April is a month for brands to pay more attention to the environmental and health issues that are plaguing the world. Besides the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, there are other pertinent global issues such as the importance of nursing and midwifery workforce in the healthcare sector. Recognising this pillar is World Health Day 2020, which aims to trigger a wave of public appreciation for nurses and midwives and their invaluable contributions. Another socially conscious occasion is Earth Day, which catalyses support for climate change. Here is a list of major events and festivals to help communicators plan their PR campaigns and activities in April 2020.

Key Dates:

7 April – World Health Day

12 April – Easter

13 April – Songkran Festival (Thailand)

22 April – Earth Day

25 April – ANZAC Day (Australia)

29 April – Showa Day (Japan)

April 2020 Highlights

1. World Health Day (7 April)

Over the past 50 years, World Health Day has brought to light important health issues highlighted by the World Health Organization, such as mental health and childcare. With 2020 being the International Year of the Nurse and the Midwife, this year’s event highlights the vital role played by nurses and midwives in providing healthcare around the world.

With the recent emphasis on staying healthy, Taiwan-based digital design company Fourdesire launched an upgraded version of Plant Nanny² . The nifty water consumption reminding app allows users to keep track of how much water they consume daily. To mark the app’s first anniversary, Fourdesire launched a limited-time campaign to promote environmental sustainability. From 19 March to 15 April, a tree will be planted for every birthday wish or posted shared on the Plant Nanny^2′ Instagram account.

American gym company Snap Fitness is partnering with global fitness platform FitnessOnDemand to provide free access to virtual workout platform for people who want to stay healthy but prefer staying at home. These workouts are designed to optimize space with little to no equipment required, which is a timely move amid growing Coronavirus concerns.

2. Easter (12 April)

Christians celebrate this holy festival, which commemorates the resurrection of Jesus Christ and symbolizes rebirth and hope. Synonymous with Easter is the Easter Egg and Easter Bunny. It is a tradition that those who hunt more Easter Eggs will receive more blessings throughout the year.

The White House Historical Association will organize its annual White House Easter Egg Roll on 13 April, when limited-edition eggs will be given to children who attend the event. The Official 2020 White House Easter Eggs, which are available for sale, will feature an illustration of the White House portico on the front and come in four Spring colours.

With the Easter Holidays approaching, nature lovers can view the beauty of Japan’s cherry blossoms season, which is expected to peak around 8 April. Visitors can also enjoy the blooming scenery in secluded spots in Nara and Mie Prefectures and Ise Shima with Kintetsu Railway Co., Ltd, which offers special train journeys with a slice of Japanese culture.

3. Earth Day (22 April)

Earth Day is a unified response to an environment in crisis, with the growing occurrence of oil spills, forest fires and smogs around the world. Reinforcing the importance of environmental protection is one of the world’s largest environmental movement that drives transformative change for people and the planet. This year’s theme is climate action, which is a pressing topic that will be addressed in the 50^th Anniversary of Earth Day celebrations.

The Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought about some changes for Earth Day events this year. Earth Day Network, the organizer of Earth Day, will shift to a global digital mobilization. The updated digital-first strategy includes a global conversation that will be unified and tracked by the shared hashtags #EarthDay2020 and #EARTHRISE. Earth Day Network will also provide live coverage of the digital mobilizations from its social media accounts (@earthdaynetwork).

Also going the virtual route is Earthx2020, one of the world’s largest environmental events, which will host conferences and film festival online. Highlights include the EarthxGlobal Gala and the world premiere of The Way of the Rain – Hope For Earth, directed by Sibylle Szaggards Redford, with a special narration by Hollywood icon Robert Redford.

Besides conferences and campaigns, music can also help raise awareness on climate change. Oscar-winning composer A.R. Rahman teamed up with various musicians and artistes to record “Hands Around the World”, an anthem for Hands Around The World, a year-long campaign that inspires more than one billion people to hold hands in a virtual selfie chain around the world.

RELATED: Click here to view more PR Calendar Cheat Sheets 

Plan your upcoming campaigns and news releases around festivals, exhibitions and conferences in Asia-Pacific in 2020. Click here to view the PR Newswire’s Public Relations Calendar.

About the Writer:

Nicole Lee is an Associate Editor at PR Newswire. She graduated from City University of Hong Kong, majoring in Media and Communications.