Is your monthly marketing schedule filled? If so, AWESOME.
But… what if you have some gaps in your schedule? Do you have a plan to fill those gaps, and generate more income for your business?
We’ve put together this big list of national holidays, days of recognition, and other seasonal events to help you and your clients plan out their 2020 promotional marketing initiatives.
You know it’s ideal to get your clients thinking about upcoming events with as much lead time as possible. We recommend planning for your seasonal promotions and events at least 2–3 months in advance, if not sooner. While it doesn’t always happen that way, discussing a yearly plan with your clients now can help mitigate rush fees and reduce stress when you’re pushed up against tight deadlines.
ProTip: Bring this event list to the PPAI or ASI shows to help you brainstorm some specific, strategic campaigns as you walk the show floor! Warwick will be at the PPAI Expo, ASI Ft. Worth, and the PPAChicago show. Come say hi and see how we can help you plan ahead for this year.
January
Plan + pitch these themes and products in November / December or sooner
View January Monthly Observations Here
- Fitness + Nutrition
- Productivity / New Year’s Resolutions (calendars, planners, organizational tools, office items)
- Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Monday, January 20)
- National Chocolate Cake Day (January 27)
- Tax preparation (pocket folders, document pouches, financial / bookkeeping tools)
- Travel / Vacation planning / Cruises / Resorts (calendars, picture frames, document pouches)
- Weddings / Wedding Expos (calendars, planners, picture frames)
- Employee recognition (awards, certificate folders, branded gifts, apparel)
- National Blood Donor Month
February
Plan + pitch these themes and products in December / January or sooner
View February Monthly Observations Here
- Groundhog Day (February 2)
- National Women Physicians Day (February 3)
- National Hemp Day (February 4)
- Valentine’s Day (February 14)
- National Random Acts of Kindness Day (February 17)
- Presidents Day – Third Monday in February
- Black History Month
- National Heart Month (the first Friday is National Wear Red Day)
Browse more February holidays here.
March
Plan + pitch these themes and products in January / February or sooner
View March Monthly Observations Here
- National Invest in Veterans Week (March 1–8)
- Mardi Gras (March 5)
- St. Patrick’s Day (March 17)
- National Ag Day (March 24. Get in touch with your local Farm Bureau, 4-H, FFA, or school agriculture program)
- National Women’s History Month
- National Nutrition Month
- National Umbrella Month
- National Employee Appreciation Day – First Friday in March
- Daylight Saving Time – Second Sunday in March
- National Credit Education Month (a great promotional opportunity for financial advisors)
April
Plan + pitch these themes and products in February / March or sooner
View April Monthly Observations Here
- April Fool’s Day (April 1)
- Passover (April 8–16)
- National Siblings Day (April 10)
- Easter (April 12)
- 4/20
- Earth Day (April 22)
- Administrative Professionals’ Day (Last Wednesday in April)
- Weddings
- Baseball and softball
- National Child Abuse Awareness Month
- National Donate Life Awareness Month
- National Cannabis Awareness Month
- Lawn and Garden Month
- National Autism Awareness Month
May
Plan + pitch these themes and products in March / April or sooner
View May Monthly Observations Here
- May Day (May 1)
- Graduation season for college and high school (save the dates, programs, cards, invitations, mailers, photo folders)
- College enrollment
- End of school year
- Prom
- Promotional Products Work! Week (May 4–8. Advocate for the promo industry!)
