How to Publicize an Arts and Cultural Event in Waco

Are you hosting an exhibition, performance, workshop, or cultural celebration? Help the community discover it with clear information and a plan for sharing it. This guide is for Waco’s nonprofit arts and cultural organizations, with examples you can adapt for your next event.

1. Prepare

1.1 Investigate

Decide who you’re trying to reach. What do they need to know? Where are they paying attention? How are they likely to find your event?

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Put yourself in your audience’s shoes. A parent considering a children’s art workshop may want to know the recommended ages, whether supplies are provided, and whether they should stay with their child. Someone attending a gallery opening for the first time may wonder whether admission is free and whether everyone is welcome.

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A clear audience helps you choose the right message and places to share it.

1.2 Refine Key Information

Whether you’re writing a press release, social media post, or flyer, include the essential details and keep them consistent across platforms:

• Event name and description
• Date, location, and start and end times
• Admission cost, including whether it is free
• Website and registration or ticket link
• Contact information and social media accounts

Include practical details when relevant. For an outdoor performance, explain what to bring and where to find weather updates. For a workshop, note whether registration is required and supplies are included.

1.3 Show and Tell

Use pictures and videos that help people imagine being part of your event. Show the experience, whether that means making art, watching a performance, exploring an exhibition, or celebrating a cultural tradition.

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For example, a theater could share rehearsal photos, while a museum could show families participating in a similar activity. Pair those images with a brief explanation of what attendees can expect.

2. Work Your Channels

2.1 Event Calendars

Local calendars help residents, visitors, and media discover what’s happening in Waco. Start with Culturalyst and explore additional listings at creativewaco.org/calendars.

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Make your listing understandable to someone unfamiliar with your organization. Rather than “Our annual showcase is back,” try “Discover original paintings, photography, and sculpture by local students at this free exhibition.”

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Consider these local listing options:

• Waco Visitor Information Platform: wacoheartoftexas.com/events
• Waco Tribune-Herald: wacotrib.com/calendar — look for the option to submit an event.
• Act Locally Waco: actlocallywaco.org/events — contact [email protected].
• Waco Insider: wacoinsider.com/eventsubmission — contact Mark Long at [email protected].
• 94.5 The Beat: centexbeat.com/community-events
• KWTX: kwtx.com/calendar

Your outreach list can also include Waco Buzz and Wacoan Magazine, along with event platforms such as Eventbrite and Facebook Events.

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Include complete details, an engaging image, and a direct link to more information. Check each platform’s submission requirements and allow time for review.

2.2 Social Media

Share graphics, photos, and videos that give people reasons to attend. Respond to comments and questions, and encourage your team, board, volunteers, and participating artists to share your content.

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For example, an organization promoting a concert could introduce the musicians, share a rehearsal clip, and post a reminder with parking information. A cultural festival could spotlight participating artists and explain the traditions visitors will experience.

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Create a Facebook event when appropriate. Include the full event details and ticket or registration link, then share it through your organization’s page and participating partners. Keep its information consistent with your website and calendar listings.

2.3 Emails

Keep your contacts and supporters informed in the weeks leading up to your event. Send an invitation, highlight what makes the experience special, and follow up with a reminder.

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Make invitations personal when possible. A museum might invite past workshop participants to a new class, while a theater could let previous ticket buyers know about its next production.

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Use your email platform or a service such as Evite to make responding easy. Include a clear RSVP, registration, or ticket link, and give supporters an invitation they can forward to friends and family.

2.4 Website

Use your website to give visitors a fuller picture of your event and organization. A dedicated event page provides a central place for details and lets people explore your other programs.

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Help people find the page through search engines by using a descriptive title and clear text. For example, “Family Printmaking Workshop in Waco” tells visitors more than “Let’s Create!”

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Write out essential details rather than placing them only inside a flyer image. Add descriptive alt text to meaningful images so people using screen readers can access that information.

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Link calendar listings, social posts, and email invitations to this page so attendees can find the latest details in one place.

3. Send Out Press Releases

Local media can help introduce your work to a wider audience. Explain why the community should know about your event and what makes it a compelling story.

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For a youth art exhibition, the story might be how students developed their skills and prepared to show their work publicly. For a cultural celebration, it might be how local families are sharing traditions across generations.

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Keep your release concise and easy to use. Include:

• Your organization’s name and media contact information
• “For Immediate Release,” when appropriate
• A short, descriptive headline
• An opening paragraph covering who, what, when, where, and why
• Supporting details about the event and its community significance
• A relevant quote with the speaker’s name and title
• A brief description of your organization and mission
• Links to event information and available photos

Choose outlets whose audiences and coverage fit your story. The following contacts are included in our outreach directory; confirm contact details before sending.

Print and online

• Waco Tribune-Herald: Carl Hoover — [email protected]
• Baylor Lariat: [email protected]

Television

• KCEN: [email protected]
• KWTX/KBTX: [email protected]
• KWKT / FOX 44: [email protected]
• KXXV: [email protected]

Radio and podcasts

• KWBU: Brodie Bashaw — [email protected]

For example, a local exhibition could offer an interview with the featured artist, while a community festival could offer a preview with organizers and participating performers.

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Send your release early enough for journalists to plan coverage. Make sure your listed contact is available to answer questions or arrange interviews.

4. Follow Up with Everyone

Keep your event on people’s radar with timely reminders. Follow up with partners who agreed to share it, respond to audience questions, and send media contacts a brief, courteous reminder when needed.

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Give each reminder a useful purpose. A week before a workshop, highlight what participants will make. The day before, confirm the location, check-in time, and what to bring.

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Check your inbox regularly and keep your online information current. If event details change, update your website, Culturalyst listing, Facebook event, Eventbrite page, and other calendar submissions promptly. Notify partners and media contacts who have shared them.

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For example, if an outdoor concert moves indoors, clearly announce the new venue and address everywhere people may have seen the original information.

How Creative Waco Supports Your Outreach

Creative Waco uses Culturalyst to help people discover local events, organizations, artists, and creative opportunities. We also promote the calendar across creativewaco.org and invest in digital advertising to help more people find what’s happening in Waco.

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For organizations, that means real, measurable visibility. A typical event receives around 500 to 700 promotional views while it’s active, resulting in roughly 10 to 15 visits to the event listing where people can learn more and take the next step.

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Posting consistently can build that reach over time. An organization sharing two events in a month could receive around 1,000 to 1,400 views, while four events could generate around 2,000 to 2,800 views.

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Across the entire calendar, Creative Waco currently generates about 20,000 event-card views and 2,600 event-page views each month, connecting local audiences with events throughout the community.

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Organizations can also use Culturalyst to share calls for artists, grants, auditions, workshops, vendor opportunities, and other creative opportunities.

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The more you share, the more opportunities we have to put your organization in front of local audiences and connect people with what you’re doing.

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Ready to share your next event? Start with Culturalyst and explore additional local events at https://creativewaco.org/events.

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