As we pass the midpoint of the busy season, it’s a good time for event professionals to start planning for the off-season. How will you take advantage of the slower months to elevate your business for 2025’s peak season? For some, the off-season provides a chance to update their internal systems. Others might aim to design a new offering or refresh their branding.
However, there’s one thing everyone should prioritize once business quiets down: PR.
Dedicating time to public relations during the off-season sets you up for a lucrative booking season when a crush of newly engaged couples starts planning after the holidays. As the busy season winds down, there’s plenty you can do to lay the groundwork for a productive winter and a profitable year ahead.
Define next year’s PR goals
What you work on during the off-season will drive your PR strategy in 2025, so you must first determine where you’ll invest your time and resources. Will it be the year you finally place a real wedding with your dream publication? Or do you hope to make your name known through features on some of the top industry podcasts?
Clarifying your outreach approach will help you develop an action plan for the off-season, whether it entails curating wedding galleries, researching speaking opportunities, applying for awards, or pitching to podcasts.
Review this year’s wins and losses
While the busy season isn’t over yet, you likely have an idea of what has worked this year and what hasn’t. Consider what you can learn from your setbacks and how to implement proactive solutions to improve in 2025.
For example, if you missed the deadline for a national conference, maybe you could set calendar reminders to check for the call for speakers announcement. If writing the application was an obstacle, you might consider hiring a copywriter ahead of time.
Editor’s Note: The Catersource + The Special Event Call for Speakers 2026 will open in February 2025, so mark your calendars and keep your eyes open in the next few months for a chance to speak at this widely-attended conference!
Take a hard look at your calendar
If you want to achieve PR success in 2025, you need a schedule that supports your goals. Take stock of all your booked events and any professional obligations and personal commitments throughout the year. A big-picture view of the year will help you plan your PR projects wisely.
For instance, if the Special Events Gala Awards submission deadline typically falls in your busiest month, you can begin collecting resources and preparing your application in advance. Likewise, if your best weddings stack up in a matter of weeks, you might reconsider scheduling your family vacation immediately after so you can focus on submissions.
2025 might seem far away, but it will creep up as it does every year once the wedding season slows down. By looking ahead now, you’ll enter the off-season with a plan to maximize your time—whether that means creating a press page for anticipated real wedding features or crafting speaking topics for future submissions.
Embrace automation to stay on track
A well-defined process can make all the difference in your PR success, as it saves you from recreating the wheel. Real wedding submissions are a prime example. If you know what you need upfront—a curated gallery of photos, a write-up of the couple’s background and design elements, and a detailed vendor list—you can build a standard operating procedure (SOP) for collecting those items in a timely manner.
When pitching to editors and podcast hosts, developing a template makes it quick and straightforward to send out feelers. (Just make sure to update all those placeholders!)
Better yet, find ways to automate steps of your SOPs. Perhaps you can auto-send an email to the photographer several weeks before an event to schedule a meeting to discuss media placement. For photographers, it may be a matter of using (or upgrading) a digital asset management platform.
If you’re on the hunt for awards and speaking opportunities, you could set up an alert to notify you when a call for submissions goes live.
Creating streamlined systems and processes during the off-season will let you enter the new year with an efficient PR strategy that doesn’t require as much time. For now, start thinking about how to build or improve existing systems that support your PR efforts. Then, as business slows down, you’ll already have your work cut out for you!
As you gear up for the off-season, remember that thoughtful preparation can be your ticket to a standout year in 2025. Take the time now to strategize your PR approach so you can hit the ground running once the off-season arrives and avoid last-minute scrambling when an exciting opportunity arises.
Meghan Ely is the owner of wedding PR and wedding marketing firm OFD Consulting. Ely is a sought-after speaker, adjunct professor in the field of public relations, and a self professed royal wedding enthusiast.
