Venue Sales Software Features to Boost Event Bookings

Tool #1: Subscriptions

With more venues popping up, it's important to find ways to stand out in a busy market. A great way to do this is by creating subscription groups—a handy marketing feature of your venue sales software that can boost engagement and conversions.

What are Subscription Groups and How are They Used?

Using subscription types found in your venue management software, you can put individuals into groups to then run marketing campaigns targeted at those groups. This can include segmenting into demographic information such as age, gender, or location, as well as more nuanced factors such as interests, past purchases, or engagement level. By categorising leads into different audience segments, venues can create targeted marketing messages and special offers more likely to resonate with each group.

The primary benefit of using subscription groups is the ability to tailor marketing and sales efforts to specific groups of potential customers. By understanding the unique needs and preferences of each group, venues can create more effective marketing campaigns that are more likely to generate qualified leads. This, in turn, can lead to more bookings and greater revenue for the venue.

For example, let's say your venue has identified a group of leads interested in hosting corporate events. By using subscription groups to reach out to these contacts and send a message highlighting the venue's amenities for business meetings or offering discounted rates for corporate bookings, you can increase the likelihood of converting those leads into paying customers.

Using subscription groups in your marketing strategy can also help to identify which audience segments are the most profitable. By analysing which groups generate the most revenue, venues can allocate resources and marketing material more effectively, resulting in a higher return on investment (ROI) over time

Tool #2: Automation

For venues that rely on hosting events for revenue, increasing the number of events they host is crucial for success. However, managing a high volume of events can be a complex and time-consuming task, often requiring significant resources to keep track of bookings, availability, and customer communications. This is where automation as a marketing tool can help. 

Automation can streamline the booking process by automating the creation and management of bookings, reducing the need for manual input and reducing the likelihood of errors. By showcasing real-time availability and offering the option to book venue space instantly using venue sales software like iVvy, automation makes it a breeze for planners to check and secure a booking.

Automation can also help to optimise venue availability and capacity by using data analysis and predictive algorithms to identify patterns in booking behaviour and suggest changes to pricing, availability, or capacity to maximise revenue and customer satisfaction. Some venue management systems like iVvy also give users the ability to automate pricing changes during peak periods. 

Furthermore, automation can also enhance the customer experience by providing real-time booking confirmations and reminders, as well as the ability to reach out and offer personalised recommendations based on past booking behaviour.

Tool #3: Email & SMS

As one of the most common marketing options, email campaigns can be an incredibly effective tool for improving venue bookings. By segmenting your email list and crafting targeted messages in your venue sales software, you can reach specific groups of people who may be interested in booking your venue. Promotions, discounts, and special packages can also be used to incentivise potential clients to book your venue. Additionally, email campaigns can be used to keep your audience informed about upcoming events and remind them about events they have already booked. 

By showcasing your venue with email campaigns that include high-quality images, videos, and descriptions, you can help potential clients get a better sense of what your venue has to offer and encourage them to book. Allocate time to plan your email marketing schedule to ensure that your campaigns are well-crafted, targeted, and provide value to your audience. By doing so, you can build strong relationships with potential clients, promote your venue effectively, and ultimately drive more bookings.

Used to complement email marketing, SMS* marketing tools are a great option to send select contacts short bursts of information on special offers, deals, or limited-time packages.  As an additional avenue of communication, SMS is also a great way to keep event attendees updated on any changes to the event program, as well as provide instant updates on logistics, including transportation, accommodation check-in/out, and post-event feedback. Using SMS as a proactive marketing tool guarantees better-informed guests and a stellar reputation, bolstering rebooking rates.

* iVvy SMS feature not available in the North America region

Tool #4: Surveys

Surveys are an invaluable tool for venues to keep their finger on the pulse of customer satisfaction. They provide helpful data that can be used to make improvements, draw in more customers and bookings, and develop a better reputation - not to mention act as powerful word-of-mouth marketing.

Use your venue sales software to create and distribute these after your event to attendees, customising  questions for attendees, stakeholders, and exhibitors or sponsors. Ask questions that encompass the entire event journey, not just the event day itself. The more thorough you can be, the more you can use feedback to your advantage. Additionally, surveys are a great avenue to ask attendees for reviews - content that can be used for future venue promotion. 

By diving into survey feedback you’re taking proactive steps towards creating an even better environment your visitors will love returning to time and again.

Tool #5: Reporting

You already know how important it is to keep track of your booking process, but did you know reporting can be a game-changer for your marketing? By gathering and analysing data on booking trends like peak periods, event types, and average lead times through your venue sales software, you can take proactive steps to make your event spaces even more appealing and attract more bookings.

With reporting, you can identify the most profitable event types and tailor your marketing efforts to attract more of those events. Tracking customer feedback and reviews can also help you identify areas for improvement that could lead to a better overall customer experience, such as amenities or services that need to be added or improved.

Reporting can also be used to optimise your booking process by identifying bottlenecks, such as slow response times and frequent cancellations. By analysing and streamlining these areas, you can create a smoother and more efficient booking process.