You have a room, your DJ is free, and the first Saturday that works for everyone is three weeks out. Before you lock it in, spend twenty minutes checking what else that date is up against and whether three weeks is enough time to sell.

The date decides more than people expect: how long your early bird can run, who in your crowd is out of town, and whether a bigger party across town takes half your guest list.

Count back from doors

Start with how long you need to sell. Work backward from the date and mark the moments that need room:

• Announce: the day the event page goes live and the first post goes out
• Early bird ends: the date your cheapest tier stops selling
• Final push: the last week, when most of your texts and reminders go out
• Doors: the event itself

As a rule of thumb, give a first party four to six weeks from announcement to doors. A series with a regular crowd can work with less, because people already expect it. If your date leaves only ten days, you will be squeezing an early bird and a final push into the same week. If you only have three weeks, like the Saturday above, it can work for a crowd that already knows you: announce right away, keep the early bird to the first week and plan the final push for the last one. For a first party with a new crowd, move to a later Saturday. For what to send in each of those weeks, see How to Sell Tickets to a Party in Los Angeles. For how to set those tiers, see How to Set Ticket Prices for a Party.

Check what else is on that date

Look at the weekend from your guests’ point of view. The questions worth asking:

• Is it a holiday or a long weekend? Some of your crowd will be traveling or at family plans. Others will be free and looking for something to do. Decide which group you are throwing for.
• Is something bigger pulling the same people? A festival weekend, a major concert in your genre or a big game can drain a room. Search the date in your scene and ask a few regulars what they already have planned.
• Is another party in your scene on the same date? Talk to the promoters you know. Two crews splitting the same crowd on one Saturday usually both end up with half a room, and a quick conversation can move one of you a week.
• What does the rest of the week look like? A Saturday right after a big Friday in your scene starts with a tired crowd.

Write down what you find. If the date clashes with something your crowd cares about, move it now, before anyone has bought a ticket.

Match the day of the week to your crowd

Saturday is the default because most people are free, which also means it is usually the most crowded day on the calendar. The other days each have a case:

• Friday: people come straight from work, so doors fill later, and a lot of guests have plans for Saturday too.
• Thursday: good for a crowd with flexible schedules, such as the service industry crowd, and the competition is lighter.
• Sunday: daytime and early-evening parties work well when the crowd wants to be home at a reasonable hour.

If you plan to repeat the party, pick a slot you can keep, like the second Saturday of every month. Guests learn it, and you stop fighting for a new date each time. More on that in How to Turn a One-Off Party Into a Monthly Series. If a weeknight is what’s open, How to Fill Slow Weeknights has ideas for making a Tuesday or Wednesday work.

Confirm the date with everyone before you announce

Get a yes in writing from each person the event depends on before the date goes public:

• the room, with the exact load-in, doors and hard-out times
• every performer, with their set time window
• your co-hosts and door team

A date that moves after you announce costs you more than a slower start. Buyers have to recheck their plans, some ask for refunds, and the next time you announce, a few people wait to see if it sticks. If you do have to move it, guests’ tickets update in the Beatmatch mobile app on their own, and a text blast tells them why. To turn the confirmed times into a schedule, see How to Plan Set Times for Your Party.

Lock it in and start selling

Once the date is confirmed, create your event on Beatmatch with start and end times, then add your ticket options with sale start and end dates, so the early bird closes on the day you planned without you watching the clock. Step-by-step: Create Ticket Options.