Why Thursday is the Most Competitive Day in the Events Calendar

Ask an experienced venue finder which day of the week can be surprisingly difficult to secure and Thursday will often be near the top of the list.

It makes sense when you think about it. Thursday sits in something of a sweet spot for corporate events. It is late enough in the working week to feel sociable, but it doesn’t eat into the weekend. People are generally more willing to stay for a drink after an event, while companies don’t have to ask employees, clients or delegates to give up a Friday evening.

For conferences, networking events, awards, drinks receptions, company celebrations and product launches, Thursday can therefore be an extremely attractive date.

The problem is that everyone else has worked this out too.

Why do companies like holding events on Thursdays?

There isn’t one reason. It is a combination of practicalities.

Monday can be difficult because people are returning to work after the weekend and catching up. Friday may sound appealing for a party, but in reality it is often less popular with corporate groups. People have weekend plans, work from home, travel away or simply want to finish for the week.

Tuesday and Wednesday are both strong corporate event days, particularly for conferences and meetings, but Thursday has an advantage when an event has a social element.

A conference can finish with drinks. A product launch can continue into the evening. A networking event can start after work. An awards dinner can feel like the beginning of the weekend without actually taking place at the weekend.

That makes Thursday suitable for a remarkably wide range of events.

The 6pm problem

The pressure becomes particularly noticeable when clients want an evening venue.

A typical brief might be for 150 people in Central London, easily accessible from major stations, with a private space, good food, drinks, AV and perhaps some outdoor space.

Add a Thursday evening to that list and the number of genuinely suitable options can reduce quickly.

It isn’t necessarily because London has a shortage of venues. Quite the opposite. The issue is that many companies are looking for very similar things on exactly the same nights.

The most popular venues can therefore have several enquiries for the same Thursday, particularly during busy periods.

Some Thursdays are much harder than others

Not every Thursday is equally competitive.

September and October can be particularly busy as the corporate events calendar gets back into full swing after the summer holidays.

Then there is Christmas.

For corporate Christmas parties, Thursdays in late November and December are often among the first dates to disappear. If a company wants a particular style of venue, a central location and one of the prime December Thursdays, leaving the search until autumn can mean making compromises.

The same thing can happen around major exhibitions, sporting events, conferences and other dates when demand is unusually high in a particular city.

Spring and early summer can create similar pressure as conferences, networking events, awards evenings and summer parties compete for space.

And when the weather improves, venues with terraces, gardens, rooftops and other outdoor areas have another reason to be in demand.

Does Thursday cost more?

Sometimes.

Venues don’t all price their space in the same way, and rates will depend on the event, date, season and expected spend.

However, basic supply and demand inevitably plays a part.

A venue with several enquiries for a Thursday has less reason to discount heavily than it might for a quieter date. Minimum spends can also be higher on popular evenings, particularly at bars, restaurants and hospitality-led venues.

This is one reason we always recommend looking at the whole venue quote rather than concentrating purely on room hire.

A venue with no hire charge but a substantial minimum spend isn’t necessarily cheaper. Equally, a venue charging room hire may include equipment, furniture, staffing or other elements that would cost extra elsewhere.

Would moving an event by one day make a difference?

It can make a surprisingly big difference.

When we’re struggling to find exactly what a client wants on a Thursday, one of the first questions worth asking is whether the date is fixed.

Moving an event to a Wednesday can sometimes open up venues that weren’t available 24 hours later. It may also put the organiser in a stronger position when discussing rates or minimum spends.

For some events, Tuesday can work equally well.

Obviously, changing the date isn’t always possible. Speakers may already be booked, international delegates may have made travel arrangements or the event may need to coincide with another occasion.

But if you are at the beginning of the planning process, a little flexibility can be valuable.

Don’t automatically rule out Friday

Friday is interesting because it depends very much on the type of event.

For a full-day corporate conference, attendance can be more difficult, particularly with hybrid working patterns and people wanting to travel home.

For other events, however, Friday can work extremely well.

An away day followed by dinner, a team celebration or an event where guests are staying overnight can suit a Friday perfectly.

This is where it’s worth thinking about the audience rather than simply following the traditional corporate events calendar.

The day of the week is now part of the venue brief

When people start looking for a venue, they naturally concentrate on location, capacity, style and budget.

The date can be just as important.

Two identical venue searches carried out for a Wednesday and a Thursday may produce very different shortlists.

This is particularly true if you have quite specific requirements. Perhaps you need space for 300 people close to Liverpool Street. Maybe you want a rooftop for a summer reception, a blank canvas venue for a product launch or a private dining room for 80 guests.

The more specific the brief, the more important date availability becomes.

Our advice? If Thursday matters, start early

We wouldn’t suggest avoiding Thursdays. There are good reasons why they are so popular.

But if Thursday is essential, particularly during a busy period, start looking for your venue as early as you can.

And if the perfect venue isn’t available, don’t assume the search is over.

Sometimes the answer is a different part of the city. Sometimes it’s a venue you hadn’t considered. Sometimes changing the format of the event makes another space work. And occasionally, moving the event by just one day changes everything.

After more than 35 years of finding venues, we’ve learnt that the best venue searches aren’t always about finding the longest list of available spaces. They’re about knowing where there is flexibility and using it to your advantage.

If you’re planning a conference, corporate event, product launch, awards evening or company party, tell us your preferred date, location, guest numbers, budget and what you have in mind.

We’ll check suitable venues, availability and rates and put together a tailored shortlist for you. Our venue finding service is completely free.

“Thursday has always been a popular night for corporate events, but we’re seeing much more competition for the best venues now. If a client has their heart set on a Thursday, particularly in the run-up to Christmas or during the busy autumn period, my advice is simple: start looking early. If the date is flexible, even moving to a Wednesday can suddenly give you far more choice.”

Carrie Larwood, Founder, Function Fixers