As we swing into spring and people start coming out of their winter hibernation, it can also be a great excuse for them to spend more time with their families. And on the first Sunday of September comes the occasion where people can celebrate the father or father figure in their lives: Father’s Day.

After everyone spent two years celebrating at home, this is the perfect opportunity for retail event creators to host a Father’s Day retail reactivation event to bring foot traffic to their small businesses and convert attendees into returning customers. Keep reading to learn about the creative Father’s Day event ideas you can run to promote your brand and welcome back your community.

Memorable Father’s Day Retail Event Ideas

From food to workshops, here are three event ideas from our community that are perfect for fathers and families that prefer staying indoors.

1. Hold a board game day

Whilst Father’s Day is to celebrate and honour fathers, events for Father’s Day can also be a great excuse for everyone to spend more time with their families. If you have a board game shop or toy store, why not hold a board game day? Get competitive with games such as Monopoly or stick to simpler classics like Uno and Jenga.

A board game day like the Brisbane Spring Game Day allows families to bond and have fun and even make new friends. Be sure to include kids’ food and drinks on the menu to keep those little tummies full. You may even consider hosting a giveaway or raffle to attract more attendees.

2. Host an eating contest

We all know that food is the key to many men’s hearts (and kids will 100% enjoy watching grown men stuff their faces with food!) If you’re in the food or kitchenware business, an eating contest is a relatively simple event to organise – and you can hold contests with different food to increase footfall to your event, too. All you need is a stopwatch (even one on your smartphone will work) and a lot of food. Unsure of what to prepare? A couple of suggestions are hot dogs, chicken wings, ice cream, dumplings, or spicy foods like jalapeños to give your event an extra kick.

Don’t forget to use Eventbrite’s online RSVP tool to help manage your attendee numbers and gauge how much food you need to prepare.

3. Offer a class or workshop

Whether it be learning a new skill, finding a new hobby or simply having an activity session with the kids, there are a number of reasons why you should consider hosting a class or workshop:

  • It can be done in person, virtually, or as a hybrid event to increase your audience outreach.
  • It helps the community connect with new people who enjoy the same activity or hobby which may lead to returning customers. For example, a craft event might give a boost to your art supply store, or a ceramics workshop at your pottery store. Crafty events such as those run by Studio Rags lets dads and their little ones get their hands dirty and create Father’s Day activity gifts that can be treasured for years to come.
  • It gives you an opportunity to dry run an event that you can tweak in the future to other special days such as Christmas or Mother’s Day.

Plan for the great outdoors

The warmer weather will undoubtedly have people eager to get back in touch with nature. Encourage people to take advantage of spring by hosting an event in the great outdoors. Keep reading for Father’s Day activities for those who are keen to get out of the house.

1. Enjoy a golf tournament

Thinking of Father’s Day activities for adults? Give dads the chance to take their clubs out of the garage and improve their swing with a golf tournament. Turning it into a charity golf day can further incentivise people to attend your event. And remember, food is always a plus at any event so consider offering food and beverages before and after the tournament. Keep it simple but a little fancy with a grazing table or picnic box, or you can choose to treat your guests with food trucks or formal catering.

2. Take a hike

Australia is home to stunning forests, coasts and mountains, most of which you don’t have to travel too far for. Organising a hike like the Dandenong Rangers Park Walk by Parks Victoria is especially enticing to those who have been at home for extended periods of time.

Outdoor activities are a great way for small businesses like gear rental services, outdoor clothing stores, or fitness facilities to pique community interest in their brand. Be sure to consider the difficulty of the hike and younger walkers when selecting a location as well as safety instructions such as bringing water and wearing appropriate clothing.

Some family-friendly hikes and walking trails around the country include:

  • Australian Capital Territory – Black Mountain Nature Reserve Forest Trail, Jerrabomberra Wetlands, and The National Arboretum
  • New South Wales – Cumberland State Forest Walk, Berry Island Reserve Walk, and Manly Dam Bush Walks
  • Northern Territory – Wangi Falls Loop Walk, Bicentennial Park, and Katherine Gorge and Baruwei Loop
  • Queensland – Stockyard Creek Circuit, Nerang National Park, and Springbrook National Park
  • South Australia – Woorabinda Bushland Reserve Loop, Blackwood Forest Recreation Park and Mannum Waterfalls
  • Victoria – The Tan around the Royal Melbourne Botanic Gardens, Gresswell Forest Wildlife Reserve, and Mason Falls
  • Western Australia – Rocky Pool Walk, Lesmurdie Falls and Lake Goollelal

3. Head to the beaches

While it may not be peak Australian heat in September, we can expect people will start heading back to the coast with the arrival of spring. If you have an outdoorsy small business, give people a chance to try out your offerings in the sun!

Not only are beach day events relatively cheaper to organise since you don’t need to rent a venue and can make it a BYO event, the beach means you can consider organising multiple activities to make the day more exciting. There’s also the flexibility of making the event family-friendly or for adults only. Here are some ideas for Father’s Day activities on the beach:

  • Beach volleyball
  • Beach frisbee
  • Beach soccer
  • Sand castle building contest
  • Treasure hunt

For those family members that don’t want to join in on the games, they’ll be able to enjoy the sun, sand and sea. And don’t forget to remind attendees to slip, slop and slap!

Partner with other local businesses

Share your event planning workload and get more publicity by partnering with other small businesses. Start by searching for businesses that relate to your target market and reach out about a potential collaboration. If you’re not sure what you could offer, here are some collaboration ideas:

  • If you need food or drinks at your event, reach out to businesses that can cater or sponsor your event with the added bonus of giving coupons to attendees.
  • If you have a large event space, you can invite other businesses to come together and create a community event.
  • Offer to divide and conquer – one party can work on the promotion and attendee logistics whilst the other works on organising the event itself.

Fire up your Father’s Day festivities with Eventbrite

Father’s Day gives businesses the perfect opportunity to reconnect with the community, and a successful event can help increase awareness of their brands and create returning customers. With features such as a dedicated event website, social media marketing, and event registration tools, Eventbrite is here to help you host an unforgettable Father’s Day event this year.

Sign up with Eventbrite today and let us help you reduce the stress of event admin.