Event Planning Article - Choosing the right time for your special event

Timing Is Everything
From the book Event Planning by Judy Allen

Deciding on an appropriate date is a major factor in the success of your event.  Along with ensuring that the most people will attend there are other factors to consider when selecting a date.  For example, what else will be going on around the time of your event? If you are thinking of inviting families with children, a school night would not be a good idea. Guests would no stay late because both parents and children would need to get up early the next day for work and school.  Moving the event to the weekend would be more appealing and would reduce the possibility of having to take two cars per family to get there if one or both parents are coming from work.  If you still decide to go ahead with a week night, do you know if it is before or during exams? This could have an impact on your event.  One company was considering having their gala opening, one that would involve children and teens, on a school night immediately following Halloween. It was suggested that this would be a mistake because with two consecutive busy nights, both filled with excitement, young children could be overtired and fretful at the second event.

Always remember that one of our professional Event Planners are available to help you at any time to take care of everything for you or even just help you with part of the the planning so you can still do part of it yourself ........but with a little help. If you need Party Supplies & Decor, be sure to check out all that we have to offer.
 

Consider the seasons before you finalize your plans.  May and June are peak months for weddings and proms and November and December for holiday festivities.  Are there any possible areas of concern that you need to be made aware of?  One hotel had two major competitors at the same time.  Is it the time of year when the destination you are considering traveling to is known to have major snowstorms at a certain time of the year?  This could affect meetings being held in ski resorts etc.

If yours is a corporate event, such as a car launch and you are locked into specific dates and times, you may be considering holding your farewell event at a hotel for a variety of reasons.  These could include the hotel having been promised the dollar revenue on food and beverage for the farewell night in exchange for financial considerations on the hotel room rates and meeting space.  Or the corporate guests are all from out of town and have been staying at the hotel, and they are scheduled to leave early the next day.  Holding the farewell event at the hotel allows guests to retire early from the farewell function, pack and get ready for their departure instead of having to stay to the end and wait for transportation back to the hotel from another venue.

WHAT TIME OF YEAR WORKS BEST?
Look at the reasons why the time of year you are considering would work best to help you succeed in meeting your objectives.
Is this the right time to be planning your event, or is there another time that could be a better fit?
 
Meetings, Conferences, Conventions
Traditionally new car launches take place in the fall.  This is a time when car dealers expect to get together with manufacturers to see the new product line.  What you want to make sure of is that the time between launching the new car - where you build anticipation and excitement - and it arriving in the dealerships is not too long. You want to keep the momentum high.  Keeping up the momentum applies to any product, as well as policies or procedures.  Don't introduce new company policies or procedures and not be prepared to implement them in the near future.

When planning a meeting, fund raiser or any other type of Corporate Event, one of our professional Event Planners are available to help you at any time.

Fund-Raising Galas
Is this a time of year when the people and support you are trying to attract will be in town?  If your event is a society event remember that they could be out of the country for an extended period of time over the winter months.

Will your event be overshadowed by another major ongoing event such as a film or music festival?  What will you be competing with?&nhttp: There are also companies that specialize in providing information on upcoming events to their membership.  Ask your tourist and visitors office to see if one exists in your area. We also have professional fund raisers that are experienced and can help you from start to finish.

Incentives
Will the time that you have chosen work well for the company as well as the intended guests?  Are you taking everyone away from traditional family time such as the summer holidays or over long holiday weekends?

Will the destination hold maximum appeal at the time of year you are considering travel?  Sunny Barbados as an incentive during cold winter months has major appeal but less so in summer.  Are there any weather concerns at the time of year you are planning to go?  Hurricane season? Monsoon rains?"  Check with local tourist boards to obtain past weather history.

Are there any price advantages to moving the date?  For example, for foreigners, times such as Memorial Day, Thanksgiving and election week in the US have proven to provide excellent rates and availability at top US hotels.  The savings on the hotel accommodation can then be applied towards expanding the program.

     When looking at dates where hotels have high vacancy rates, some areas that can be successfully negotiated are:
     * Complimentary welcome check-in reception
     * Complimentary room amenities or gifts
     * Complimentary spa/health club admission
     * Early check-in
     * late check-out
     * Complimentary breakfasts
     * Upgraded rooms

Meetings, Corporate Events, Conferences, Conventions, Incentives
Anyone who has attended a meeting, conference, convention or incentive has seen the long lines at the telephone booths, people talking quietly into their cell phones during break or slipping out quietly to take care of pending business never to return.  Are you scheduling your event over a particularly busy time period where your participants' minds are going to be elsewhere? For example, at the close of a sales period your sales force needs to be out signing contracts instead of being in a ballroom. Would midweek work better than scheduling your event on a Monday, or are you traditionally more quiet over Thursdays and Fridays?  If your event is taking place far away, you need to take into consideration travel time, costs (airfares are lover if you are staying over a Saturday night), overnight stays enroute to the final destination and how the company will be handing requests for extensions. Do you need staff back and ready to work in the office Monday, or is there any flexibility?

Corporate Events, Fund-Raisers, Special Events
For corporate events, fund-raisers and special events either mid-week or Saturday night is the most successful for achieving maximum attendance for those form whom it is a religious day and for those who want to get away for the weekend.  Many things come into play in selecting the perfect date for your event.  Consideration should be given to:

     * Whether it should be a daytime or evening event
     * What time would it start?
     * Will it be formal or informal dress?
     * Will guests have time to change clothes if coming to/from work?
     * Will volunteers have time to leave work and have everything ready well before guests arrive?

For most of these events, your guests may be invited to bring their partners.  If the event is planned to take place during the day mid-week, it could be difficult for one of the partners to attend, and an evening event may be a better choice.  Or you could look at moving it to the weekend when both may have more flexibility.

Where will your guests be coming from?  Take this into consideration as you plan your start time.  Will they be coming directly from work?  When does their work day typically end?  If they are bringing a guest will this work for them as well?  Could they be caught in traffic?  Are you bringing them from uptown to downtown?  Both scenarios could apply depending on where each of the partners work or live.  How late will your event go?  Is the next day a business day where both partners may need to get up early?  Partners may arrive independently, in separate cars.  Is there enough parking?

If the event is black tie, will your guests have time to go home to change, or will they need to bring a change of clothes to work?  Will they be in a position to leave work early?
     Have you left sufficient time for your set-up crew or volunteers to travel to the event, park, have everything ready, change, eat and be ready to go at least a good half hour before the first guest is scheduled to arrive?

These are all things you need to consider when planning your event.
If you would like more information - read the book
Event Planning by Judy Allen

ARTICLES
 

  * Picking The Right Time and Date
  * What is a Corporate Event?
  * Why Have a Corporate Event?
  * The Role of Corporate Event Planners
  * Corporate Event Ideas
  * Factors to Include in Your Corporate Event Budget
  * Selecting Geographic Locations
  * Selecting Facilities for Your Event
  * Alcohol - Yes or No at Your Event?
  * Music for Corporate Events
  * Easy Party Planning Tips
  * Children's Birthday Party Planning
  * How To Choose An Event Planner
  * Party Themes and Ideas
  * Birthday Games
  * FAQ's Before Hiring A Children's Party Entertainer
  * Finding The Perfect Event Coordinator
  * Choosing A Location
  * Rental Tips
  * Photography Guidelines
  * Working with your Caterer
  * Top 10 Steps To A Successful Meeting
  * Speakers, Conference and Meeting Tips
  * An Opportunity To Join Us

 Printable Worksheets
  * Event Scheduling Checklist
  * Budget Sheet
  * Catering Checklist