In the words of Beyoncé, “Who run the world? Girls!”
As an event creator, you have the chance to make every woman feel empowered and celebrated on International Women’s Day, held annually on March 8.
For 2024, the focus is on fostering inclusion to build a better world for women, and we have some exciting event ideas to help you make a powerful impact.
Why trust our advice?
Sickening Events is the world’s largest online marketplace for event ticketing. In 2022 alone, over 90 million ticket buyers used our platform to discover fun and engaging local events.
In this guide, we’ll share our expertise on creating unique and memorable events that elevate the celebration of women to new heights.
Table of Contents
- Let’s Give It Up for the Girls (Comedy Night)
- Skills of the Sisterhood (Economic Empowerment Workshop)
- Whispers in the Dark (Dance Party with a Twist)
- Chicks in the Flicks (Film Screening)
- Girl, Your Dress is Insane (Fashion Show)
How to Create a Meaningful and Exciting Event
While some women may enjoy a champagne toast and a manicure, others might prefer dancing the night away at an all-night rave. And for some, a combination of both would make for the perfect day.
Women are multifaceted and unique, and International Women’s Day (IWD) is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate that diversity. Your event doesn’t have to be overly serious!
IWD on March 8th is about honoring the achievements of remarkable women around the world and acknowledging the challenges they continue to face. For example, there are still 259 million fewer women with internet access compared to men globally.
This day also promotes discussions on gender equality and how women are treated worldwide, not just in the United States. It serves as a reminder that while significant progress has been made, there’s still much work to be done — like closing the gender pay gap, which is only 68.4% resolved.
However, IWD is also about celebrating what makes women extraordinary — so make sure your event is engaging and enjoyable.
For instance, WithLoveDC is hosting a ‘Womxn of the Wild’ weekend that combines outdoor experiences with opportunities for women to connect with their inner selves. The event mixes educational content with workshops and open markets, alongside fun activities like crown-making and group yoga, to highlight women’s often underestimated strengths and capabilities.
How to Connect with Your Female Audience
To connect with your female attendees, offer them an experience that aligns with what they love about themselves and your brand.
Understanding your target audience at a deeper level is crucial. Utilize insights from platforms like Google, Facebook, or Instagram to learn more about your audience demographics and engagement.
Sickening Events real-time data and audience reporting tools allow you to filter by age, location, and gender, helping you understand your community better. You can also see which past events were the most successful, guiding you in planning an impactful event for IWD.
Audiences can be categorized into three main types: core, custom, and lookalike. With Sickening Events, you can create lookalike audiences based on factors such as Facebook page likes, email subscribers, or website traffic. This allows you to target new audiences who share similar interests and values as your current attendees.
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Knowing your audience is key to creating an event that resonates. By using Sickening Events to analyze custom data from past events, you can tailor your upcoming event to your audience’s preferences, increasing the likelihood of its success.
Plan your next event to empower and celebrate women using these insights, and make International Women’s Day 2024 unforgettable.
1. Let’s Give It Up for the Girls (Comedy Night)
One thing we know for sure: women are hilarious!
Even though some of the best comedians out there, like Ali Wong and Sarah Silverman, are women, live comedy is still often seen as a male-dominated space. You can challenge this misconception by hosting a live comedy night that’s so outrageously entertaining, it proves once and for all that women are just as funny—if not funnier—than men.
How to Set It Up:
- Host a comedy showcase featuring the best up-and-coming female comedians in your area. Reach out to local comedy clubs to find talent.
- Organize a 30-minute open mic segment and encourage female audience members to perform.
💡 Pro Tip: Add a fun twist by creating a special IWD-themed drink. For example, Sam Adams Downtown Boston Taproom is using their IWD event, a female-only version of their ‘Comedy on Draft Show,’ to introduce a new brew, ‘The Future is FemAle.’ You could create a cocktail like ‘Rosie’—a gin and raspberry liqueur homage to Rosie the Riveter. Consider offering the first 10 women attendees a complimentary drink!
