First Friday Press Club marks 30 years of connecting business with industrial and technical media
11/03/2026 Cadence Industrial & Technical Communications
The UK’s longest-running monthly technical media briefing celebrates three decades of building real connections in an increasingly technical world.
First Friday Press Club, the UK’s only monthly industrial and technical media briefing, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year. And, in an era of AI generated content, deepfakes and increasing cyber security concerns, the club’s in-person briefings are proving more valuable than ever. Strengthening one to one relationships and trusted communications between marketing communications professionals and the media is essential in 2026.
For three decades, First Friday Press Club has brought together leading technical and trade journalists from English-speaking media with engineering and industrial organisations, trade bodies, and educational facilities. And, as businesses seek credible and secure channels to communicate with buyers and influencers, these media gateways provide a first line of defence against misinformation. Face to face dialogue and authentic relationships have become even more essential.
“Journalists and editors are the human gatekeepers to ensure authentic information reaching their readers.” said Neil Fullbrook, director of editor engagement at First Friday Press Club.
“When I started in PR and comms in the late 80’s it was normal for PR teams to brief journalists face to face. Starting, building and maintaining relationships with the media, based on trust, was key to breaking through the noise. We mustn’t forget those skills and rely too heavily on virtual relationships, which as we all know can now be unreliable and untrue.
“Deep fake videos, unverified online news and AI-created misinformation and hallucinations pose serious risks to every organisation and to humanity. In-person meetings are the most effective way to build trust and verify information. Authentic, trustworthy relationships can only be built and maintained by people, not AI” added Neil.
First Friday Press Club has provided a reliable forum for journalists to connect with subject matter experts from across the industrial, scientific and engineering sectors and is a trusted source of information. It’s the reason that many of the trade industry bodies use them to brief the media in groups.
Alongside the five sponsored presentations are opportunities for open discussion and networking between commercial presenters and the media. “PR companies are the major introducer to the club. They recognise the value of face-to-face briefings and establishing dialogue between industry leaders and the media.”
The club’s 2026 programme is introducing more benefits for PR and presenter members, with a new monthly e-newsletter, named Technical Press Insider, which turns the focus onto the media, offering insights into media activity, news, appointments and trends across the STEM sectors.
Andrew Bartlett, Director of Science and Engineering Chart.PR FCIPR C.Eng, at Definition has been using First Friday Press Club for nearly twenty years, he said: “The First Friday Press Club remains the strongest forum for reaching the media that matter to our clients and helping to build strong relationships that last. Not only do we save our clients time and expense by introducing them to multiple journalists at once, as a PR firm we maintain our strong connections through the club’s in-person events.”
Nikesh Mistry, sector head, industrial automation at GAMBICA said: “Technical engineering content requires interpretation by journalists who understand the detail behind the data. First Friday Press Club plays a vital role in facilitating that dialogue. By bringing experts and editors together in person, it ensures innovations, regulations and technology trends are represented clearly and accurately. We’re pleased to be part of the programme and to contribute specialist insight to the wider industrial conversation.”
Verity Davidge, Policy Director at Make UK said: “In an era where industry reports, data and policy insights can be quickly distorted online, a trusted platform for engaging directly with the media is more important than ever. First Friday Press Club provides a valuable forum for ensuring that complex economic and industrial issues are communicated accurately and responsibly. We’re looking forward to participating in upcoming sessions and sharing national?level insights with the trade press.”
The 2026 programme includes keynote sessions from sector experts, sector policy briefings, discussions on future workforce development and the latest advances in industrial technology. Just five sponsorship opportunities are available at each briefing, the dates of which can be found on the Club’s website. www.firstfridayeditors.org
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