, he oversees the daily newswire for Relix.com and magazine’s sister site Jambands.com. Mike is the Vice President of the Relix Media Group, the parent company of Relix Magazine, Relix.com, Jambands.com, specialty publications like the Bonnaroo Beacon and the new area event database DoNYC. He co-created Relix’s official podcast in 2005—one of the first magazine podcasts—and currently curates the magazine’s official video series. He also also written for Spin, Paste, American Songwriter and a variety of other outlets.

Sarah Mary Cunningham Dir of Media Rel The Chamber Group

8752
Jim Fusilli Rock & Pop Critic The Wall Street Journal

Jim Fusilli is the rock & pop critic of The Wall Street Journal