A summer slowdown doesn’t have to mean lost momentum.
For many performing arts organizations, summer marks the “off season.” With your last curtain call in the rearview mirror (or almost there) and the fall season not yet on deck, this stretch often brings a mix of fresh air, quieter inboxes, and… a little uncertainty.
What should you be doing during this time?
Let’s be clear: we want you to take your well-earned vacation. Rest. Recharge. Step away from your inbox and come back with fresh eyes.
But we also want to make sure your off season doesn’t quietly slip into lost time.
This slower season can be a golden opportunity – the one stretch of the year when you finally do the things you always say you’ll get around to. The things that move your work from reactive to proactive. The things that help your future self say: “Thank you.”
Here are three areas worth your time and attention while the spotlight’s on pause:
1. Start Now on What You’ll Do Later
You already know what tasks are coming. The predictable tasks you do every season and know you end up doing last minute. So do future-you a favor and tackle the repeatable stuff now.
- Draft email templates: for season announcements, special event on-sales, thank-you notes, and donation asks—especially the ones you send every single year.
- Create social media content banks and batches of evergreen social posts, like “meet the artist” intros, throwback show photos, behind-the-scenes peeks, or seasonal messages.
- Build out your advertising calendar with placeholders: note when you’ll need to run early bird promos, subscription pushes, single ticket reminders, or just your ideal advertising flow—even if final details aren’t set yet.
- Pre-schedule blog posts or newsletters that cover things like staff spotlights, FAQs, or venue tips; things that don’t need last-minute input.
A little effort now saves you the late-night scramble later.
2. Think Big Picture While You Have Breathing Room
Strategic thinking gets crowded out when everything’s on fire. We all know that feeling! This is your chance to step back and ask:
- What parts of last season’s marketing worked well? And which felt like a grind with too little payoff?
- Where are the friction points in your workflows? We’re sure something just came to mind – and that’s what we’re talking about!
- Where do patrons drop off in your ticket-buying or donation process, and how can that be improved?
- How do your digital channels feel from the audience perspective – website, social media pages, advertising placements? Are they clear, useful, and engaging, or cluttered, outdated, and confusing?
Give yourself the space to assess, adjust, and align. (And write down your thoughts—you’ll thank yourself in six months.) Use this time to audit your brand voice, assess your audience data, look for trends, and dream up experiments you’d like to try next season—then block time to actually implement them.
3. Get to the Projects That Never Make the Top of the List
You know the ones. The half-finished documents, the sticky notes on your desk, the spreadsheet labeled “someday.”
Now’s the time to move those off of the back burner:
- Clean up and organize your photo and video libraries so you’re not digging through folders mid-season.
- De-dupe and refresh your email list segmentation.
- Update or streamline your onboarding guides for new staff, interns, or volunteers.
- Create templates for donor acknowledgment letters or social graphics to save future brainpower.
- Run a short audience feedback survey to learn what your patrons want more (or less) of next year.
- Revisit your website’s content with fresh eyes—especially your homepage, FAQ, ticketing info, and support pages.
They’re the kinds of things that don’t feel urgent—until you wish you’d already done them.
Take the break. But don’t miss the moment.
The off season should feel different, but it shouldn’t mean pressing pause on progress. Think of it as a strategic slowdown: a chance to rest, reflect, and reset your pace.
These are all examples of tasks that can benefit from dedicated time during your slower season, but you know your workload best. Take a look back on your most frustrating moments this season, and see what you can do to prevent them in your future!
It’s not about doing more. It’s about doing the things that matter most when you finally have the space to do them.
Although this should feel exciting, we understand it can also feel overwhelming! We can be your strategic partners, and can help you organize and prioritize your to-do list so you make the best use of your time. If you want to talk with our Confluence team, please contact us!