Strategies in planning the timing of an event are integral to the
challenges faced in the marketing process. And timing should also
be carefully weighed in light of the schedules, patterns, and needs
of the market being served. Scheduling conflicts with attendees
present natural impediments to attendance. What are the elements
that must be considered by the marketer?
Time of Day
A reception, for example, used to be planned for the end of the
workday (such as 5:30 to 8:00 P.M.), allowing time for guests to fin-
ish work and gather prior to a dinner or departure for home. In-
creasingly, however, receptions are planned for mid-afternoon un-
til early evening (e.g., 3:30 to 6:00 P.M.), giving guests the option
of (and excuse for) leaving the workplace a bit early, spending an
hour or two at the event, and then leaving early enough for their
evening plans.
Days of Week
You should consider the days selected for the event carefully, fac-
toring in the demographics of your market. A business event at-
tracting CEOs and others in positions of authority might be much
more attractive to the audience on a weekday than on a weekend,
because they likely have the flexibility of attending on a workday
and may be less willing to give up precious personal weekend
time for a nonmandatory, business-related activity.
On the other hand, if you are marketing a street fair or carni-
val aimed at families, weekends are normally favored. Depending
on the time of year, during weekdays the children may be in school
(or summer school, which is becoming increasingly prevalent) and
the parents will likely be at work. Therefore, weekends are more
likely the most marketable option for family activities. Again,
carefully consider the demographics and schedules of your audi-
ence in all your deliberations.
Time of Year (Seasonality)
When dealing with specific industries or professional constituen-
cies, the time of year during which the target market is most avail-
able may be subtle, but critical. For example, in the hospitality
and travel industry, most conventions are planned for mid- to late
winter. Why? Because the potential attendees’ most crucial times
The Five Ws of Marketing 37