As a general rule, the peak season for mobile tours and experiential events is March through October. Summer provides warm weather, large-scale events with great crowds and with school out it’s easier to access families and vacationers during the week (thereby maximizing your weekday reach). But oftentimes holidays, fiscal calendars, and other factors require events to take place at other times.
Weather is a major factor in choosing when to produce any kind of outdoor event promotion. You probably already know this, but in most markets it’s usually cold in the Winter, rains in the Spring, hot in the Summer and Fall is the most unpredictable of all. My advice: play the odds, and always have a contingency plan in place if possible specific to weather.
More advice: set everyone’s expectations. We produce a certain special event in Atlanta every year, which takes place on consecutive Thursdays in June. Historically speaking, June is one of the driest months in Atlanta. However, it rains on Thursdays more often than not. Each year we plan for inclement weather to affect at least one of our event days. We communicate our plan to everyone involved, and we even have a live weather monitor running constantly each Thursday. By doing so, everyone knows what to expect, and guests are inherently safer as well.
The bottom line is that, unless you want to limit your brand promotions to Southern California, there are weather risks involved pretty much anywhere you go, any time you go. Keep in mind, in most places, there are activities and events going on year-round. Sometimes you’ll have to get creative as you look for these events. Winter in Chicago: residents ice skate, shop for the holidays, ride the El and attend sporting events. Summer in Dallas: baseball season, Taste of Dallas festival, 4th of July (you don’t think they don’t celebrate just because it’s hot, do you?). Those are the extremes and there is still opportunity. If calendars, budgets or other factors send you to Dallas in July, don’t sweat it.
Check out the other blogs in the Great Locations Are Key to Field Marketing Success series: