HARO (Help a Reporter Out), the journalist request platform owned by Featured.com, is bringing back its happy hour event to Scottsdale on Thursday, Nov. 19, 2026, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. MST at Industrious in Scottsdale Fashion Square. The event follows a successful first gathering on April 16, 2026, which drew 60 attendees to the same venue. With free admission and drinks provided, the happy hour serves as a rare opportunity for journalists and the PR professionals, founders, and experts who answer their queries to connect face-to-face.
The inaugural HARO Happy Hour demonstrated a strong appetite for in-person interaction among users of the platform. "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." The event has no formal program or agenda, allowing attendees to engage in organic conversations and optional short breakouts about how HARO operates and what the team is building next.
For brands, the event offers a unique promotional avenue through the HARO Gift Bag. Every guest receives a gift bag, and brands can apply to include a physical product at no fee. Selected brands must supply at least 35 units, with 70 or more preferred, and cover shipping to Scottsdale by Nov. 12, 2026. In return, they gain visibility among a targeted audience of PR and media professionals, including a mention with a link in the event recap article and LinkedIn post, plus the option to include a branded gift tag or sticker. Full details and application requirements are available at https://blog.helpareporter.com/haro-happy-hour-in-scottsdale-on-nov-19-rsvp-and-haro-gift-bag-details/.
The significance of this event extends beyond networking. HARO, founded in 2008, was shut down by its previous owner in December 2024 but relaunched by Featured in April 2025. Since then, it has sent over 100 million emails in the past year, delivering journalist requests to subscribers in three weekday editions. The platform remains free for both journalists and sources, supported by advertising. By hosting in-person events, HARO strengthens the community that relies on its service, bridging the gap between those who need expert insights and those who provide them.
Attendees can expect to mingle with PR, communications, and media professionals from across Arizona. The event is open to anyone who has used HARO, pitched through it, responded to a query, or is simply curious about how the platform works. This includes PR and communications professionals, journalists and media creators, founders, marketers, and operators. RSVP is required and can be completed at https://luma.com/glcd3i3y. The venue, Industrious, is located inside Scottsdale Fashion Square, next to the Apple Store, with parking available in the Fashion Square Parking Garage off Scottsdale Road.
As HARO continues to rebuild and expand under Featured's ownership, events like this happy hour play a crucial role in fostering connections and demonstrating the platform's commitment to its user base. For more information about HARO, visit HARO.
