Sales and Marketing teams are always trying to come up with creative ideas for implementing fun marketing and sales events.  This article gives you some great tips for brainstorming, ideas for calendar-event based themes - and when and where to plan the best Sales and Marketing events every year.  

12-Month Calendar of Ideas

Here are a few ideas that you may want to consider for an upcoming Sales or Marketing event. Just schedule a business event to coincide with a popular holiday (see below) or tie it into a special event.

January

• New Year's Day (1st)
• Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas - Biggest new tech and gadgets show in the world

February

• Mardi Gras
• Valentine's Day (14th)

March

• Mothering Sunday (British Mother's Day, UK)
• St. Patrick’s Day (17th)
• First Day of Spring (20th)

April

• Opening Day of Yachting Season (in San Francisco) - check dates for other cities
• April Fool's Day

May

• Mother's Day (USA)
• Memorial Day

June

• Summer Solstice - 1st day of Summer
• Father's Day (USA)

July

• 4th of July - U.S. Independence Day Fireworks, Parades and Celebrations around the USA and in some parts of the world

August

• Harvest/Crush Season in Napa Valley and Sonoma Wine Country (late August to mid-October) - check dates for other cities and countries

September

• Labor Day

October

• Harvest Festivals
• Championship Pumpkin Weigh-Off in Half Moon Bay, CA - check dates for other city events
• Halloween (31st)

November

• Thanksgiving Weekend
• Black Friday (Friday after Thanksgiving)
• Cyber Monday (Monday after Thanksgiving)
• Harvest Festivals 

December

• Christmas (25th), Chanukah, Boxing Day (26th in UK) and Kwanzaa (26th)
• Winter Solstice - 1st day of Winter
• New Years Eve (31st)

10+ Tips for Fun Sales and Marketing Events

1. Whale-Watching Season in Monterey, CA (April to mid-December for Humpback Whales, Blue Whales and Dolphins; mid-December to March for Gray Whales and Dolphins)
2. Sporting Events (take your pick: Football, Baseball, Basketball, Golf, World Cup Soccer, Wimbledon, Summer and Winter Olympics)
3. Museums (special exhibits) / Aquariums / Amusement Parks / Racetracks
4. Newly-released blockbuster Movies (e.g. Star Wars, Batman, Superman, Star Trek)
5. Fleet Week Air Shows (in select U.S. cities)
6. Popular Conferences like Dreamforce (Salesforce.com) or big events in your city
7. New Product Launches
8. Lunch and Learn
9. Happy Hour
10. Hold your event at a unique or interesting venue (yacht, art gallery, museum, aquarium, zoo, trendy restaurant, nightclub, pool, motorized cable car, racetrack, winery, etc.)
11. Host an open bar and serve tasty easy-to-eat finger foods - no knives and forks. There’s nothing worse than having messy, hard-to-eat hors d’oeuvres balancing on your small plate while trying to network and look professional
12. Consider using Food Trucks for your next large event. You'll save a lot of time not having to create a special menu with a caterer - and the food is really good!
13. Promote your company with event drawings and/or fun SWAG giveaways (free product/service, t-shirts, pens, stress balls, chocolates, backpacks, Starbucks gift cards) 

Have fun planning your next Sales or Marketing Event. Feel free to share any tips or comments below.

Photo credit: Alana Ross, Ross & Ross International
Blog article:  Alana Ross, VP Marketing and Social Media