What Days Should You Avoid Planning An Event On During Summer?

The weather’s getting warmer, the sun’s shining brighter, and people are busting out their shorts and swimsuits. Summer is upon us – and so is vacation season. What that means for an event management perspective is that this can be one of the best possible times of year to host your events, especially if you’re thinking of planning a concert or festival.

There’s caveat to this, of course. You need to make sure you plan them for the right date. See, like any season, there are certain times in summer when you simply shouldn’t run events.

Running an event on one of these dates probably won’t spell outright catastrophe, mind you. That said, it won’t be conducive to your event’s success, either.  Let’s dive in – what days should you avoid if you’re planning to run a summer event?

Pay Attention To Civic And National Holidays

First on our list is any of a wide array of different national holidays, many of which take place in summer.  Occasions such as Independence Day (July 4) and Father’s Day (June 20-21 in 2015) are meant for friends and family, after all. Unless your schedule absolutely requires it, you should never host an event on such an occasion.

If you’re planning on running an event out of state or out of province, you’re also going to want to take a quick look at the calendar for whatever region you’re eyeing. This is especially important if you’re thinking of running something in another country – Canada, for example, celebrates Canada Day on July 1. Generally speaking, it’s considered poor form to plan a conference for that occasion.

…And Religious Holidays, As Well

It isn’t just secular holidays you should keep an eye on, mind you. Depending on the demographic you serve (and again, the location of your venue), you may want to avoid planning your event on or near any major religious holidays. On days of special observance, people aren’t going to want to knock boots on a trade show floor; they’re going to want to be alone with their families and faith. For reference, here’s a list of major religious dates for 2015 – along with notes on which religion said dates are significant to.

Take a look at it, and try to plan your event around any dates that you believe might pose a problem.  It sort of goes without saying that this one requires that you put in the effort to know your attendees – but that’s something you should be doing as an event planner anyway, right?

Let’s move on.

Major Sporting Events Are Out Of The Question

Speaking from experience (to say that Canada’s pretty big on hockey is putting it lightly) sports fans are some of the most passionate people in the world. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, they aren’t going to miss any major games, especially if their favorite team is playing. And even if they do have to miss those events, don’t expect them to be happy about it.

There’s no point mincing words here. If you plan your conference on the same day as a major sports championship, then you’re probably going to be competing with that championship for the attention of your attendees. That’s not really something you want, is it?

Take a look at this events calendar, and use your best judgment. You’re probably safe running a trade show during the Tour de France, for example, but you should probably avoid hosting anything during the Stanley Cup Finals, at least on nights when there’s a game.

Avoid Impinging On Summer Festivals

This one’s a bit trickier – do a bit of research and ask around to see what summer festivals are taking place in your city. Is there a relatively high chance the people who’d be attending your event would also be interesting in attending one of those festivals? If so, then it’s probably worth your while to hold off on running anything until said festival winds down.

Again, you don’t want to be competing with another event for attendance. In an ideal world, the attention of your guests is focused solely on your event.

Keep An Eye On The Weather

If you’re running an outdoor event, then it’s imperative that you pay close attention to the weather. If a particular day is slated to be incredibly hot or extremely rainy/inhospitable, you’re going to want to reschedule. Again, this is only relevant to events like outdoor concerts and the like – if you’re hosting an event indoors, the weather isn’t likely to play much of a role in how much your guests enjoy your event.

Luck Matters

Full disclosure here – I’m not a particularly superstitious guy. I don’t believe it’s possible to ruin your life by smashing a mirror, or to blunder into disaster by walking under an open ladder or stepping on a crack in the sidewalk. And even in light of all that, I’m still a bit leery of days like Friday the 13th.

What I’m saying is that if I were involved in event management, I’d probably avoid hosting anything on that day. Is this superstition talking? Sure. But your guests are probably going to be at least a little superstitious too, right?

Instead of running an event on a traditionally ‘unlucky’ or ‘unhappy’ day, it’s probably better to save yourself the headache and move things forward or back by a few days.

Days That Are Significant To Your Guests

Does one of your chosen guest speakers have a birthday coming up? Is one of your suppliers planning a company retreat? Is one of your top vendors planning to take a lengthy, week-long vacation? These are all factors you have to consider when you’re putting together any event – but especially one that you’re planning in summer.

Remember, this is the time of year that most people tend to take vacations. With that in mind, you should probably avoid running any events during midsummer in particular – that’s the most popular time of year for people to go abroad. What’s more, if you’ve someone you absolutely need to have at one of your events, then you need to be aware of their own vacation schedule, and plan around it.

Closing Thoughts

Summer is a pretty fantastic time of year – and the ideal time to run a concert, festival, or outdoor event of any kind.  Like any season, however, there are certain days on which you should avoid planning an event. Special occasions, vacations, religious holidays, and national holidays are all times that your attendees should be left to their own devices.

You can run your event whenever you choose to, after all – but these special days only come once a year.