Friday: NYC is launching congestion pricing this weekend -- here's how it will impact your press events in 2025.

Plus: Did you see the 2024 Muck Rack top journalists list? I'm on it!

Jan 03, 2025

Good morning!

Lots of newly published content to share, but first some current news to discuss for those who live in the NYC area or are planning events, meetings, or trips to the area in the year to come…(which I know is many of you!)

In brief: The city of NYC is giving people a bit of coal in their stocking even after the holidays are behind us.

I’ve touched on this topic before when it was still in the discussion and approval stages, but it’s gotten no better and continues to be a headache before even getting started: In a nutshell, congestion pricing means that beginning this weekend, there’ll be an addition fee for cars entering Manhattan — it’s aimed to help reduce traffic (i.e) aforementioned congestion, but as passenger cars will be paying a toll of $9 and rideshare services such as Uber or taxis will be paying additional fees of their own, traveling into and around the city to attend media events and PR dinners is becoming increasingly cost-prohibitive (lets face it, those rideshares were already wallet busters) at a time that many freelancers are already struggling making ends meet. (And when you figure in those who are commuting in from areas such as NJ and have to tally those tolls as well, the costs become absurd.)

Now, what that means is that anyone taking a rideshare to or from a press event or press dinner now is going to be spending a significant amount more on that trip (and unless you are a well-to-do person, which most freelancers are not, this will add up quickly and become increasingly cost-prohibitive), meaning that the increased cost of attending a press event may make journalists wary of attending.

The answer? Uber vouchers. Build the cost of getting attendees to and from your event into the budget of the event. Even if you have to invite less people or skimp on that planned ice sculpture of your new lipstick launch.

Here’s how it works

Lets say I am going to a press dinner tonight at 123 Spicy Tuna Highway.

The Uber voucher would be set up that it would cover a ride to/from that address or the general area (usually a mile or so boundary) during a time frame of and around the event.

This voucher or code may have certain parameters, say, up to $50 each way. That would depend on your budget. Or, it could just be “covers entire ride” — whatever that is. Obviously someone coming from a mile away will use less of a credit than someone coming from 10 miles away.

Anecdotal aside: Recently, I got an invite to an event. It was a beauty-related at a hotel, and the brand/theme of the event was something that sounded fun and interesting. I asked if Uber vouchers were possible and the publicist responded they were - but only for those who live in NYC.

(So, I had to explain to the woman that Brooklyn is actually one of the five boroughs and just as much a “part of NYC” as the borough of Manhattan is, whereupon I was told “only in the city, …but I digress. Not the point.)

Rather than exclude someone (who actually has to work harder to get to your event) based on where they happen to live, do an Uber Voucher with a set amount value boundary. For example: If that event is giving people who live within their preferred borough a $XX voucher, give that to a person in Brooklyn or Queens too, if i doesn’t cover their whole ride, that’s fine - it’ll cover a good portion of it and make it more likely they can attend and support.

To exclude them altogether though feels…kind of hurtful.

But back to our how-to:

Once you set up a Uber code/voucher, you can send that code to those journalists you are inviting, and they can then input the code in their app. They then use it to book their own ride the night of the event, which lets them control the time they leave and where they may leave from. (BTW, these vouchers can also be used for meals, which is a very useful asset if you are hosting a virtual event and want to make it a luncheon set up! I have seen people do that all the time for everything from virtual coffee meetings to luncheons to happy hours).

It’s great because - if someone ends up cancelling and not using the voucher, you aren’t charged. The voucher is only charged for the amount used to go to your event. Not used, you pay zero. If they use only part of the voucher limits, you are only charged for that they use.

Here’s how that benefits you: If you send someone a $100 Uber gift card and they use only half of it, you’ve still spend $100. But if you send a $100 uber voucher code and they use only half - your account is only charged that $50. This saves you money by only having the Uber cost be what is needed and used.

So, why should you have these vouchers/codes for your events? Glad you asked.

It’ll increase the chance of people showing up - and showing up at the right place at the right time.
It’ll get people home safely. You don’t want to be hosting a whiskey tasting and then have someone hobbling their way home, or worse, driving themselves.
It’s considerate. A person doesn’t have to budget in their own ride, worry about finding parking, or take a subway if it’s feeling unsafe or inconvenient. That makes people more eager to attend!
It has so many potential uses. For events and dinners, too, but it’s also a really convenient way of streamlining ground transfers for your next press trip! Just set up Uber codes and you don’t have to worry about having a car and driver waiting at the airport.
It avoids the issue of chasing reimbursements. Often press trips will offer to reimburse Uber costs for ground transfers - and then it’s an issue of saving receipts and chasing down reimbursements. That can sometimes takes months. This makes everything seamless on both ends.

