The Algarve is a popular destination for tourists, which plenty of sunshine, beautiful Atlantic beaches, and high-end golf courses. If you're planning an art event, you have the potential to bring in big audiences, but how do you entice people off the beach and get them to spend their money?
In this article, we'll look at some ideas for how to attract more tourists to your art event or exhibition and how teaming up with other local businesses in the Algarve could make all the difference.
One simple first step is to look at other events happening in the local area - our news, community and arts and culture segments are a good place to start for this. Many people assume that being the only art event happening in an area is a good thing, but actually the opposite can be true. If you find that there's already something happening that's bringing people to your part of the Algarve - the annual Art Expo Algarve in Portimao Arena for example - then it could make sense to plan your event around the same time and make the most of the fact that there will already be art lovers coming to the area.
By contrast, make sure to investigate any other events that could take people away from your event. It's worth consulting a calendar of all the big sporting events over the course of the year for example, and avoiding those where possible. You're likely to see a low turn out if you launch your art event on the same day as the Wimbledon finals!
When you're thinking about timings, think too about the wider economic factors that could also be impacting the number of tourists coming to the Algarve and how much they may be prepared to spend. Considering a rapid change in exchange rates, inflation rates and other significant upcoming events that could affect them, such as airline strikes, can be a useful stage in your financial planning. There are a plethora of helpful online resources available that can make preparing for these factors so much easier. Take a look at the economic calendar this week, and you'll get an idea of the key economic events coming up that might be important.
Make it easy for people to attend. This sounds obvious, but sometimes it's the practical details that get forgotten. Is the event easy to find? What are your opening times? Can people get to you easily by public transport, or is there parking? Is the venue accessible for wheelchairs and buggies? Think through these details and communicate them clearly in all of your publicity materials.
As well as planning your art event to fit with other similar events in the area, it's also worth exploring potential partnerships with other complementary local businesses. Food is one obvious route to explore. The Algarve is famous for its seafood, fresh from the Atlantic, and so incorporating this into your event can add value and draw in bigger crowds. Is there a local restaurant that you could team up with to offer catering, either throughout the event or as a special dinner or launch night celebration?
If you're feeling ambitious, why stop just with local food? How about turning your art event into a mini local festival, celebrating the very best that the Algarve has to offer? Bring in delicious food, local craftspeople, music and activities for families, and you're sure to attract big crowds!
