We’re not suggesting that a clever promotion or a new event is going to solve any trading challenges facing the industry. But over the coming weeks, we’re sharing a series of ideas, observations and examples that hospitality businesses may – or may not – have tried to attract customers and create reasons for them to come back. Some will be practical, some a little unconventional, and some may simply spark something with you.

In this article, we’re looking at the calendar a little differently.

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There are hundreds of awareness days, anniversaries and themed weeks marked throughout the year. Some naturally lend themselves to menus, promotions and events. Others can provide inspiration in more unexpected ways.

So, rather than asking, “What can we sell on this day?”, what if we asked: “What experience, story or moment could this day inspire?”

Don’t just celebrate the day. Interpret it.

Borrow the moment, make it your own

Earth Hour might inspire you to switch off the lights, serve dinner by candlelight and turn the evening into something romantic and memorable. Recognise an important global initiative while creating something intimate and memorable for your customers.

RA partner, Eat Choice, have already provided some tips on how Coeliac Awareness Week could become an opportunity in this article. Showcase dishes where gluten-free diners don’t feel like an afterthought – and everyone around the table enjoys the same experience.

On World Kindness Day you could promote anonymous coffee board or pay-it-forward meals. World Friendship Day might inspire a “bring someone new” evening, encouraging customers to introduce friends to their favourite venue, or creating shared tables and activities designed to encourage conversation. Local history weeks could inspire menu items that reinterpret dishes from the past, or encourage customers to share old photographs of the neighbourhood or city. These stories and images might even find a place on your walls or across your social media channels.

And World Compliment Day? Perhaps customers leave messages of appreciation for staff, staff recognise one another, or notes of kindness are left for future guests to discover.

Something your customers can get behind

When trading is tough, focus is often on the immediate – costs, rosters, food prices and the hundred things that demand attention every day.

These ideas aren’t necessarily marketing campaigns in the traditional sense. They’re simply ways to create moments, stories and experiences that people enjoy being part of – and that customers might just remember long after the meal is over.

Not every day or awareness week will be relevant for your business. And not every idea will suit every business. But occasionally, a date on the calendar can become something much more interesting.

It can become a story; an experience.

Or perhaps just a reason for customers to engage with your business in a slightly different way.

And if you’re thinking really outside the box, perhaps create your own ‘day’ or ‘week’. Something uniquely connected to your venue. Who knows – it might become an annual tradition.

So the next time a themed day or awareness week pops up on your calendar, what if you asked “What kind of moment could we create?”

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Looking for inspiration?

There are hundreds of awareness days and themed weeks throughout the year. Some of the more comprehensive calendars can be found through the United Nations and awareness day websites. You don’t need to acknowledge them all — but occasionally one might spark an idea.

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Check out our other Out of the Box articles:

• Out of the Box: What if your business felt more like a club?