It is finally spring! The grass is turning green and the flowers are blooming; everything is coming alive! Does this mean it is a good time to bring to life your next meeting or conference or would summer be better when the weather is more predictable, but then kids will be out of school and families will be taking vacations? Should you wait until fall when school starts again and weekly routines are more predictable? And what about winter meetings – are they a good idea?  The answer is any time can be a good time for your conference, meeting, or event if you plan it right!

First things first – you must know your participants and what will interest them the most. Is it an older, family focused crowd or younger millennials who are mostly single? Are they outdoorsy and adventuresome or more introverted and intellectual? Once you have targeted your key audience, you can brainstorm the best season to offer your conference.

Spring is a good time for brainstorming sessions or team building meetings to carry attendees through the year. Short, weekday conferences can fit nicely into schedules and spring helps people feel motivated. It is early in the calendar year for budget spending, but make sure you announce the meeting early enough to get it in the yearly budget that was planned the previous fall (August or September for calendar year planning, earlier for fiscal year planning).

Summer can be a tough time to get attendees, but you can make your conference an enticing vacation to bring the family along. Pick a location and/or venue with something to offer everyone. Get business done with efficient daily schedules and provide quality family time before and after. You can even incorporate networking and team building activities for the whole family! Summer is also a good time to take advantage of the nice weather and incorporate the outdoors as much as possible. People will be drawn to unique sessions that offer more than an indoor ballroom with a keynote speaker. Be creative! This is also an opportune time for a mid-year idea boost. Provide new education and training to keep productivity increasing throughout the rest of the year.

Many industry professionals say fall is the optimum time of year for conferences and meetings.  The sheer numbers available on conference directories such as www.allconferences.com are evidence of this. A fall timeframe provides almost a year of lead time for planning if you start in January when budgets are being approved and contracts are being signed. For those with families, childcare is a little easier as kids go back to school and routines normalize. Attendees may be refreshed from summer vacations and motivated for a strong finish to the year. Just make sure you pick dates that avoid annual industry-wide conferences and that you fit your event in before the holiday season begins.

Winter makes those cold-weather sports enthusiasts excited to get out while others are looking for a vacation to the tropics. Depending on your audience, you can build on these preferences by choosing an appropriate location to draw them in. Ski resorts offer perfect meeting packages to get business done and provide time on the slopes. Beach resorts offer a chance to warm up the mind as well as the body. Poll your attendees to see where their interests are to help with location decisions. While the beginning of winter through the holiday season should be avoided, the middle of winter, January to March, is a great time for a conference or for strategic planning and laying out the year ahead. Fit your meeting or conference right into people’s New Year’s resolutions!

No matter what season you choose, make sure to have enough time to budget appropriately, secure the necessary venues, and get your promotions out so you bring in the audience you are targeting. If done well, you will have good attendance any time of the year.

©Jeff Engerbretson – Big Sky, MT

About the author:

Genevieve Kulaski grew-up in Missoula as a true Montana kid, camping all summer and skiing all winter. Wanting to see the world, she took off after high school. She started out exploring Colorado while attending CU Boulder, studied abroad in Russia, and then continued her travels while serving in the Air Force after college graduation.  She landed in Washington D.C., but only for a short while, because she met her Montana cowboy who convinced her to move back home. There is truly no place like home! They spent a few years in Bozeman where Genevieve worked as a destination management specialist helping groups explore the beauty and unique experiences the Greater Yellowstone Area has to offer. They are now raising their three kids on the family ranch outside of Philipsburg and Genevieve continues to explore the state for those can’t-miss experiences. Genevieve loves sharing her home state with visitors and putting together one-of-a-kind Montana events that leave everyone with memories to last a lifetime.

Genevieve is a certified meeting planner and has acquired a certificate in virtual event and meeting management. Please feel free to contact her with any questions: gkulaski@meetingsnorthwest.com