August Events and Seminars...A Good Idea?

Fall can be a pretty busy time to try to hold a seminar. Use these tips to determine if an August seminar will work for you.nnby Jenny HambynnnYou're the king or queen of planning ahead, and you nknow you have excellent ideas for a seminar or workshop. nYou're thinking about holding it right before your kidsnhead back to school, but one thought keeps running nthrough your head..."Is it safe to hold a seminar in nAugust or should I wait until September?" It's a valid question, because August is traditionally none of the worst months in which to hold a seminar. nWhy? Because it's a popular month for summer vacations, nand a huge chunk of the population gets swamped nduring the second half of the month getting childrennready to go back to school. The right answer to this common question for you nand your events depends on many factors. Here are nsome things to consider as you start planning yourncalendar for next fall:nn* Will your audience be more free and flexible during nAugust vs. during September and other months whennkids will be in school? If so, August might be a goodnmonth for you. Personally, I find it easier to attend nseminars in the summer because I don't have to makenarrangements for someone to take my kids from theirnsitter's house to school and then back again. If nAugust is "off season" for your target audience, a nsummer seminar is worth considering.nn* How long of an event are you holding? Even if nyour audience is busy during the summer, persuading themnto attend a free evening seminar would be much easiernthan selling them on attending a 3-day bootcamp.nn* How much notice are you giving them? If you provide nmonths of advance notice (say 6-12 months), it willnbe easier for prospects to plan their vacations around nyour event.nn* How much do you have at stake ... and how much risk cannyou stomach? If your business is riding on this singlenevent, play it safe and hold it further into the fall ...neven pushing it back to October to allow more post-summernmarketing. If the consequences of a low turnout won't nbother you much, then go for it.nn* What does your target market say? Send out a nsurvey and ask them if they'd prefer a seminar innAugust or September. With good planning and excellent communication between nyourself and your prospective seminar attendees, not tonmention plenty of advance notice, you should be able to nhold your seminar during the month of August.n