Good venue management comes with a side of chaos, challenges, and unexpected occurrences. As the first point of contact for queries and questions, you must know everything there is to know about your venue space - and that's where venue software steps in as your loyal companion.
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 software and practices into your day-to-day operations will place you ahead of the competition while adding extra value to your venue.
Find out what defines good venue management, and how venue software can transform how you work, boosting productivity, skills, and success.
Successfully running any venue means juggling 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 venue software will enable you to get (and stay) ahead.
Venue software equips you and your team with tools to enhance productivity by:
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 manager who will be able to respond and act effectively and efficiently. This includes 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? Venue software helps you to improve communication by automating responses, setting reminders, and keeping all client history in one place. This way, you can reply faster, stay organised, and ensure no messages slip through the cracks. By cutting down response times and streamlining your communication, you’ll build stronger relationships with event planners and run your venue more efficiently.
Even when things don’t go as planned, experienced venue managers rely on a clear process to stay on track. From handling event enquiries to budgeting, creating event orders, and managing catering, every step needs to be done efficiently. Each of these steps plays a big role in shaping the client’s experience and the value of their relationship with your venue.
With venue software, you’re no longer juggling multiple platforms, spreadsheets, or paper documents to manage your operations. Instead, everything is streamlined into a single system that handles all aspects of your venue. Whether it's tracking bookings, managing event orders, or coordinating catering, the software brings together every department, ensuring that all staff are on the same page.
For example, when updates are made to a booking or a banquet event order (BEO) using venue management software, those changes are instantly visible to all relevant departments—sales, catering, and operations. This real-time updating eliminates the need for back-and-forth emails or phone calls, reducing the chances of errors and missed details. It also helps to avoid double-handling tasks, making it easier for teams to collaborate and focus on delivering a seamless event experience. On top of that, budgeting, invoicing, and reporting are simplified, with financial data automatically updated as bookings are confirmed or changes are made. You can generate accurate reports in minutes, track revenue in real time, and even forecast future bookings—all from the same system.
Site visits are your chance to showcase the best your venue has to offer, giving event organisers a real feel for spaces and their potential. As a venue manager, this is a prime opportunity to demonstrate your expertise, professionalism, and ability to create strong partnerships with event planners.
Venue software enhances your skills by streamlining the preparation process, allowing you to focus on delivering a top-tier experience. With the ability to track preferences, arrival times, and important details, you can offer a more personalised and organised site visit. For example, when you know exactly what potential clients are after in terms of food, beverages, or even the atmosphere they expect, you can arrange welcome packs and refreshments tailored to their tastes, instantly showing attention to detail.
Additionally, the software helps you seamlessly coordinate the visit schedule, ensuring you present venue facilities in the best light and that key team members are on hand to meet demand. This level of organisation improves your professional image, demonstrating your ability to plan and manage events with precision and care. This level of preparedness and professionalism reinforces your role as a reliable, competent venue manager, capable of delivering not only a flawless site visit but also an outstanding event experience.
Managing a team, especially across departments like sales, catering, and operations, can be a logistical challenge, but venue software simplifies the entire process, allowing you to focus on leading a cohesive and efficient team. You can easily assign tasks, and even provide training materials directly through the platform and its knowledge base, so your team knows exactly what they need to do and when.
And here’s where you really shine: having a well-trained, organised team reflects directly on you. When staff know exactly what’s expected, they can deliver top-notch service, which makes you the venue manager who’s got it all under control. Plus, if any staff member needs a refresher on something, you can send training documents or videos through the system. When event clients see a perfectly orchestrated team, they know they’re in good hands, and you get all the credit for running a tight ship. And let’s face it, when your team is on point, it makes everything else feel less chaotic.
With venue software, you’re not just getting a tool—you’re getting a helpful partner that makes your work life smoother. It simplifies everything, making it easier for your team to work together and allowing you to focus on the big picture while delivering top-notch experiences every time. Your job becomes more strategic, and you’ll find it easier to keep things running like a well-oiled machine. With less time spent on tedious tasks and more time to devote to your clients and team, you can confidently and efficiently handle even the busiest of days.