As a venue operator, you naturally work hard to make sure your facilities are up to scratch, and that they appeal to as many event bookers as possible.
But how easy do you make it for organisers to find and evaluate your offering – and how convenient is it for them to actually make the booking?
With the pandemic hopefully receding and enquiries rising fast, there’s huge competition in the market. Hybrid events are proving popular but causing some uncertainty among event planners unused to organising them – and of course, attendees are still nervous.
The least you can do is make an event planner’s life a little bit easier with the help of some technology.
Why event booking software is an organiser’s dream
An event planner’s life is always hectic and pressurised; the need to perform perfectly is constant, and you’re only as good as your last event.
Any venue owner who makes this busy and stressed person a little happier is onto a good thing. And the way you do that is by soothing away their stress with a combination of digital capability and great customer service.
It makes sense for your business, too.
Did you know: A typical venue spends 50 minutes processing every incoming enquiry.
That’s a lot of time. Most venues don’t have huge sales and marketing teams, so the admin is seriously taking them away from the important business of engaging with clients. Probably making them bored in their jobs, too, which is no way to retain talent…
Event booking software automates all the nuts and bolts of this process, leaving your sales people free to manage the more complex events that make the most difference to your income generation.
Event booking software also enables your clients to make online bookings, which works brilliantly for small and last-minute bookings.
This facility is even more useful now than it was pre-pandemic, because many organizations are downsizing their real estate and need places to bring their agile workforce together, often at short notice.
Online booking helps with upselling packages and add-ons, and super-busy event bookers really appreciate the convenience of simply logging on and finding the space they need.
What event booking software should you choose?
A tried and tested one from a reputable supplier who will act in a consultative capacity, of course, and who will take time to understand exactly what your venue needs.
The event booking software and venue management system you choose should do 8 things that put you ahead of the competition:
- Offer live booking capability with drop down menus of packages
- Automate enquiry handling and provide reminders so no opportunity is missed
- Integrate with Outlook and Word
- Provide easy-to-view reporting dashboards
- Give all your team access to a real-time view of progress with each event
- Provide customer insight by integrating with a CRM such as Dynamics
- Create eyecatching email marketing campaigns and social media posts
- Integrate with billing to ensure complete accuracy.
So where does the ROI come from?
A venue management system is all about operational efficiency and making the most of your precious time. The right technological support means your sales and marketing teams act on every lead, and events are properly managed from enquiry to final billing. Automation takes away a lot of the drudgery and ensures human error is reduced, which keeps event organisers happy and staff fulfilled in their work.
Reaching out from your venue to existing and potential customers also becomes easier, thanks to the CRM integration and marketing capabilities. And the online booking means you are open for booking 24/7, even when your reception is closed.
The overall results of installing a good venue management system? More time spent on the things that matter – and a venue team that is able to respond better to clients. Who could argue with that?
