Are you finding it difficult to keep your venue fully booked?

Keeping your function diary full year-round can seem overwhelming. Thankfully, to increase venue sales, there are a number of steps you can take - so, start by asking yourself the following four questions.

(If you’re interested in skipping ahead to the practical advice, iVvy has the answers - and more - in a recently released free eBook ‘How to Increase Your Sales: New Revenue Opportunities for Venues & Events.)

1. Is your enquiry process optimised?

The success of a venue depends largely on the number of bookings it receives (in tandem with the quality of events they produce). However, to do this successfully, you need to go back a few steps. To turn enquiries into bookings, optimising the enquiry process is crucial. Customer satisfaction is directly linked to the promptness and ease of the enquiry process. The quicker you can provide helpful information, the more likely you are to convert your leads.

You can speed up response times and improve the success of your post-enquiry communication in a variety of ways, including:

• Implementing a chatbot on your website or social media channels to automate the answers to the most common venue enquiry responses and tasks
• Send an automated email once an enquiry has been received, informing the contact that you will be in touch within a set time period
• Optimising enquiry forms by adding fields for event type, date, attendance numbers, and additional requirements. This allows you to provide relevant and timely information upon first contact.
• Keeping notes within your CRM of any communication history with your contact. This includes attempted connections, topics of enquiry, and any concerns they may have preventing them from securing your venue.
• Include a phone number in your contact information - people looking for ASAP information will usually prefer a quick phone call over waiting for a response

Keep in mind that while a potential customer has entered your database, they have more than likely also entered into the database of a handful of competitors. Don’t linger on connecting with your leads.

2. Do you need to take advantage of any easy promotional opportunities?

Within your CRM, you hold a wealth of data on your contacts - this is a valuable source of information you can use to connect or re-target with personalised campaigns that appeal to specific demographics, industries, and interests. Take the time to build out a structured content plan for your venue, where you can include workflows to send regular communication to database contacts and create a plan to re-engage contacts who may not be receiving marketing material.

Invest time in researching any online directories where you can list your venue, and where your target audience will see it. Additionally, ensure you are leveraging your connection with partners to engage in cross-promotional activities, including shared content, special offers, and social sharing.

Finally, make sure your venue is visible on as many relevant platforms as possible. The more exposure you have, the larger your audience will be. Take advantage of social platforms to visually showcase your available spaces, list commonly asked questions, and create engaging content that gets people talking.

3. How can you maximise quieter periods?

Regardless of what kind of venue space you have, there are going to be quieter periods - as much as you can prepare for them, they are also a great opportunity to do some testing into new markets and special offers.

Use reporting data found in your venue management software to analyse and identify peak and quiet periods for your venue spaces, and consider:

• Offering package deals or limited-time deals
• Creating campaigns to different audiences - if your venue spaces are usually booked with social or celebratory events, experiment with more corporate package offerings and test a new audience
• Researching any local or annual events taking place within your quiet periods, and reaching out to offer relevant venue packages
  
  

4. Do you have past feedback available?

Over 90% of consumers trust peer recommendations over branded content or advertising, so make use of your customer feedback! Venues can leverage word-of-mouth testimonials to increase bookings by tapping into the powerful influence of client recommendations.

By showcasing testimonials from satisfied planners or event managers on your website, social channels, or in your paid advertising, venues can build trust and establish social proof with potential customers. In fact, research shows that businesses with reviews and testimonials on their website see a 270% increase in conversion rates.

Get Expert Advice from Venue & Event Professionals

Increasing venue sales requires a comprehensive approach that optimises enquiry processes, takes advantage of promotional opportunities, and maximises quieter periods.

iVvy's recently released free eBook 'How to Increase Your Sales: New Revenue Opportunities for Venues & Events' is a must-read. The eBook covers a range of topics including innovative ways to generate new revenue streams and strategies for retaining loyal customers.

With useful tips and insights, this eBook is a valuable resource for anyone in the events and venue industry looking to boost their sales. Plus, it's completely free!

Download iVvy’s free e-book here

About iVvy

iVvy is a leading global SaaS cloud-based technology solution designed to streamline booking and event management operations for venues worldwide. Our comprehensive platform offers a range of powerful features, including instant booking functionality and centralised function diary, to enhance the efficiency and productivity of venue operators.

With an integrated revenue management and distribution platform, iVvy equips hotels, restaurants, stadiums, and universities with the necessary tools to seamlessly manage inquiries, bookings, and event logistics. Including advanced reporting and analytics features, iVvy offers venues greater visibility into their business performance. This invaluable data empowers decision-makers to make informed choices, optimise revenue, and maximise the utilisation of group rooms, meeting spaces, and event facilities.

iVvy's scalable solutions cater to the unique needs of the travel, MICE, and events industries. Our global team, available 24/7, provides dedicated support to clients in five countries, ensuring seamless operations and prompt assistance whenever required.

We are proud to serve some of the world's most renowned hospitality groups, major corporations, travel companies, governments, associations, stadiums, universities, and nonprofit organisations.

To learn more about iVvy and our comprehensive product suite, visit ivvy.com

Brittany George
Content Marketing Manager
iVvy