The bustling energy of a local festival, the excitement of a sporting championship, or the draw of a cultural celebration all present golden opportunities for businesses looking to boost revenue and visibility. Yet many entrepreneurs fail to capitalize on these temporary surges in foot traffic, missing crucial chances to convert event attendees into loyal customers.
In my fifteen years covering business strategy across New York’s diverse commercial landscape, I’ve observed a clear pattern: companies that strategically align with local events consistently outperform competitors who maintain business-as-usual operations. The numbers back this up too—research from the Event Marketing Institute shows businesses can see up to a 25% increase in quarterly sales when effectively leveraging local event opportunities.
“Local events create a unique economic ecosystem,” explains Maria Rodriguez, small business strategist at Deloitte Consulting. “They temporarily transform consumer behavior, creating spending patterns that savvy businesses can tap into.”
This temporary shift in consumer psychology represents an opportunity that extends far beyond simply extending store hours. Drawing from conversations with dozens of successful entrepreneurs and marketing experts, I’ve compiled actionable strategies that businesses of any size can implement during local events.
First, understand your event audience. Before investing in special promotions or adjusting operations, research the demographic profile of attendees. A youth sports tournament draws a fundamentally different crowd than a wine festival or business convention.
Frank Chen, owner of Urban Spice Kitchen in Chicago, increased revenue by 40% during a neighborhood jazz festival by creating special menu items that appealed specifically to the event’s older, more affluent audience. “We analyzed who actually attends this particular festival—not just who we thought might show up,” Chen told me during a recent interview. “That made all the difference.”
The Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Community Development Research confirms this approach, noting that businesses aligning their offerings with event attendee preferences see 3.2 times greater revenue increases than those making generic promotional efforts.
Beyond understanding your audience, consider creating event-specific packages or promotions that solve attendee pain points. This strategy transformed fortunes for Lakeside Pharmacy in Minneapolis during the city’s annual marathon.
“Runners needed specific items—blister pads, energy supplements, pain relievers—but didn’t want to make multiple stops,” explains owner Sarah Williams. “We created ‘runner rescue kits’ priced at $24.99 that bundled everything together. We sold over 200 kits in a single weekend.”
The timing of promotions matters significantly too. Event attendees typically make purchasing decisions in three distinct phases: pre-event planning, during-event immediate needs, and post-event indulgence. Each phase requires different messaging and offers.
Data from Square’s Small Business Pulse shows pre-event marketing delivers 40% higher conversion rates than promotions launched during the event itself. This suggests businesses should begin marketing event-specific offerings at least two weeks before the occasion.
“We start our social media campaign for Restaurant Week exactly 15 days before it begins,” says Thomas Reed, marketing director at Hartford Restaurant Group. “The sweet spot is when people are actively planning but haven’t completely locked in their schedules.”
Perhaps most critically, businesses must optimize their operational capacity to handle increased volume without sacrificing quality. A Boston Consulting Group analysis of retail performance during peak periods found that 68% of potential event-driven revenue is lost due to operational bottlenecks rather than lack of customer interest.
Lisa Morgenstern runs a boutique clothing store in Austin that thrives during the city’s famous South by Southwest festival. “We learned the hard way that having enough inventory isn’t enough—you need the right staffing model,” she says. “Now we bring in temporary staff who specifically handle certain tasks, allowing our experienced team members to focus on conversion and customer experience.”
The digital component of local event marketing can’t be overlooked either. Location-based targeting through social media platforms enables businesses to reach event attendees with remarkable precision. Facebook’s own business research indicates that geotargeted ads shown to event attendees within a one-mile radius produce a 47% higher click-through rate than standard demographic targeting.
“We’ve seen dramatic results using geofenced advertising during conventions,” reports Michael Torres of Digital Marketing Partners. “For a client near the Chicago Auto Show, we implemented a targeted campaign that delivered a 380% ROI by specifically reaching attendees with relevant offers.”
The post-event period offers its own opportunities for revenue generation. Nearly 65% of businesses focus exclusively on capturing sales during an event, according to American Express’s Small Business Barometer. However, businesses that implement post-event follow-up strategies report converting 22% of event customers into repeat buyers.
Claire Dunphy, who owns a specialty food shop in Portland, credits her post-event strategy for transforming her business. “After food festivals, we email attendees who purchased from us with a thank-you note and a time-limited offer to visit our store. About one in four actually comes in, and their average purchase is nearly double our typical customer.”
As communities across America continue rebuilding their local event calendars post-pandemic, businesses have unprecedented opportunities to capitalize on these gatherings. The key lies in strategic preparation, operational adaptability, and understanding the unique psychology of event attendees.
For entrepreneurs willing to move beyond the “open longer hours” approach to event marketing, the rewards can be substantial—not just in immediate revenue, but in building lasting customer relationships that deliver value long after the event has ended.
