6 Ways to Get More Business from the Next Convention

Conventions and big corporate gatherings can be a great source of business if you can be top of mind in a few areas online and off. There is no magic bullet or easy solution to getting convention business but here's what we've seen work.

Hotels - Sales & Catering Managers / Concierge

Companies that are attending a convention work with a hotel sales manager to plan their stay in a market. Many times this hotel sales person becomes the de facto planner for food and beverage activity for the company outside of the hotel.  They constantly hear questions like, "We're going to be in town for a week, where can we go on the Tues night outside of the hotel to host something casual for 100 people."

These people are a great source of referrals for groups, small to large. We have plenty of stories of them sending business our way from a couple of people looking to break away from the group to $10,000 whole pub buyouts. Get to know these people and be in their ear well ahead of convention and party season.

Concierge's inside hotels play a similar role in that they will refer great business in your direction if you build a strong, authentic relationship and you are top of mind when the convention rolls into town.

DMC's - Destination Management Companies

These are event planning agencies hired by companies coming to town for a convention.  They will plan all of their external convention activities.  Like hotel sales people, working with these groups is about relationship building, having them understand what Fado is great at and how they can use us.

We have landed large events ($5,000 - $25,000) through DMC's in multiple markets.  Know what conventions are coming to town and reach out 6 months (or more) ahead of time to DMC's to see how / if we can be included in a proposal they send to their clients.

Local Companies

When the Architecture convention comes to town, you should be reaching out to local architecture, design/build firms (months in advance). When the restaurant convention comes, you should be calling on Coke, equipment manufacturers and restaurant service providers.  You get the idea.  All of these companies will be entertaining when the convention comes to town and you want to be part of the action.  Get a list of conventions booked for the next 12 months and build a contact list of potential party buyers.


Online Search and Ads

Search engines are the top source of information for convention planners looking for a venue in a city.  Do a search for 'private event space' or 'event venues' in your market. You want to have a presence in the organic search listings for these highly traffic-ed terms.  If you don't show up you should send an email to your marketing department to make it happen.

Of the 782 web inquiries for events from Aug 1, 2012 - May 31, 2013, 441 have come from search engines. See below for a complete list of sources for party inquiries on the websites.

Ahead of high convention (and holiday party) season, the busier event pubs will have Google ads running to help drive new sales.  If you want these to run, just ask.   As an example, from Oct 15 - Dec 5 of 2012 search ads drove 6,529 website visits in 7 markets at a cost of $8,573. The traffic resulted in 51 web inquiries (we don't know how many additional phone calls since we don't track those). From those web leads, we closed $11,974 in business.

While all this traffic isn't convention business, it's an indication of where the buyers are and how to engage them.

Private Event Related Websites

You also want a presence on top rated sites like www.cvent.com, www.eventective.com, www.opentable.com, www.yelp.com and specialty sites like (www.theknot.com, I know
not a convention site but worth a mention.).  These aggregators and review sites see
substantial traffic and are valuable resources for out of town buyers.

The Convention and Visitors Bureau

It's a great organization, they have great programs and they offer a lot of visibility for hundreds of event venues, bars and restaurants.   The CVB has only proven to work for us if you invest significant time in networking, volunteering and relationship building inside the CVB.  If you treat them like a big DMC, you will probably see some business but it will be the result of a lot effort. This finding is based on work we have done with the CVB in Chicago, Atlanta, Austin and Seattle.

Just advertising and getting exposure doesn't work, you have to activate behind it in a real way to make it pay off.

What have you seen work? Any tactics that you are currently working on that you'd like to share?

Sources of online private party inquiries August 1, 2012 - May 31, 2013

google (396 records)
yelp.com (89 records)
(direct) (80 records)
google_CPC (61 records)
bing (45 records)
opentable.com (21 records)
yahoo (12 records)
marybrickellvillage.com (9 records)
hereschicago.com (8 records)
urbanspoon.com (7 records)
facebook.com (5 records)
atlanta.citysearch.com (4 records)
comcast (3 records)
eightiesband.net (3 records)
eventective.com (3 records)
mywedding.com (3 records)
theknot.com (3 records)
themagnificentmile.com (3 records)
prweb.com (2 records)
10best.com (1 record)
aol (1 record)
atlanta.net (1 record)
austintexas.org (1 record)
blog.tremontcityliving.com (1 record)
buckhead.patch.com (1 record)
chicago.weddings.com (1 record)
dailyhappyhour.com (1 record)
denver.citysearch.com (1 record)
downtownmiami.com (1 record)
fadoirishpub.com (1 record)
foursquare.com (1 record)
happyhours.downtownseattle.com (1 record)
local.yahoo.com (1 record)
maps.google.com (1 record)
plus.url.google.com (1 record)
search.genieo.com (1 record)
tripadvisor.com (1 record)
yellowpages.com (1 record)
zagat.com (1 record)

Holiday Gift Campaign - How to get it done!

