Planning a Product Launch and Press Conference: From Stage to Hands-On
When you plan a product launch or press conference, plan the route from the presentation to the moment guests handle and film the product as well. Explaining a product and experiencing it need different space and staffing.
If you are the brand or PR lead for a press event, look at how the stage, photo moment and hands-on area connect before ordering any of them separately. The questions below draw on Xiaomi's POCOPHONE F1 Korea launch, which Chris & Partners planned and ran.
What Chris & Partners did at the POCOPHONE F1 launch
The POCOPHONE F1 Korea launch on 29 October 2018 was a product presentation for Korean media, with around 250 attendees. Xiaomi was the host; Chris & Partners planned and ran the event, from lighting in the press conference hall to the reveal of the hands-on zone.
When the formal conference ended, the photo wall in the lobby opened to reveal the display zone, moving guests from listening about the product to trying it. (View the project · Case study)
The planning questions below are general suggestions for a new event. They do not reproduce the staffing plan or cue sheet of the Xiaomi launch.
1. Match the stage message to what guests can try
The presentation describes the product's features; the hands-on area should let guests verify them themselves. If the camera is the story, decide what they will shoot; if it is usability, decide which action they will try.
Settle three things before ordering:
- Which product message must land on stage?
- Which action in the hands-on area will confirm it?
- Who prepares demo units and content, and by when?
The host decides what can be demonstrated and disclosed.
2. Treat the move from stage to hands-on as one sequence
The Xiaomi launch revealed a hands-on area in the lobby after the conference. A new event does not need to repeat that; choose the connection that suits your space and product.
Compare letting guests move freely, moving them in groups on cue, and combining or separating photography and trial.
On the site visit, check the hall exits, the space around demo stations, queue positions and the route between them. Having the space and guests being comfortable in it are different conditions.
3. Separate demo, photo and explanation roles
Handling the product, photographing it and asking questions can overlap in one area. Alongside the layout, decide who explains the product, who keeps demo units working and who directs photography.
For a press event, also agree in advance:
- time and positions for journalists to shoot their own footage
- when and how the press release and high-resolution product images are provided
- the embargo time
Set the number of stations and staff by how long one trial takes and the site conditions, not only by headcount.
The host can own product explanations and disclosure rules while the agency owns space, running order and on-site operations. If photo positions or product presenters are still open, list them as items to confirm when you request a quote.
Five things to send your agency
- Product and objective: [what you are announcing, to whom]
- Date, location and venue status: [confirmed / shortlisted / open]
- Audience and expected numbers: [press / customers / partners]
- Scenes needed: [presentation / photo moment / demo / hands-on]
- Scope: [planning / stage and AV / production / on-site operations]
Unconfirmed samples or venues are fine; list the open items so in-house and outsourced work can be divided. Overseas brands launching in Korea may also find our sister site's product launch guide useful on press norms and customs.
Frequently asked questions
How early should we start planning a product launch?
It depends on scale, but allowing two to three months gives room to secure a venue, prepare samples and invite press. For products coming from an overseas HQ, check customs clearance time for samples separately.
Does a press conference need a hands-on area?
Not always. If journalists need to test and film the product, consider one. The test is which action will let them confirm what the presentation claimed.
Can the photo moment and hands-on area share a space?
Yes, but routes collide easily. Use expected numbers and the length of one trial to leave queueing space between photo positions and demo stations.
When should the press release go out?
Often on the day, with an agreed embargo time. Having high-resolution product and event photos ready makes it easier for journalists to use them.
Planning what happens after the presentation?
Tell Chris & Partners your objective and where your preparation stands. We will scope the planning and operations you need around your product message, space and programme.
Xiaomi project · Our services · Talk to us about your launch
hello@chrisandpartners.co · +82-2-375-4620
Chris & Partners is a Seoul-based event agency, founded in 2013, that has planned and run 250+ events in 12 countries across five continents.
Case source: Chris & Partners official portfolio, "POCOPHONE F1 Launch". Event date 29 Oct 2018 / checked 2 Nov 2026. The planning questions and FAQ are general suggestions, separate from the case.