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LA Event Publicityby Susan von Seggern

LA event publicist

What an LA event publicist does for your event

An LA event publicist gets your event covered by journalists, podcasts and local outlets, and handles the press side so your team can produce the show.

Susan von Seggern is an LA event publicist with more than 20 years in Los Angeles PR. Her background spans major label music publicity, running a boutique PR agency as CEO, political PR and corporate PR. Today she consults for event, corporate, cause and cultural clients with a style she describes as honest, positive and tenacious.

Last updated November 2026 · Published by Susan von Seggern

Should I hire an event publicist in LA or do PR myself?

Hire a publicist when coverage matters to ticket sales, sponsors or reputation and your team is already stretched by production. A publicist brings existing relationships and a tested process.

Doing it yourself can work for a small community event with a strong local angle. The narrower case for DIY is when you already have media contacts and weeks of free time before the date.

What the role covers

An event publicist owns the media plan for an event: angle, target list, announcements, pitching, press invitations, on-site media support and post-event follow-up.

Susan von Seggern adds daily lead service monitoring, which means answering journalists who have already asked for sources in a client’s area. That tactic alone has placed coverage in Good Housekeeping, Yahoo, the New York Times, HuffPost and Best Life.

Market numbers for the role

median hourly wage, California PR event planning jobs
$19.84
hourly range most of those workers earn
$16.15 to $25.38
U.S. median annual salary range
$50K to $75K
possible for some senior planners
$90K+

Source: ZipRecruiter, “Public Relations Event Planning Jobs California.” These are in-house job market figures, not Susan von Seggern’s fees.

What to expect from an LA event publicist

The work clusters into three phases.

Before the event

Story development, target lists, the announcement release, podcast and long-lead pitching, and press invitations.

At the event

Media check-in, interview coordination and making sure invited press get what they need to file.

After the event

Recap pitches with photos and outcomes, and ongoing outreach so the story continues between events.

Why Los Angeles experience matters

Los Angeles has dense entertainment, culture and local media. Knowing who covers what saves weeks.

Two decades in the market

More than 20 years of LA relationships with journalists, influencers and service providers.

Local event history

Examples include SewDown at LA Fashion Week, the Hollywood Carnival on Hollywood Boulevard, and the DIY Convention at the Hollywood Roosevelt.

Beyond LA when needed

Releases on her site also cover Joshua Tree, Indian Wells, the Bay Area, Miami, London and Iceland.

How to choose an LA event publicist

  1. Check event experience

    Ask which events they have worked and where coverage ran.

  2. Ask who does the work

    Confirm whether a senior publicist or a junior team handles your account.

  3. Review the tactics

    Look for a clear method, such as outreach, releases, lead monitoring and events.

  4. Get scope in writing

    List what is included, for how many weeks, and whether a newswire is budgeted.

Common questions

Short answers to the questions organizers ask most. The full list lives on the FAQ page.

Who is Susan von Seggern?

Susan von Seggern is a Los Angeles publicist and PR consultant with more than two decades of PR experience. She has worked as a major label publicist, as CEO of a boutique PR agency, in political PR and in corporate PR, and now consults for event, corporate, cause and cultural clients.

More in the event PR FAQ

Why hire an LA event publicist instead of doing PR yourself?

An LA event publicist brings existing media relationships, a tested process and time you may not have during production. Susan von Seggern has spent more than 20 years in Los Angeles and has a broad network of media contacts and service providers, which helps when an event needs coverage on a deadline.

More in the event PR FAQ

What is Susan von Seggern’s PR style?

Her style is described as honest, positive and tenacious. In practice that means pitching stories accurately, keeping relationships with journalists friendly, and following up persistently through sustained media outreach rather than sending one release and hoping for the best.

More in the event PR FAQ

Has Susan von Seggern been interviewed about event PR?

Yes. She was interviewed by PR News about the event PR framework she developed over decades of PR work and hundreds of events. Her main website links to that interview from its event PR framework section, so you can read her approach in her own words.

More in the event PR FAQ

Is she a public relations agent or an agency?

She works directly with clients as an independent publicist and consultant, after earlier running her own boutique PR agency as CEO. If you are searching for an agent for public relations, you most likely want a publicist like this, someone who represents your event or company to the media.

More in the event PR FAQ

What does an in-house event PR person cost in California?

According to ZipRecruiter, the median wage for public relations event planning jobs in California is $19.84 per hour, with most workers earning between $16.15 and $25.38. ZipRecruiter also reports U.S. median annual salaries of $50,000 to $75,000, and over $90,000 for some senior planners.

More in the event PR FAQ

Planning an event in Los Angeles?

Tell Susan von Seggern the date, venue and what makes it news. Event and corporate inquiries go straight to her contact form.

Start an event PR inquiry