I’ll be honest - there’s been many times that having a ride covered was a deciding factor for me when it came to events. And I’m pretty certain many others feel the same way. And: This was before congestion pricing made already too-expensive Ubers now rather cost prohibitive. It’s a small and relatively minor way to make a big difference in your event attendance and participation!

Another heads up: It’s important to, if offering Uber vouchers as an incentive for people attending your event, to make sure that voucher is enough to actually cover their ride. There’s been many times I’ve said yes to things under the belief that my trip would be covered - as it said it would be in the initial invite - and then would receive an Uber voucher that covered only…25% of the total ride, leaving the rest of the cost of attending the event out of my own pocket. That adds up. Fast.

And to be clear: This is not a promotional post for Uber. Alto, Revel, and Lyft are also fabulous options and many cities offer other rideshare apps.

The point is, implementing this into your event or dinner or press trip ground transfer plans helps EVERYONE and makes everyone’s life and work (and budget) easier to manage. There’s no greater way to start (and end) an event than that.

Check it out here.

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Newly published or freshly updated

Since people are often asking about the status of stories from a while ago, and I only share stories in this newsletter that were published or updated in the current week, I have created a list of my author pages at various publications to which I contribute. Bookmark it and make your life a bit easier.

This list will live on my Substack URL and be updated as necessary. That way, you can see what I’m doing at any publication, at any time, from types of stories to general structure of stories to even volume and frequency of my content at that outlet.

This can also help you to target pitching a bit better. That makes your job easier, and mine too!

Newsweek Readers Choice: Best Apres Ski Spots, Best Casinos with Live Music (outside Vegas), Best U.S. Wellness Resort, Best Packing Cube, Best Vodka, Best Gourmet Subscription Box, Best Mattress, and Best Outdoor Grill - more categories coming very soon!
Travel & Leisure: A Travel Writer's $10 Amazon Packing Hack for Shoes
Food Network: Starbucks Finally Adds Cortados to Its Menu
Southern Living: Can You Eat Wilted Cilantro?
Today.com: Do drugstore wrinkle creams really work? Experts weigh in
Martha Stewart: 18 Coffee Table Décor Ideas That Blend Form and Function.
Travel & Leisure: I Travel Solo Often, and I Won’t Stay in Another Airbnb Without Packing This 1 Safety Device
Saatva: 5 Ways to Deal With Sleep Deprivation
The Spruce: How to Add Storage to Your Kitchen Walls and Make the Most of the Vertical Space
Southern Living: The 9 Best Bottles Of Bourbon, According To Southern Chefs And Bartenders

If you or your client are featured in any of these stories, I super appreciate any social media shares! Please remember to tag @alywalansky and the outlet.

Here’s what I’m working on:

Be sure to read the below list carefully. Many are stories I posted about yesterday, but some of yesterday's stories are no longer listed and a few new ones have been added since yesterday. This (below) is everything that is still a currently open opportunity as of today.

Please remember when pitching me: Email me at alywalansky@gmail.com - do NOT just hit reply on this newsletter, or there’s a good shot your email will be lost in the heap. Give your email a subject line that makes it clear which story you are pitching me for — it’ll help you in the long run.

Please consult my industry insights guides on submitting expert commentary, sending emails that will catch a journalist’s attention, how to craft pitches journalists will say ‘yes’ to, and the right and wrong way to submit photos, if you need any extra guidance before sending your pitches.

Forbes

Rounding up fun spins on the hot toddy, that is currently available on restaurant or bar menus nationwide.

Plate Magazine

I’m putting out bites/drinks of the week feelers, which is sort of a drink/dish spotlight piece. (Some examples are this Peruvian-inspired sweet potato in Savannah and a molecular banana daiquiri in Chicago.) Basically if you are pitching me something for this, think along the lines of: Is this dish/bite something new? What interesting techniques are used to make it come together? If the technique is simple, what’s the hook? An interesting ingredient? Something being made in house or in an interesting way? What’s the story behind the dish? What inspired it? Is there a cultural/family story behind the dish? An ingredient the chef got their hands on? Love to hear what you might have for me!

<3

aly

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