On Thursday, ENAJ hosted a webinar focused on how to organise a successful low-budget press trip(LBPT). The session brought together experienced organisers and guild representatives to share practical guidance, lessons learned and upcoming plans.
ENAJ secretary Melanie Epp opened the meeting by underlining that low-budget press trips remain central to ENAJ’s identity and activities. Adrian Krebs, who has been ENAJ’s LBPT coordinator for many years, provided an overview of how trips are initiated, budgeted and promoted in cooperation with national guilds.
Planning and budgeting fundamentals
Adrian outlined the basic structure: national guilds propose a theme and draft programme, secure sponsors and develop a budget, while ENAJ supports coordination and promotion. He stressed the importance of early planning, realistic budgeting and keeping participation fees within a reasonable range to ensure accessibility.
Accommodation and transport were discussed as key cost drivers. Creative solutions such as shared housing, student dormitories or public transport can help manage expenses while maintaining quality.
Learning from experience
Several experienced organisers shared reflections from trips they’ve organised.
Erling Mysen (Norway) described how his guild rebuilt a programme after losing a major sponsor, ultimately working with multiple smaller sponsors who contributed financially or in-kind. He highlighted the importance of flexibility in scheduling arrivals, respecting biosecurity rules when visiting livestock farms and managing last-minute cancellations. A key takeaway was the need for upfront payment from participants to avoid financial risk for host guilds.
Sjoerd Hofstee (Netherlands) reflected on a thematically focused trip centred on the nitrogen crisis in the Dutch dairy sector. He emphasised that a tight, clearly defined theme attracts highly engaged participants and allows for deeper reporting. He also encouraged organisers to avoid overloading programmes. “Less is more,” he noted, recommending fewer visits with more time for discussion. Creating space for informal exchanges and ensuring shared accommodation can strengthen group cohesion and professional exchange.
Rosana Cervera (Spain) shared insights from hosting a large international meeting in Málaga. She explained that her team selected unique and nationally significant sectors to showcase, including Iberian ham production, olive groves and greenhouse horticulture. She stressed the importance of safeguarding editorial independence by clearly communicating expectations to sponsors from the outset. Rosana also highlighted the value of immersive, on-site experiences over static presentations, noting that adapting the programme at short notice to allow journalists to visit olive groves directly greatly enhanced the reporting value of the trip.
Common pitfalls and practical tips
In the final segment, Krebs summarised common challenges:
- Overloaded programmes that leave little time for meaningful exchange
- Insufficient background materials distributed too late
- Unclear sponsor expectations
- Managing participant numbers to ensure access and interaction
- Translation needs in non-English-speaking regions
Participants also discussed the importance of:
- Requiring advance payment to reduce cancellations and financial risk
- Verifying that participants are active journalists
- Following up after trips to collect published articles for sponsors
- Using tools such as WhatsApp groups for coordination and post-trip communication
Upcoming trips
The webinar concluded with an overview of upcoming ENAJ activities, including the low-budget press trip to Finland (May 31–June 3), as well as planned trips to Clermont-Ferrand and potentially Denmark for Agromek in December. ENAJ is once again working with EU-FarmBook to offer a press trip, this time in Brittany, France. The trip will take place 6–8 July.
Guilds representatives who are considering hosting a trip are encouraged to reach out early for guidance and to draw on the experience of past organisers. A good starting point is the webinar recording (link below), and ENAJ’s LBPT guidelines (attached here).
The webinar’s organisers, Melanie Epp and Adrian Krebs, would like to thank you for your participation. A special thank you goes out to those who took the time to share their first-hand experiences.
Webinar link:https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/zigml9uhdMUttbpivB2gBF2CbJ7QcHpyIWIfCqfmzbcc6scwvUpRzC8dJejdL03g.ARNwMSxzRvX46_Kq
