HARO (Help a Reporter Out), the journalist request platform owned by Featured.com, will host its second HARO Happy Hour on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. MST at Industrious in Scottsdale Fashion Square, 7014 E Camelback Rd Suite B100A, Scottsdale, Arizona. Admission is free with RSVP. The first event, held at the same location on April 16, 2026, drew 60 attendees, filling the room and prompting HARO to schedule another gathering before the end of the year.
HARO Happy Hour is designed for people on both sides of a HARO query: the journalists who post requests and the PR professionals, founders, and experts who answer them. "Our first HARO Happy Hour showed us how much the people who use HARO want to meet each other in person," said Brett Farmiloe, founder and CEO of Featured.com. "Journalists and the sources who answer them work together every day through HARO queries, and this is a chance to put faces to names."
There is no program and no agenda at the event. Drinks are provided by HARO, and attendees can expect conversations with PR, communications, and media professionals from across Arizona, as well as optional short breakouts on how HARO works and what the HARO team is building next. The event is open to anyone who has used HARO, pitched through HARO, responded to a HARO query, or wondered how the platform operates. That includes PR and communications professionals, journalists and media creators, founders, marketers, operators, and anyone with a good HARO story.
For brands, the event offers a free promotional opportunity through the HARO Gift Bag. Every guest leaves with a gift bag, and brands can apply to include a physical product. There is no fee to participate. Brands supply the product and cover shipping to Scottsdale. Products are selected based on fit for a PR and media audience, with a minimum of 35 units required and 70 or more preferred. Selected brands will be named with a link in the HARO Happy Hour recap article and mentioned in the recap post on LinkedIn, and each may include a branded gift tag or sticker with its product. Products must arrive by Thursday, Nov. 12, 2026. Full requirements and application details are available at https://blog.helpareporter.com/haro-happy-hour-in-scottsdale-on-nov-19-rsvp-and-haro-gift-bag-details/.
HARO, founded in 2008, was shut down by its previous owner in December 2024 and relaunched by Featured in April 2025. The free newsletter connects journalists with expert sources, delivering requests in three weekday editions and sending more than 100 million emails in the past year. It is supported by advertising and remains free for both journalists and sources. Featured is the AI co-pilot for PR, helping professionals land media placements and grow AI visibility, and it also operates Connectively as a standalone product. Learn more at HARO and Featured.
The return of HARO Happy Hour highlights the enduring value of in-person connections in an increasingly digital media landscape. For PR professionals and journalists, it provides a rare chance to strengthen relationships that can lead to better storytelling and more accurate coverage. For brands, the gift bag offers a low-cost entry point to reach a targeted audience of media influencers, potentially boosting visibility and credibility. As HARO continues to rebuild under Featured, events like this signal a commitment to fostering community and reinforcing the platform's role as a vital link between journalists and sources. Those interested can RSVP at https://luma.com/glcd3i3y.
