6 Hotel Ideas That Bring in Events & Generate Leads

Room bookings are great, but as a hotel you want to bring in more events, generate more leads and turn all of that into repeat business. If you haven’t found your formula for making that happen, it might be time to put these six hotel ideas to work.

Drive More Events with These 6 Hotel Ideas

1. Show, don’t tell.

It’s easy to state your capacity and how many five-foot rounds you can fit in the room. But that doesn’t mean you’re doing a good job showing the value of your venue. Using images of your space being used can help you set client expectations, build a little FOMO, and demonstrate the value your property delivers in a really visual way.

Not convinced? 48% of planners tell us that seeing floorplans and visualizing the space are the most relevant pieces of content in a proposal.

2. Meet planners where they are.

Planners aren’t always going to come searching for you directly. That means you need to have a presence in the various channels where they’re doing their research. Because 77% of planners conduct research before contacting a sales person.

That goes far beyond being smart about your digital marketing campaigns and how you target planners on Facebook. You need to dive deeper and be a part of the venue marketplaces where planners and hotels connect.

With a powerful, interactive lead form that’s distributable across any marketing channel, Social Tables makes it easy to build direct bookings on any of these channels. You’ll even have an easy-to-share link that you can slot in just about anywhere.

3. Create an affiliates program.

Just about every major business has an affiliates program in which members get rewarded via cash or other benefits by referring potential clients. These affiliate members are then paid a certain percentage or set amount when the deal is closed. It’s one of the most effective hotel ideas, and a system you can easily set up with planners that’s beneficial for everybody involved.

Plus, as a hotel owner you don’t have to pay a salary or regular benefits to your affiliates. Affiliates are rewarded on a per case basis for each recommendation that results in business for your hotel.

4. Try an introductory offer.

Is one of your leads on the fence? Get them in the door by offering them a special introductory rate. Better yet, add a time-sensitive discount to their proposal that incentivizes them to respond by a certain date. Be sure to tell them this is a one-time deal that you don’t offer to just anyone. They’ll feel like they are getting an inside rate.

5. Market using video.

There’s only so much you can show prospects in in static formats. But creating a video allows you to make the most of your space and engage planners in the way that people consume their content on the modern web.

In that video, make sure to show your venue and ballrooms in action. Ask people hosting events with you if you can film some of the event. It can be an easy (and even free!) way to get the shots you need to sell your property. Then, put it all in an exciting montage ranging from 30-60 seconds, and cap it all off with a clear CTA (call to action).

6. Market during events.

Capitalize on the events already taking place at your hotel. If you can, introduce yourself to the relevant parties and make yourself available. You can even place some literature around the entrance or exit in case you catch an attendee’s eye who wants to learn more.

Remember: The best marketing is word of mouth. So don’t forget that your event space is your strongest ad on the big day.

We know your property and staff will turn the leads you convert into repeat business. And with these six hotel ideas, you’ll have an effective toolkit that brings those prospects in!

Once you’ve found your lead, it’s time to close. We put together the free eBook below to help you do it like a pro. (Let us know what you think on Facebook!)

Once you’ve found your leads, it’s time to close. Check out how lead management technology can take care of the lead scoring, so your team can focus on the selling and relationship-building.