How community events can keep your venue busy from morning to night

In tricky financial times, create lasting custom with a calendar of events guaranteed to keep your venue busy and booming

Turn downtime into desk time

Make more of quiet daytime hours by turning your venue into a co-working space. It could be as simple as making it clear you welcome workers with laptops (who will buy a coffee or two). But if you want to make real income, set up designated areas and meeting rooms then rent them out for a fee. Once you’ve created a community, you’ll have the word of mouth to host professional networking events and bring in guest speakers from different industries.

The power of regular rituals

Repeat events create a calendar full of opportunities.
And that routine means regulars. Host a ‘knit and natter’ night, buggy and breastfeeding-friendly coffee clubs for parents or after-school milkshake hours for teens. Running clubs are increasingly popular too. Pair up with an organiser, offer a pastry and a place to recharge after they finish their 5k to reach a totally new audience. The key? Keep it casual, welcoming and easy to attend. If you want to charge, go for a small entry fee. Or you could just rely on the business it brings, offering a drink-and-snack combo and loyalty cards. From a business point of view, these small sessions can drum up valuable midweek trade.

Championing a cause

Ready-made events, like Macmillan Coffee Morning, are an easy way to align with a well-known brand – drumming up instant interest while supporting a great cause. When they’re already established, they often come with resources that make hosting super simple too. Start with a fun stunt for Red Nose Day or make yourself a finish-line destination after all kinds of fundraising runs, cycles and swims. If you need more inspiration, look at the different charities as they’re usually bursting with easy-to-implement ideas.

Go crafty and creative

Arty events bring everyone together, especially when people know they don’t need to be a pro. Playful paint-and-sip evenings, kids’ collage clubs or even mindful colouring mornings. Team up with local artists, start-ups and teachers to run a session in exchange for venue space or discounted drinks. It’s a win-win. You offer something new and they bring their own audience. Best of all? These events can be especially good at attracting quieter crowds who wouldn’t usually visit a bar or pub. To get the word out, ask the organiser for pre-made content or post a few pictures and testimonials that show how fun and welcoming they are. Don’t forget to share behind-the-scenes snaps on social stories.

One cuppa leads to another

Follow-up events are key. A one-off like Macmillan Coffee Morning is the perfect excuse to chat to guests and let them know what’s coming up next – be it a quiz night, craft morning or wine-tasting Wednesday. Put up posters, pop a flyer on each table or train staff to mention upcoming sessions while serving customers. It’s all about turning that first visit into a familiar routine. Once they’ve had one warm welcome, they’re far more likely to come back.

Celebrate the seasons

Seasonal moments are your secret weapon. They are often low-effort events that can bring in a crowd. Appeal to families with cosy winter story time sessions with hot chocolate and marshmallows.

For grown-up crowds, try Halloween-themed cocktail nights, Christmas wreath-making with mulled wine or, further ahead, a Valentine’s dessert-and-drink flight.

Add a seasonal special to the menu to boost sales and make each event feel unique. These little touches help your venue stand out and give people a reason to pop in, even when money is tight. You don’t need a big budget to create a big buzz – just a bit of imagination and a good excuse to encourage new and existing customers to get together.