- Cinco De Mayo (May 5)
- Mother’s Day (May 10)
- Memorial Day (May 25)
- Weddings
- Youth sports
- Baseball / summer sports
- Summer festivals and community parades
- Stroke Awareness Month
- National Military Appreciation Month
- Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month
- National Mental Health Awareness Month
June
Plan + pitch these themes and products in April / May or sooner
View June Monthly Observations Here
- Farmers Markets (eco-friendly reusable shopping bags, recycled products, farm to table, “shop local”)
- Summer camps
- National Trails Day (first Saturday in June)
- Men’s Health Week (ends on Father’s Day)
- Father’s Day (June 21)
- Weddings
- National Nursing Assistants Week (June 18-24)
- LGBTQIA Pride Month
- National Camping Month
- National Great Outdoors Month
- National Adopt a Cat Month
July
Plan + pitch these themes and products in May / June or sooner
View July Monthly Observations Here
- 2020 Summer Olympics
- International Joke Day (July 1)
- Independence Day (July 4. Look for USA-made products, parade giveaways, patriotic, red white and blue)
- National Hawaii Day (July 5)
- National Tattoo Day (July 17)
- National Intern Day (Fourth Thursday in July)
- Summer camps (YMCA, park district)
- National Hot Dog Month
- National Grilling Month
- National Picnic Month
- Everybody Deserves A Massage Week (2nd week after the Fourth of July)
August
Plan + pitch these themes and products in June / July or sooner
View August Monthly Observations Here
- National Farmer’s Market Week (First full week in August. A great opportunity for reusable bags and produce bags)
- National CBD Day (August 8)
- National Night Out (First Tuesday in August)
- National Health Center Week (Second week in August)
- National Leathercraft Day (August 15)
- National Nonprofit Day (August 17)
- Family Fun Month
- National Golf Month
- Back to school
- Football kickoff and fall sports
September
**Busy season starts this month for many suppliers** plan + pitch these themes and products in July / August or sooner
View September Monthly Observations Here
- Labor Day (1st Monday in September)
- National Truck Driver Appreciation Week (Second week in September)
- National Dog Week (September 22–28)
- National Preparedness Month
- National Fruit and Veggies Month
- Self Improvement Month
- Women’s Friendship Month
- National Suicide Prevention Month
- Harvest Season
- Football and fall sports
October
(**Busy season for many suppliers** plan + pitch these themes and products in August / September or sooner
View October Monthly Observations Here
- National Hair Day (October 1)
- National Fire Prevention Week
- National Forest Products Week (Begins third Sunday in October)
- National Retirement Security Week (Third full week in October. Perfect promo opportunity for financial planners and advisors)
- Yom Kippur (October 27–28)
- Breast Cancer Awareness Month
- Down Syndrome Awareness Month
- Emotional Wellness Month
- Financial Planning Month
- National Cyber Security Awareness Month
- Fall festivals and events at the pumpkin patch, apple orchard, or haunted house
- Election season / voting / political awareness
- Halloween / Samhain / Costume Parties
November
**Busy season for many suppliers** plan + pitch these themes and products starting August, September, October or sooner
View November Monthly Observations Here
- Thanksgiving
- Veteran’s Day (November 11)
- National Animal Shelter Appreciation Week (First full week in November)
- National Novel Writing Month
- Adopt A Senior Pet Month
- National Alzheimer’s Disease Month
- National Diabetes Month
- Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and Giving Tuesday
- Lung Cancer Awareness Month
- Movember
December
**Busy season for many suppliers** plan + pitch these themes and products starting July, August, September, October or sooner
View December Monthly Observations Here
- Special Education Day – December 2nd
- National Cookie Day (December 4)
- National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day (December 7)
- National Lager Day (December 10)
- National App Day (December 11)
- Christmas
- Hanukkah
- New Year
- AIDS Awareness Month
- National Drunk & Drugged Driving (3D) Prevention Month
- National Human Rights Month
- National Write A Business Plan Month
- Productivity / New Year’s Resolutions
Want to do something different? National Day Calendar is a great online resource to use when looking for creative new campaign ideas. Beyond the widely recognized holidays and mainstream seasonal events, there are also some more fun and obscure ones, like these:
- National Science Fiction Day – Jan 2nd
- National Thank a Mail Carrier Day – Feb 4th
- National Read Across America Day (Dr. Seuss Day) – March 2nd (If on Weekend, Moves to Closest School Day)
- National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day – April 2nd
- National Space Day – First Friday in May
- National Yo-Yo Day – June 6th
- National Pina Colada Day – July 10th
- National Roller Coaster Day – August 16th
- National Wildlife Day – September 4th
- National Live Creative Day – September 14th
- National Indoor Plant Week – Third week in September
- National Techies Day – October 3rd
- National Stress Awareness Day – First Wednesday in November
- Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day (December 8)
Campaign ideas for all year round:
Ask your clients if they host or sponsor any of the following types of events—and ask them when the host them. Check in to see if they have been satisfied with the results they’ve gotten in past years, or if they’d like to get more brand exposure, capture more leads, drive more web traffic, or create stronger social media engagement, then plan a smart promotion around their goal.
- Self-promos (Plan at least 2 per year. Send out in June / July and again in November / December)
- Corporate anniversaries
- Employee Appreciation Celebrations
- Fundraisers
- Birthdays and retirement events
- Bar / bat mitzvahs
- Quinceañeras
- Award ceremonies
- Trade shows and conventions
- Sales meetings
- Class reunions
- Local chamber of commerce events
- Industry association events
- Networking events
We hope these event ideas help you generate some creative, timely ideas for your clients. We recommend you prepare a list of 3–5 events that will resonate best with your client based on their values, customer base, and sales cycle.
You can also use this list to help clients part ways with stale, old, overdone promotions, and replace them with fresh, innovative ideas.
Take action now: Make some calls, draft some emails, and get some meeting dates on the calendar with your clients and prospects. Be sure to leave plenty of time to choose the right promotional products, get your orders in, proofs approved, products made and delivered for all of your 2019 promotional campaigns!
Have another idea that we missed? Please leave us a comment below, or drop us a note on Facebook!