good venue management blog article

 

5 Ways to Go From Good Venue Management to Great Venue Management

Posted on 6 December 2022

Venue Management

       

Good venue management comes with a side of chaos, challenges, and unexpected occurrences. As a venue manager, you need to be prepared, flexible, and highly adaptable to last-minute changes while maintaining a calm and consistent front. As the first point of contact for queries and questions, you must know everything there is to know about the venue. In other words, you need to be a self-titled expert.

 

Valued at $77.98 billion in 2019, and expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 23.2% from 2020 to 2027, the venue and event management industry is ripe with growth and opportunity. Upskilling and incorporating good venue management practices into your day-to-day operations will place you ahead of the competition while adding extra value to your venue. 

 

Below, we will explore what defines good venue management, and advice you can draw upon to continually improve experiences for partners, guests, and event attendees. 


Being proactive

 

Successfully running any venue means having to juggle a combination of planned and unplanned activities. While good venue management requires you to be reactive to last-minute changes or unexpected occurrences, investing in proactive practice will enable you to get (and stay) ahead.
 

Be proactive in your approach to venue management by:

 

  • Offering event managers the option to see live availability for your venue, including different areas and capacity numbers
  • Reviewing your current venue packages to determine popularity, price, and whether inclusions need updating or amending
  • Re-connecting with previous partners or event managers to inform them of new packages, and services, or ask for feedback on their past experience with your venue 
  • Updating your skills in leadership to continue career development
  • Reviewing your current venue management process and implementing changes to remove unnecessary steps or further streamline how tasks are approached and actioned

Keep communication flowing

 

Being the focal hub for all event information, venue managers need to be adept at all types of communication. Event managers want to deal with a venue representative who will be able to respond and act effectively and efficiently. Engage in clear communication by responding to emails and enquiries within a specified timeframe. According to research by SuperOffice, the average company takes 12 hours and 10 minutes to respond to emails. In the world of venue and event management, is this fast enough? Set a standard for your venue enquiry response times on all platforms (emails/social/online/third party). 

 

Internally, keep communication clear and concise with regular team meetings, progress reports shared with event managers, and distributing a contact sheet with a clear chain of command if you are away or unreachable. 

 

Simplify internal processes

 

Despite things not always going to plan, good venue management always has the backbone of a solid end-to-end planning process. From event enquiries to budgeting, event orders, and catering, each step of the larger management process needs to be completed in an efficient and timely manner. Furthermore, each step is also crucial in determining the client’s satisfaction with your hosted event and determining the value of the relationship with your venue. 

 

To simplify all internal processes, consider an all-in-one venue management system. By having one platform to manage all aspects of your venue, you can significantly reduce time and administrative costs, while having one central hub for all departments to communicate and be kept updated. Take, for example, banquet event orders (or BEOs). Venue management systems like iVvy will make updates in real time, enabling all departments to see and make required adjustments without double-handling tasks or miscommunication. 

 

Make your site visits unique

 

Site visits enable you to showcase the best areas and facilities within your venue, and draw more event organisers to consider hosting their next event with you. As a venue manager, this is your perfect opportunity to draw in new business and make new connections for long-term event partnerships.

 

To make site visits more memorable, consider elements of personalisation; find out when guests will be arriving and their preferences on food and beverages, and create a memorable ambience with tailored welcome packs. Showcase your AV facilities with a presentation demonstration, and introduce members of staff throughout the entire site visit schedule. 

 

Keep your tech up-to-date


Event managers are much more likely to opt for a venue who’s technology and AV capabilities are progressive and reliable. Ensure your venue’s technology is maintained to a high standard. This includes WiFi connections and phone reception, which inevitably impact on livestreams and virtual elements of hybrid events. 

 

Additionally, consider staying ahead of the game by having your venue ready and capable to support the latest trends in event technology. This could include gamification, second screens, headphones, or virtual reality headsets. 


Pair good management with a sustainable venue

 

Find out how to make a venue more sustainable, and complement your management skills with a venue that cares about people and the planet.
Click here.

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