Building the Perfect Press Release
Master the art of storytelling with our upcoming workshop, Building the Perfect Press Release.
This session dives into the strategic purpose of a press release, defining it as a concise tool to notify the media about new products or company milestones while allowing you to articulate your story in your own words. We will explore the historical evolution of PR—from the first release in 1906 to the modern 24-hour news cycle—and identify the essential elements that make a release "good," such as being newsworthy, self-contained, and perfectly structured in the first paragraph. Beyond just writing, we will cover practical considerations like SEO, legal compliance, and the role of multimedia.
To make this a truly interactive experience, please bring your laptops! We will be working directly with you to craft real, usable press releases to help promote your company and build immediate momentum.
About The Speaker
Richard Berman
After graduating from Trinity College in 1992, Richard studied at the graduate journalism program at Ryerson before working as a newspaper and magazine reporter. He shifted careers into marketing for high-tech and financial-services companies in 1996, and after holding management positions at top global PR agencies and serving as the director of communications for a public software company, Richard founded VerbFactory in 2003. The agency, which is based in San Francisco and New York, focuses on helping technology and financial services companies grow their businesses by telling their stories through branding, writing, and media relations. Richard recently relocated to his adopted hometown of Toronto to start a practice focused on the growing Canadian technology community. He has written more than 1400 articles for publications including the San Francisco Chronicle and the Silicon Valley Business Journal on topics ranging from classic cars to baseball, and also played bass on a Grammy-nominated album.
About the Host
About the City of Markham
The City of Markham is one of the most vibrant, diverse, and rapidly growing communities in the Greater Toronto Area. Home to more than 365,000 residents and a thriving business ecosystem of over 10,000 companies — including 1,500 technology firms — Markham is recognized for its forward-thinking urban planning, dynamic entrepreneurial spirit, and strong pro-business environment.Through the Markham Small Business Centre, the city provides dedicated support to entrepreneurs and small business owners. A team of passionate business advisors offers personalized, one-on-one consulting and access to essential resources, helping local businesses launch, grow, and succeed in today’s competitive marketplace. www.markhambusiness.ca
About YSpace
YSpace is York University’s pan-university entrepreneurship and innovation hub supporting startups and entrepreneurs from a variety of sectors and communities. Our programming spans across scaling innovative technologies through customer and investor capital to scaling agri-food businesses into mass retail to diversity-focused initiatives like **ELLA powered by Desjardins** for women-led businesses and Black Entrepreneurship Alliance (BEA) for Black-led businesses. Additionally with our Start-Up Visa program, we are building a robust ecosystem, driving positive change and empowering entrepreneurs to shape the future. We are also home to two physical hubs in the City of Markham and the Town of Georgina