Okay business owners, summertime means outdoor festivals, movie nights, baseball sponsorships and other opportunities to get the word out about your business. And get the word out you should, as competition continues to heat up for the ever diminishing discretionary income of families and other small businesses.

Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate this past weekend for Canton’s Arts Festival or Ball Ground’s Heritage Days… not to mention other events around the north metro area as rain kept the crowds away from these outdoor events. Rain also pretty much shut down the Concert for the Cure that took place earlier this month…

But that shouldn’t scare everyone away from everything!

Here’s what’s happening in June and July:

> The Lodge at Bridgemill is having an open house/business expo in about two weeks, and it’s FREE to host a booth. Contact Carolyn Hall of Scentsy Candles.

> Northside Hospital is sponsoring a Movie Night in Heritage Park (1st of 3 events this summer). Contact Connie John of CitrusSolution Carpet Cleaning -678-315-4411. The first event is May 30th, followed by one in June and one on August 1st. The cost is $150 to host a booth. Note: only one business per industry is accepted.

> The Ball Ground Business Association (BGBA) has scheduled a Movie Night in Calvin Farmer Park (or at the softball field next to the Civic Center) on Saturday, July 11th. Cost is $150 to sponsor a booth and you can contact Inspired 2 Design for more info or to sign up. BGBA is looking for children’s events, rides, food vendors and more for this event.

> Fourth of July Parades are right around the corner, and both Woodstock and Canton hold these events where you can have the opportunity to show off your business and pass out candy and promotional products.  You’ll need to contact the cities for organizer’s info.

And that’s just the beginning. The festival and events schedule fills up in summer and carries through fall all the way to Christmas. If you’re a business to consumer company, especially if your target market is families, you should be investigating event marketing as an opportunity to boost your exposure and get your brand name out there for recognition. Consumers buy on emotion, and you can strike that cord so well in a festival environment – all it takes is some time, a bit of money, and some creative booth ideas.

Events are a fantastic way to promote your company in a local territory. Events bring you and your prospects face-to-face in an environment that’s safe from hard sell. Community events typically are centered around social or civic causes, so therefore are conducive to conversational and relationship selling. The prospect always feels more relaxed, and open to suggestive selling.