If your company is hosting or sponsoring an event or lecture, or has a big press conference coming up with regional, national or international implications, there’s a tool that you need to know about: the AP Daybook.

The Associated Press (AP) is a beautiful thing for a company seeking public exposure. Where else can you grant a single interview that might possibly appear in as many as 1,700 member national and international newspapers, and 3,000 broadcast outlets?

The AP Daybook is a daily and weekly list of newsworthy events for journalists, including press conferences, rallies and other media events. Newsroom managers, assignment editors and reporters check the daybook several times every day for the latest updates on important events happening throughout the region they cover.

To make sure that your event is listed, call your local AP Bureau (for a directory, go to: http://www.ap.org/pages/contact/contact.html) and ask for the name and contact details (phone, fax, e-mail) of the Daybook editor in your area. Be sure to submit your event’s press release at least 24 hours before your event.

Always follow-up with a phone call to make sure they received the information.

As with all press releases, there is no guarantee that an AP reporter will pick up your story. And submitting your event to the AP Daybook does not replace contacting your usual local, regional and trade publications.

It’s not the only tool you should use…but it’s a good one!

Drew McLellan is Top Dog at McLellan Marketing Group and the author of “99.3 Random Acts of Marketing.” He can be reached at Drew@MclellanMarketing.com.