If December is the month of excess and merriment, January is the opposite – that time of year when you, or at least several of your friends, will be hibernating till payday hits – and / or on a detox; both of which have a knock-on effect for promoters and venues.

So how do some of the industry’s leading promoters keep things rolling at this testing time of year? We asked them for their one tip for tempting punters through the door in January – this is what they told us:

1. Reward your regulars

“In all of our our pubs we have a party for all our loyalty card holders at the start of January. They get some free drinks and food, as well as a discount on standard drinks prices.  You only get this if you have your loyalty card though, so it rewards our best customers.  It also means we get a busy pub during one of our quieter times!”

Rob Star, Owner – Electric Star Pubs; Promoter – various

2. Party!

“It’s a new year & the next two months are party time! If you’ve got an event it’s going to sell better and make more on the bar than any other time of year except for those beautiful days before Christmas. If you don’t have an event… Well – you might as well be running a restaurant and if you’re running a restaurant it’s a great time to go on holiday – how about Barbados?”

Matty Hall, Head Booker – The Lexington; Promoter – White Heat

3. Get people inspired

“Although it’s true that everyone is counting their pennies in January, people are also in the mood to try something new. January is a great month for being re-inspired and doing something completely different so creative events and workshops always go down well – as long as the prices are reasonable.

“As an example at The Book Club we have ‘Sara Pascoe’s Literary Salon’ with comedian Sara Pascoe, programmed for Sunday January 3rd. This intimate event fuses comedy with creative storytelling and has a big audience participation element, plus advance tickets are only £5, so it’s pretty much the perfect event to lure people out of their houses after Christmas.”

Jenna Mason, Arts & Culture Programmer – Mothership Group

4. Give something back

“At Ministry of Sound, we’re throwing a free party on New Year’s Day. We know people are strapped for cash after Christmas, so it’s a nice way of saying thank you to all our fans.”

Nikki Gordon, Head of Talent and Marketing – Ministry of Sound

5. Create a lineup punters can’t resist

“January can be a difficult time for live music with many people feeling the pinch from the festive period, or simply being too partied out to attend shows. Here at Village Underground, we place a firm emphasis on the variety of programming we offer as we enter the new year. Ranging from hotly tipped, experimental artists (SOPHIE, Jan 21st) to indie stalwarts such as Toy and Bloc Party (Jan 25h & 26th respectively) and Superstition, our hugely popular series of in-house club events, which will see the mighty Sweatlodge agency join us on Jan 29th.”

Jim English, Marketing Manager – Village Underground

6. Keep it simple, humble and free

“January is notoriously tricky, but if you can curate something special then you’re in a safer zone. Create something humble and nostalgic. For example, at Big Chill House we have a Data Transmission takeover – supporting a brand which has been going a long while, hosting its resident DJs each Saturday, which are free entry parties. On the final Saturday it’ll be DT’s 8th birthday – and by this time people are ready to shake off the winter blues. So keep it simple, and humble, and lead to something fun towards the end of the month to give people something warming to look forward to.”

Sophie James, Events and Media Producer – Apricot Wolf

7. Make shows cosy and relaxed

“The beginning of the new year is a perfect time for cosy gigs where people can discover new, interesting artists.

“After many events and nights out during the Christmas season, I think that the public need something simple and inexpensive: short shows (1 hour max) in small venues where they can also meet with friends and chat having a pint.

“Since my job is communication around live shows I think that it is important to communicate these characteristics: small crowd, a nice and relaxed atmosphere and of course great new music. The time for big arenas or stadium shows will come later in the year!”

Elisa Marchina, PR and Marketing Manager, Artist Management – Live Nation