Once upon a time it was possible to run a venue using a combination of spreadsheets, Word documents and Outlook or, worse, a paper diary.
This was never an efficient way to do things and while venue booking systems have helped streamline the processes of running a busy venue now is the time to be looking towards the future – the very near future – where events and the buyer journey are increasingly digital and where buyers want it now.
Revenue is the key
While a venue booking system offers a great means of organising events in your venue, it can do so much more.
New business is the lifeblood of any venue. With a modern venue booking system you can convert those new enquiries into new bookings and then into raving fans.
With so much going on in the business it can be easy to neglect those new prospects as other urgent tasks take precedence. A great solution will ensure that you never forget to follow up as it will embody a robust task management solution which will remind you every time you log on of what needs to be accomplished that day. With this constant reminder you are less likely to miss sales follow up activities and neglect potentially lucrative business.
Integrating the venue booking system and CRM
For larger venues with a high volume of sales and marketing activity it may be necessary to enlist the services of a CRM solution such as Dynamics to handle marketing campaign, sales and account management. Ideally such a solution should be integrated with the venue booking solution so that, for example, sales staff can easily access event availability and the marketing team can use historical data to drive future customer retention campaigns.
Of course, with the rise of digital technology and a new generation who prefer to transact online it is also important to offer an online booking capability which also tightly integrates into the venue booking system.
In addition, with the rise of third-party sites such as Venue Directory it is also key that the venue booking system is fully integrated with them as well so that venues don’t miss out on an important promotional and revenue stream.
Whether you are handling sales in person or online you need a system that is pushing your prospects towards the sale.
The digital experience
Increasingly, many venues are undertaking a process of digital transformation.
The venue booking system can be a pivotal part of this digital journey. Integration with new venue technology such as digital signage is key – helping drive new efficiencies for you and a great wayfinding and branding experience for your attendees.
Rendezvous also integrates with visitor management solutions so that you can easily pre-screen attendees for Covid 19 – still, unfortunately, vital at these times.
Increasingly, more events are becoming hybrid with many, if not the majority, of attendees attending virtually. A great venue booking system enables you to create hybrid packages encompassing all the set-up, complexity and project management which these type of events bring and helps you to capitalise on this exciting new revenue stream.
When your clients are finally about to sign – wouldn’t it be great if that was a digital experience too? A modern venue booking system will integrate with a solution, such as Signable, so that getting a signed contract and deposit becomes a much faster and efficient process. Great for cash flow too!
Streamlining association venues
Association venues are faced with two challenges. As well as needing to offer a great booking experience for their external attendees they also need to offer internal booking facilities to their members.
A robust venue booking solution will offer an easy to use experience for them to book internal meeting rooms and, increasingly, to book agile working spaces such as hot desk ideally using a mobile booking app so they can organise their working day with the minimum of fuss. For extra convenience Outlook integration is a must.
Conclusion
Successful venue management encompasses increased revenue and delivering great customer experiences. In order to make this a reality requires technology which goes above and beyond a mere venue booking system.
What’s needed going forward into 2021 is a venue management ecosystem which includes a CRM, integration with digital signage, online bookings, a visitor management solution and mobile internal bookings.
Check out our new brochure for more details on this holistic approach.
