Chinese New Year takes over the streets of London. Image courtesy of visitlondonimages / britainonview
Keeping an events calendar helps any event planner or business traveler avoid scheduling conflicts with other obligations. Use our calendar as a source of inspiration for your travels and programs to events such as the Super Bowl, London 2012 Olympics or La Merce in Barcelona, among others. If you can’t travel directly to these or other major events, you could consider creating related themed events and hospitality for your own programs.
This year we have added some of the major trade shows in the meetings industry that event planners may want to consider attending. Everyone should keep the following event calendar for 2012 holidays and international events in mind when planning business travel and events:
January 2012 Holidays and Events
- January 1 (Sunday), New Year’s Day
- January 5 (Thursday), Walt Disney World Marathon (Orlando, FL, USA; through January 8th)
- January 16 (Monday), Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
- January 23 (Monday), Chinese New Year
- January 26 (Thursday), Berlin Six Day Race (bicycle competitions, through January 31)
- January 27 (Friday), Holocaust Memorial Day (UK)
February 2012 Holidays and Events
- Black History Month (USA)
- February 5 (Sunday), Constitution Day (Mexico)
- February 5 (Sunday), Super Bowl XLVI (Indianapolis, IN, USA)
- February 9 (Thursday), Berlin International Film Festival (through February 19)
- February 12 (Sunday), Lincoln’s Birthday (USA)
- February 12 (Sunday), British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) Awards (UK)
- February 14 (Tuesday), Valentine’s Day
- February 20 (Monday), Presidents Day (Washington’s Birthday observed, USA)
- February 21 (Tuesday), Mardi Gras (New Orleans, LA, USA)
- February 22 (Wednesday), Ash Wednesday
- February 26 (Sunday), Daytona 500
- February 26 (Sunday), Academy Awards
March 2012 Holidays and Events
- March 1 (Thursday), San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Race (through March 10)
- March 2 (Wednesday), Copa Mexico – Mexorc (Nayarit Riveria, on Bandera’s May, by the coast of Muevo Vallarta; through March 19th)
- March 6 (Tuesday), International Confex (London; through March 8th)
- March 11 (Sunday), Daylight Savings Time starts at 2 a.m. (USA)
- March 15 (Thursday), Las Fallas (Valencia, Spain; ends March 19)
- March 15 (Thursday), Dubai International Arabian Horse Championship (Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre, through March 17)
- March 17 (Saturday), St. Patrick’s Day
- March 18 (Sunday), Mothering Day (UK)
- March 21 (Wednesday), Benito Juarez’s Birthday (Mexico)
- March 25 (Sunday), Barcelona Marathon
- March 30 (Friday), Semana Santa (Holy Week, local special events held in Spain, through April 8th)
- March 31, April 2 (Saturday, Monday), Final Four (New Orleans, LA, USA; Louisiana Superdome)
April 2012 Holidays and Events
- April 1 (Sunday), April Fool’s Day
- April 5 (Thursday), Holy Thursday
- April 6 (Friday), Good Friday
- April 7 (Saturday), Passover (begins at sundown the previous day, through April 13)
- April 8 (Sunday), Easter
- April 9 (Monday), Easter Monday (UK, Canada)
- April 19 (Thursday), Holocaust Remembrance Day (begins at Sunday the previous day)
- April 25 (Wednesday), Administrative Professionals Day
- April 29 (Sunday), Golden Week (Japan; through May 5)
May 2012 Holidays and Events
- May 1 (Tuesday), May Day Holiday, Bank Holiday Observed May 2 (UK)
- May 1 (Tuesday), Labor Day (Mexico)
- May 5 (Saturday), Cinco de Mayo
- May 5 (Saturday), Kentucky Derby (Louisville, KY, USA)
- May 13 (Sunday), Mother’s Day
- May 14 (Monday), G-20 Tourism Summit (Merida, Mexico; through May 16)
- May 16 (Wednesday), Summit of Americas Regional World Travel and Tourism Council – WTTC (Cancun, Mexico)
- May 16 (Wednesday), Cannes Film Festival (through May 27)
- May 21 (Monday), Victoria Day (Canada, Scotland)
- May 22 (Tuesday), IMEX (Frankfurt, Germany; through May 24)
- May 27 (Sunday), Indianapolis 500
- May 28 (Monday), Memorial Day (USA)
June 2012 Holidays and Events
- June 2 (Saturday), The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (London; through June 5)
- June 17 (Sunday), Father’s Day
- June 18 (Monday), Site EMEA Forum 2012 (Berlin, Germany; through June 20)
- June 18 (Monday), 2012 Los Cabos G-20 Summit (through June 19)
- June 25 (Monday), Wimbledon 2012 (through July 8th)
July 2012 Holidays and Events
- July 1 (Sunday), Canada Day (Canada)
- July 4 (Wednesday), Independence Day (USA)
- July 6 (Friday), Running of the Bulls in Pamplona (Spain; through July 14)
- July 10 (Tuesday), 2012 MLB All Star Game (Kauffman Stadium, home of the Kansas City Royals)
- July 14 (Saturday), Bastille Day (France)
- July 15 (Sunday), British Open 2012 (Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club, Lancashire, England; through July 22)
- July 16 (Monday), Marine Day (Japan)
- July 21 (Saturday), Ramadan (begins at sunset the previous day, through August 20)
- July 27 (Friday), London 2012 Olympic Games (through August 12)
August 2012 Holidays and Events
- August 27 (Monday), Summer Bank Holiday (UK, Ireland)
- August 29 (Wednesday), London 2012 Paralympic Games (through September 9)
September 2012 Holidays and Events
- September 2 (Sunday), Father’s Day (Australia, New Zealand)
- September 3 (Monday), Labor Day (USA)
- September 3 (Monday), Labour Day (Canada)
- Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15-October 15 (USA)
- September 16 (Sunday), Independence Day (Mexico)
- September 17 (Monday), Respect for the Aged Day (Japan)
- September 17 (Monday), Rosh Hashanah (begins at sundown the previous day)
- September 17 (Monday), Oktoberfest (Munich, Germany; through October 3)
- September 22 (Saturday), La Mercé (Barcelona, Spain)
- September 26 (Wednesday), Yom Kippur (begins at sundown the previous day)
October 2012 Holidays and Events
- October 3 (Wednesday), German Unity Day
- October 8 (Monday), Columbus Day (USA)
- October 8 (Monday), Thanksgiving (Canada)
- October 9 (Tuesday), IMEX America (Las Vegas, NV, USA; through October 11)
- October 31 (Wednesday), Halloween
November 2012 Holidays and Events
- November 1 (Thursday), Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)
- November 4 (Sunday), Daylight Savings Time ends at 2 a.m.
- November 6 (Tuesday), Election Day (USA)
- November 11 (Sunday), Remembrance Day (UK, Canada; observed November 12)
- November 12 (Monday), Veterans Day (USA)
- November 20 (Tuesday), Revolution Day (Mexico)
- November 22 (Thursday), Thanksgiving (USA)
- November 27 (Tuesday), EIBTM (Barcelona, Spain)
December 2012 Holidays and Events
- December 9 (Sunday), Hanukkah (begins at sundown the previous day through December 16)
- December 24 (Monday), The Emperor’s Birthday (Japan)
- December 25 (Tuesday), Christmas
- December 26 (Wednesday), Kwanzaa
- December 26 (Wednesday), Boxing Day (UK, Canada, Ireland)
- January 1, 2013 (Tuesday), New Year’s Day
Have a suggestion for our calendar? Write to us!