1) The Gift Matters! (just b/c it is cheap doesnt mean it has to look cheap!)

a creative gift with quality presentation is key so make it look awesome! Something that will wow them, something they have never seen before. Dont waste your time and only do something half-arsed. If you're not the creative type I bet there is somebody in your pub that is and would love to help you put some gifts together or come up with some creative ideas. Throw them a bar tab or something for their help!
*Xmas in the Summertime Wine Bottle
*Fado Irish Coffee Kit
*Fado Crushed Orange Mjito Kit
*Scotch or Whiskey bar kit

2) Make a call and Schedule your Drop off

call and ask specifically for whoever books & plans all the corporate events. Let them know you have a gift  for them that you would like to stop by and drop off. When would be a good time for them?

3) Fado Party materials - get your materials together in advance! 

have your sh*t together & ready to go before you meet the client; i.e. menus, folder, biz cards, and a good anecdotal story to pitch or the value-added thing that will make it special. Be prepared to come up with some ideas off the top of your head while talking to them that will cater to their needs.
1) What kind of events do they host there? Happy hours, holiday parties, going away etc. 
2) What can you come up with that will blow them away during your conversation that will make them want to book with you?  

4) Learn from your potential clients!

Always ask where they currently hold most of their events or where they have held their events in the past. What did they like? What didnt they like? What can you do to make it better for them??

Be human.... be yourself!

Establish a personal repore. Important to make a connection, create a relationship by sharing personal stories where you can

5) Fado is more than just a Pub!

Anything visual that you can provide for them, pictures of past events, dessert bar displays, pub pictures during the holiday etc to show them that we are not just an Irish pub but an Irish pub that has their shit togehter and can do fancy if they are looking for fancy or we can do fun and can provide a great atmosphere and space that their guests will enjoy. 

Handy dandy hotel marketing infographic

Finding Groups to Support Late Night

As of this writing, we are asking every pub to build a list of influencers, promoters, social groups etc that can drive 50-100 to your pub on a Friday or Saturday night.  The goal is to have +10 of these people to call on to help grow late night business.

The reason we're asking you to do this task is because these groups aren't just for clubs anymore and it's how many of those late night customers decide where to go.

Here are a few tactics to find these contacts:

Distributors

They know everyone, ask them who they use to organize big, medium and small events.

Bar Crawl Organizers

Do a Google search and find out who organizes or go back to people you have worked with in the past.

Club Guys

They may want to branch out into bars/pubs or they may refer you to someone more appropriate.

Look at existing events

Look at beer festivals and bar crawl advertising online and in your local entertainment rag and see who is producing or promoting it.  Call them.

Twitter Best Practices

Couple of reminders /Twitter best practices

   

       ALWAYS, always, always include your pub handle ie “ @fadoatlanta “  in your tweets so that Halleigh can RT  -- if you do this you won’t need to send her a side email requesting that she does this, she is looking and will see it.

·      When you include Food photos include pub handle,  name of food (Guinness BBQ wings) day part with a hashtag (#lunch, #brunch, #beer&brekkie or #beer&bites)

·      Good local content Includes fun staff shots serving, in the keg room, as well as shots of new beer and cocktails  

·      Sports – mention games with appropriate #hashtags & team handles so you can be a part of larger conversations

·      Bookmark and use https://bitly.com/ to shorten your links – you need to include your pub website to direct people to sports  or food schedule OR your party planning page.

 Also – are you following the right people?

You can start by following “lists” From:

·         your own pub handle

·         @fado_ellen

·         And if you have a local pr company at Paddys Day – hit theirs too

This is a good start and will open up your feed to a lot of local “influencers” – beer guys, food bloggers, nightlife, etc. when you follow lists though you are not technically “following” those people. You then need to go in and hit “follow” on the individuals.

