Summary

Elizabeth Giles and Ben Smith of PRmoment introduce its latest PR Masterclass: The intersection of PR and GEO, and large language model (LLM) optimisation, scheduled for February 25th in London with virtual attendance available.

Details

PRmoment Masterclass Overview 

Elizabeth Giles, editor of PRmoment, and Ben Smith, founder of PRmoment, introduced the latest masterclass focusing on the intersection of PR and GEO (or AEO) and large language model (LLM) optimisation. Ben Smith explained that this is an exciting opportunity for public relations practitioners, driven by a combination of American big tech and journalistic opportunities. The event is scheduled for Wednesday, February 25th, and will be held in London with an option to attend virtually from anywhere in the world.

Masterclass Content and Event Structure 

The masterclass aims to cover the technical, creative (influence of earned media on LLMs), and corporate/reputation management elements of LLM optimisation. Ben Smith noted that the event is entirely editorially led with no sponsors, ensuring a full day of editorially driven insight and knowledge from experts. The day begins at 8:30 AM with networking and features speakers until 4:00 PM, including scheduled refreshment and networking breaks.

The Masterclass story

The masterclass is structured to build a story throughout the day, starting with Masterclass 1, where Katherine Arnull (UK Chief Strategy Officer at Golin) will discuss the GEO audience triangle and how PR folks must now create content for journalists, LLM algorithms and consumers. Masterclass 2 features Daryl Sparryl (MD and co-founder at Hard Numbers) discussing how PR performance influences GEO results.

In Masterclass 3 Cara Corbett will cover practical steps, focusing on optimizing websites for AI visibility, where earned media sets the narrative and owned media reinforces it.

Exploring the Power of PR and Misinformation

Masterclass 4, presented by Lucy Hart (executive strategy director at The Romans), emphasises understanding the power of PR, noting that while anyone can make content, not everyone can make the news. Ben Smith highlighted that this insight is crucial for public relations practitioners amid growing concerns about "AI slop".

GEO Strategy, Visibility, and Corporate Risk

Masterclass 5 features David Clare (director and head of fusion at Fire on the Hill), who will provide a best practice guide on a GEO audit and program framework, offering practical takeaways.

Alicia Solanki (senior vice president EMEA and UK market lead at Team Lewis) presents Masterclass 6, titled "To appear or not appear," which focuses on LLM search visibility, the importance of recency, and how to architect GEO content for answers, not just readers, touching on the "death of static content".

Masterclass 7, led by Felix Danczak, introduces a pessimistic viewpoint that the story placed is not always the story received, emphasizing that earned media is treated as one signal among thousands in the complex content ecosystem, which must be understood for messaging to succeed.

Reputation Management and Misinformation in LLMs

Masterclass 8 and 10 examine corporate risk from an LLM perspective, with Kerry Parkin (founder of The Remarkables) setting the theoretical scene in Masterclass 8 by discussing why corporate affairs directors need to measure reputational risk within LLMs, which are quickly becoming the most important crucible for reputation management.

Masterclass 10, led by Becca Williams (Antidote Communications founder), provides a practical approach to understanding sources of brand misinformation and developing a GEO misinformation tech stack.

Masterclass 9, led by Rob Waugh from The Press Gazette, will focus on the concept that "misinformation is free, trust is expensive," exploring the role of LLMs in the disinformation ecosystem and their impact on the commercial publishing sector, including the issue of LLMs using publisher content without transaction.

Ticket Pricing and Accessibility 

Ben Smith stated that there are two price points for tickets: £269 plus VAT for the virtual ticket and £499 plus VAT for the face-to-face ticket, noting that these prices are significantly lower than competitors to ensure accessibility.

A bursary scheme is also available for those who wish to attend but cannot afford the ticket. All ticket holders, regardless of virtual or face-to-face attendance, will receive access to speaker videos and slides on their custom platform for three to four months following the masterclass.