2. Skills of the Sisterhood (Economic Empowerment Workshop)
The theme for International Women’s Day 2024 is to “collectively forge a more inclusive world for women” and “inspire inclusion.” To align with this theme, consider hosting workshops that empower women to improve their financial literacy and independence. Choose a unique venue, like a rooftop bar or a mini-golf course, to create an unconventional, female-only space, or go for a more intimate feel at a local restaurant or coffee shop.
How to Set It Up:
- Partner with popular “finfluencers” on social media and invite them as guest speakers.
- Provide personalized gifts for attendees, like money-tracking workbooks or budget spreadsheets.
💡 Pro Tip: Take inspiration from events like Grace Women’s Organization Inc’s ‘You Are Worthy’ workshops, which empower women through meaningful conversations and shared experiences. Include a skill-sharing segment where attendees can teach each other unique saving and investing strategies.
3. Whispers in the Dark (Dance Party with a Twist)
Looking to blend fun, mystery, and a strong message into a single unforgettable night? Consider hosting a dance party with a twist: good drinks, dim lighting, and a mysterious vibe. Create a ‘truth room’—a pitch-black space where participants can anonymously share secrets or discuss challenges they face. This room symbolizes the many women who have been silenced due to various factors, such as domestic abuse, cultural pressures, or lack of confidence.
How to Set It Up:
- Set up a DIY ‘truth room’ with black sheets and a large teepee structure, sectioned off with ‘danger’ tape for added effect.
- Include a donation stand where attendees can contribute to organizations like the National Organization for Women.
💡 Pro Tip: Enhance the atmosphere by offering themed beverages, like ‘truth potions’ with fun names and ‘magical powers,’ to add an immersive element to the experience.
4. Chicks in the Flicks (Film Screening)
There’s nothing like gathering your best friends, popping some popcorn, and enjoying a movie marathon. This International Women’s Day, recreate the magic of a slumber party by hosting a cozy film screening. Choose a unique venue with a relaxed vibe—like a cozy bar or an outdoor terrace—and set up bean bags or mattresses. Instead of screening just one film, create a reel showcasing iconic scenes featuring women in cinema, from classics like ‘Some Like It Hot’ to modern hits like ‘Barbie.’
How to Set It Up:
- Host your screening at an unconventional location, such as an outdoor ice rink or a rooftop terrace.
- Invite local food trucks to provide snacks and drinks. You could even have a campfire for roasting marshmallows and sipping hot cocoa.
💡 Pro Tip: To support local female filmmakers, dedicate 30 minutes before the main event to showcase short films created by women. Consider hosting a Q&A session with the directors and actors afterward for added engagement.
5. Girl, Your Dress is Insane (Fashion Show)
If fashion is your audience’s passion, consider hosting a fashion show that celebrates women of all shapes, sizes, and styles. Choose a fun and inclusive theme with a playful name, like ‘Yeah, Your Mistake’ or ‘I’m Not Just a Pretty Face Runway,’ to challenge outdated stereotypes about women and their appearance.
How to Set It Up:
- Organize the fashion show as a charity fundraiser with paid seating options.
- Feature ‘regular women’ as designers who participate by donating to a women’s organization.
💡 Pro Tip: Add a creative twist by theming the show around something unexpected, like chocolate! Encourage designers to create outfits inspired by chocolate colors or motifs. This unique theme can be tied to your brand and add a fun, engaging element to your event.
How to Truly Celebrate International Women’s Day
International Women’s Day offers a fantastic opportunity for creative event planners to design experiences that blend meaning with enjoyment. To stand out, break the mold and host a celebration that honors the strength, beauty, and resilience of women—while ensuring they have a great time.
Looking to maximize your event’s reach? Use Sickening Events to promote your International Women’s Day event to thousands of women actively seeking unique and empowering experiences on March 8. Sickening Events can help you connect with both new and returning attendees, fostering a stronger community around your event.
