Preview (or Advance)

This is a story about an event—a speech, workshop, play, art exhibit, music concert, and so on—that is going to happen. Your goal is to give readers key information on which they can base their decisions on whether they want to attend.

• FYI items: Title of event, time, date, location, cost, whether reservations are needed and how to make them. Also include phone number and website of the sponsor or venue. Better yet, pull this out into an informational graphic and package with your preview.
• Sponsor
• Background information about what the event will be about.
• If a play, interview the director and one or two of the actors. Briefly describe the plot, the theme and a bit about the playwright.
• If a speech, interview the speaker and include info on his/her bio and the topic.
• If a concert, interview the conductor and one or two student musicians. Or members of the band. What's the program? Any work by students?
• When time and space is at a premium, previews can easily be briefed. The longer preview gives you more time to develop interest in the event.

Another option to the standard preview is a tightly formatted Q&A interview with the speaker/performer/artist. The interview focuses on the source's comments about his or her life and work in the context of the upcoming event.

We tend to use the word "advance" for a news event and "preview" for an entertainment-related event.