3 Great Ideas for Your Summer Events

March is here, which means the snow is starting to thaw, the temperature is on the rise, and spring is on the way! It also means that summer events are on the horizon – and we can’t wait!

While many aspects of your events won’t change based on the time of year they are held, the summer season gives us different opportunities to create unique, memorable experiences for attendees.

Check out three great ideas for your summer events below to learn how you can make sure your summer events are impactful, exciting, and enjoyable.

Utilize Indoor and Outdoor Spaces.

After a long winter, attendees are excited to spend time outdoors – so why would we force them to spend the entirety of an event inside?

Planning an outdoor event may feel risky, or counterintuitive to your goals. Between the possibility of rain or extreme heat, you may worry that putting all of your eggs in the “outdoor” basket may leave you vulnerable to last-minute venue changes or event cancellation. On the other hand, if there are aspects of your event that are more serious, go over detailed information, or have specific space and technical requirements, you may worry that hosting them outside will set the wrong tone.

This is why we recommend using both outdoor and indoor spaces for your summer events. Consider starting outside with a welcome reception and registration before moving into an indoor space for general sessions, CEO Town Halls, workshops, and other business-focused meetings. Then, move back outside for networking, small group sessions, entertainment, galas, and awards.

This not only gives you the best of both worlds at your event – it creates a clear shift in tone that will make attendees immediately understand the purpose of each session. If there is inclement weather, it also gives you a built-in back-up plan. You’ll simply move any outdoor components of the event inside, and you won’t be left scrambling.

Use LED to Create Longer Opportunities for Engagement.

While many organizations would love to host their summer events outside, they’ve heard that it isn’t possible to get a clear, crisp visual in the daylight and don’t want to limit their events to late evening hours. Luckily, this simply isn’t true – it is possible to have stunning visuals even in broad daylight!

While projection is not recommended for use outside during the day, LED displays can be used in any lighting.

Because LED features individual lights that illuminate to create images, and not the projection of light, it can be seen clearly and with great colour contrast, regardless of the time of day or what lighting it’s in. By using LED, outdoor events aren’t limited to evening hours, which creates longer opportunities for engagement.

Not to mention, LED packs a punch at night, too! If your event has both daytime and evening sessions, LED displays will transition flawlessly.

Engage Attendees Before They Enter the Venue.

In order to create an event experience that stretches beyond the sessions, find opportunities to engage attendees before they enter the venue. This is something we recommend doing regardless of the season, but when the weather is nice, those touchpoints can begin as soon as attendees arrive onsite.

Consider having people greet attendees as they exit their cars in the parking lot, offering refreshments or event programs. Have professional musicians, such as violinists or a guitarist, playing music outside as they register for the event, or consider setting up a cocktail or coffee and appetizer station, giving attendees a natural space to connect and network before the session begins. A signature scent in the air as attendees transition from outdoors to inside is a nice, unexpected, touch that elevates the entire experience.

An outdoor LED trailer is a great way to share event visuals and information, allowing attendees to feel immersed and easily get any instructions or scheduling information they may need, while allowing them to continue enjoying the outdoors.

While warm weather may still feel like it’s far in the distance, your summer events will be here sooner than you think! If you’re looking for an event partner who will use creative planning and technical expertise to create a memorable experience, contact us at [email protected] or call us at (204) 226-5565 to get started!