In-person Connections and Collaboration Remain key for a Successful PR Program

By Brianna Moats

From face-to-face meetings to virtual meetings, emails and online collaborations, the world of PR — much like the rest of the world — has transitioned to being mostly digital. While online communication is efficient and necessary, attending my first client event, reinforced something important: in-person connections remain essential to building successful PR programs and strong professional relationships.

Attending NTT Research’s Upgrade

As a program coordinator still learning the ins and outs of PR, I recently attended NTT Research’s Upgrade, an annual technology and research summit held in Silicon Valley. The experience gave me a new perspective on the value of connecting face-to-face with colleagues, clients and journalists.

Seeing a client’s work up close and having real-time conversations created a level of engagement that simply cannot be replicated through a screen.  At Upgrade, I connected in-person with co-workers, media and individuals I had never encountered before. Those interactions led to more meaningful conversations and stronger professional relationships.

Why In-Person Collaboration Strengthens Communication

One of the biggest takeaways from the event was how much more naturally communication flows in person. Face-to-face conversations allow people to engage more fully. Body language, facial expressions and the natural rhythm of conversation create a stronger sense of connection than the choppy flow of a video call. Being in the same room also makes it easier to illustrate ideas, demonstrate concepts through gestures and react in real time.

In-person events also create opportunities for sidebar conversations or from spontaneous follow-up discussions that happen between sessions or after meetings. These ad-hoc conversations often lead to deeper understanding, additional context and stronger collaboration.

Beyond the formal business discussions, there is also value in simply spending time together. Whether over dinner, coffee or casual conversation after the day’s events, social interaction helps people better understand one another on both a professional and personal level.

Together, these moments build trust, familiarity and stronger working relationships.

Building Trust with Media

During Upgrade, I observed media briefings led by my co-workers and had a chance to speak directly with journalists. I quickly realized the event was not just about securing coverage. It was about establishing a baseline of trust, creating lasting impressions and building relationships that extend beyond a single moment.

Since those relationships were strengthened through in-person interactions, journalists were more engaged, asked deeper questions and explored topics further. The conversations felt more open and collaborative, contributing to successful media briefings and resulting in more than 50 pieces of coverage.

The experience demonstrated that strong media relationships are not built solely through emails and pitches. They are strengthened through real, face-to-face interactions over time.

Stronger Relationships Lead to Stronger Programs

In PR, relationships are the center of everything. Attending Upgrade highlighted how impactful in-person collaboration can be, not only for media relations, but also for internal teamwork and client partnerships.

The experience  deepened my understanding of the client and their work while also giving me a clearer view of PR operations beyond day-to-day digital communication. While the industry may continue moving toward digital-first communication, in-person collaboration remains incredibly valuable. Stronger relationships lead to happier teams, better partnerships and more successful programs for everyone involved.

Balancing digital efficiency with human connection is what ultimately creates the most productive and meaningful communications program.