Thank you for deciding to hold a cycling event in Toronto. Promoting cycling benefits the entire City, by showcasing a healthy life style. Once you have decided what you are going to do, promotion will be essential to ensure your event is successful.

Pre-planning is critical in order to run a successful event. Determine ahead of time your target audience, what results you would like, and work towards those goals. Events both large and small, run more efficiently and are ultimately more successful with a 'master plan' in place.

You may register events to the City's online Cycling Events Calendar.

By registering your event online, your event may be included in various publication materials the City of Toronto produces to promoting cycling, such as the Bike Month Guide, or the Bike Winter Events Guide, depending on the time of year. The City of Toronto reserves the right to edit and manage all information and events submit for publication in it's materials.

Getting started
Here are some points to help you get started and get the results you want.

Publicity tools and public outreach:

• Event listings
  Most newspapers (weeklies and monthlies especially) have a community events listing section. Send event details to the newspaper before the deadline and include the following information: name of event, date, time, location, short description of the event, and contact number.

• Flyers and posters
  The City may list your event in publications like the Bike Month Guide, to publicize your event, however, community groups are also encouraged to design their own posters or flyers to advertise their event specifically. Brainstorm and consider distributing flyers and posters to libraries, bike shops, local businesses such as coffee shops, Laundromats or gyms as well as community centres.

• Phone and e-mail invites
  Contact your target audience directly and ask them to come to your event. This is often one of the most effective tools to get people out to events!

• Media
  Call up local news desks and papers and tell them what you are doing. Its generally a good idea to stress the human interest angle, as they are often hungry for material and tips about news in the local community. Depending on the scale of your event it may also be worth while to consider preparing a 'press release' article with your key event messages and submit it to various outlets. Media coverage helps send your messages to a widespread audience!

Media releases

1. Define your target audience
   Be as specific as possible. Who do you want at your event? Who are you expecting at your event? Is it a local or regional event? Is the event for a specific age group? Are non-cyclists welcome to participate? etc...

2. What are your key messages?
   What do you want to say? For example "Local Cyclists work to encourage ridership in their neighborhood." or "Community leaders want to promote bicycle use for families and children." or

3. Designate a spokesperson for your event
   Your spokesperson should be: informed, responsive, available, and representative of your organization.

4. Write a media release
   The first paragraph of your media release must answer the five W's - what is happening, when and where it will be, who is organizing the event, who is attending the event (politicians, celebrities), and why the event is taking place. Finally, how is your event significant. It is best if this goes in a separate paragraph. Keep your paragraphs short and to the point. If a media want to cover your event, they can get more information when they contact your spokesperson.

5. Send your media release to various media outlets.

6. Follow up on your media release with phone calls.

Why use the media?

• A media campaign is an inexpensive publicity tool. The only cost is in the time you spend writing your release, and contacting the media.
• Media reports can provide widespread coverage - local (community papers), regional (daily newspapers, radio), national (television and national newspapers).
• The media reaches a large audience.
• The media has a powerful influence over the public's perceptions and attitudes towards important issues.

Where to send your media release

• community newspapers
• community radio stations
• commercial radio stations
• other-language newspapers
• ethnic newspapers
• local politicians office
• television stations