About Aaron Kiel

Aaron Kiel is the founder and principal of ak PR Group in Raleigh, N.C. During his 20+ year career, he’s worked with numerous companies and brands on their public relations efforts and/or content, including:

  • Questex
  • Northstar Meetings Group
  • Emerald X
  • Informa
  • World Tea Expo
  • World Tea News
  • Bar & Restaurant News
  • Bar & Restaurant Expo
  • Digital Book World
  • Project Voice (formerly The Alexa Conference)
  • The Specialty Coffee Association (formerly the Specialty Coffee Association of America)
  • Specialty Coffee Expo
  • HOW Design Live
  • World Barista Championship
  • United States Barista Championship
  • Specialty Coffee Chronicle
  • Global Tea Championship
  • Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
  • Healthy Beverage Expo
  • Vibe Conference eNews
  • QTrade Teas & Herbs
  • The Tea Spot
  • The Specialty Coffee + Tea Convention in Dubai
  • OutputLinks
  • Accelerance: The Software Development Outsourcing Authority
  • and many others.
Aaron Kiel

In addition to being a public relations strategist, Aaron works with companies, news sites and associations as an editor and writer. Some of his roles have included: editor of World Tea News; managing editor of The Specialty Coffee Chronicle; writer/contributor to Bar & Restaurant News; and editor at Xplor International, the worldwide electronic document systems association.

In 2023, Aaron was honored through the “Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Awards,” a prestigious publishing and journalism competition, where he received an Honorable Mention in the category of “Range of Work by a Single Author – B2B” for his work as editor of World Tea News.

In 2024, Aaron was named a Northeast Regional Finalist by the American Society of Business Publication Editors (ASBPE) in the category of Editorial Excellence for DE&I, recognizing his article on Pride Month and the hospitality industry for Bar & Restaurant News. He took home the top honor (the Gold Award) for that category. He also received the 2024/2025 ASBPE Diversity Fellowship.

Prior to launching ak PR Group in 2001, Aaron managed the public relations and association publications for Xplor International and its annual expo. He’s also proud to have been a part of the PR team for the grand opening of the Long Beach Aquarium of the Pacific in California, placing the attraction in top-tier media outlets.

Earlier in his career, Aaron had the opportunity to work on the PR for the United States Postal Service, PF Chang’s, Boston Market, Daily Grill, Park Hyatt Los Angeles and IMAX, among others.

Aaron studied journalism at the University of La Verne and lives in North Carolina.

About ak PR Group

ak PR Group is a public relations consulting, marketing communications and editorial business. We work with expos, associations, non-profits, hospitality and entertainment, food and beverage, technology businesses and others.


ak PR Group Services

  • Strategic Public Relations
  • Media Relations
  • Content Strategy
  • Writing / Editing / Editorial Services / SEO
  • Company Newsletters / Association Publications / Blogs
  • Expo Newspapers / Show Dailies
  • Content Marketing / White Papers / Case Studies / Lead Generation
  • Press Events / Special Events
  • Press Releases / Press Kits
  • Event Media Partnerships / Media Sponsorships
  • Graphic Design Support
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