A press conference is a formal event held by a company that press are invited to cover. Press conferences are used to communicate an important, newsworthy business announcement and may include 50-100 members of the press. The key element of any press conference is the announcement itself. It must be significant enough to attract press, and newsworthy enough to secure actual coverage of the event. The location of a press conference is also critical - it must be a large enough room to allow for a large press contingent, camera equipment and it must be "well wired" with numerous power outlets and microphones to ensure press can ask questions, take photographs and film the event easily.

News briefings, on the other hand, are more informal and may only include a handful of journalists. The goal of a news briefing is to inform the press about a general strategy, introduce them to a new product or solicit their feedback on a particular program.