Believe it or not, you can get in a flow with this and it really shouldn’t eat up more than 15 mins of your day…. you just need to have a regular time that you do it each day and you’ll be covered.

Food & beer or cocktails

Ladies night every Thursdays @fadomiami Bottomless glass of wine #girlsnightout #livemusic [link to the drinks pge]

Insider tip @fadoatlanta @sweetwaterbrew #seasonalbrew JUST tapped #extrahoppy $4 happy hour snacks 4-7 #beer&bites {post photo}

Allow me to suggest for lunch @fadoatlanta #ff #fishfriday fishtacos #boomboomsauce {fish tacos photo} #PairswellwithGuinness

#ThrowbackThursday $4 shots after 9 #picklebacks #fireballs #oBombs #forgetnostalgia #drinkitup

Mothers Day Brunch @fadoseattle ~ Bottomless Mimosas   (link to your brunch page)

Weekend

Gearing up for XX event this Saturday @fadodc #derbyday #mintjulips #fancydress [link to the pub]

Sick of Pre-gaming @ home on Saturday nite? step it up & get to @fadoaustin for 9pm for $4 shots, $3 cans; Live music at 10 with xx band

Hey Mr DJ play my favorite tune! Fri & Sat DJ @ 10pm @fadoatlanta  $4 shots, $3 cans specials @ 9p  #pregame

Party planning

Loved having the (nameofgroup) @fadophilly Tuesday night #goodcraic #Guinnesswasflowing

Taking reservations now for graduation parties @fadodenver Contact me to make a reservation today! (link to your party planning page) #greatfood #craic #privateparties

Sports

#Barca v #Bayern today @fadoaustin #latelunch I think Barca is going to pull it out! #miracle “ (insert your own opinion J )

Sunday footie @fadochicago #Liverpool v #Everton #Merseysidederby #ManUnited v #CHE #beer&brekkie

Pub Quiz

“Wednesday Nite Pub @ 8pm tonight @fadoatlanta Go to FB for the question of the week! #bravestickets #greatprizes (include pub FB link)

Our Party / Event Value Proposition

At the core of sales and marketing is the product or service's unique value proposition. That is, what makes you different and why should people care.

For our party business our value proposition is simple:  Fado is the most flexible and easy place to book an event. It's a place that works for everyone, where everyone can relax and let loose.

This sounds simple but it's true as it comes from customers.  They see us very differently than a hotel or restaurant.   Fado creates a setting where people can let go and be themselves - a crucial benefit for anyone who is planning an event.

Outbound Sales- What's the Next Step

The initial goal of our outbound sales projects is to get people in the pub so we can meet them, show them how great the pub is and UNDERSTAND THEIR NEEDS.

The measure of a good pub tour is simple: have you agreed on the next steps?  Never leave a conversation with a new prospect without defining the NEXT STEP.

This goal is easy if someone has an event planned and is actively evaluating your pub.  Getting the NEXT STEP is harder if the prospect isn't actively looking for a venue.  The key to figuring out the NEXT STEP is to ask great questions to uncover future needs.  Questions like:

- Who makes the decisions?

- What types of events do you do?

- When is your next one?

- What has worked for you in the past? What hasn't?

- Do you do a holiday event, when do you decide?

The list of questions is endless so get creative. There are a few listed on every Lead screen inside salesforce.com.

After you meet with someone in the pub (and there isn't some big burning need you can address right away) ask this question:  "I've heard what you've said and I have some ideas.  Can I follow up with you in the next couple weeks with some ideas on how we might be able to address some of your needs?"

Finally, take what you have learned and generate ideas on how we can serve a need for a future event (in other words, propose some ideas to keep the conversation going and get a commitment!).

The worst thing that happens is you make a good impression and you connect again in the future.

 Make sure you track all your activity in Salesforce for future reference.

Networking Strategies for People Who Hate Networking

Couple of quick tips if you hate networking, watch the video here.

How to Fill up Happy Hour

There are a number of different, pretty easy tactics to grow bodies and sales at Happy Hour.  Here are just a few:

1. Fishbowl - email people who drop their cards
2. Party losses invite - if you lose a sale, invite them in for a happy hour
3. Guest bartender - great charity event 
4. Direct marketing outreach - as part of your follow up, invite new people in for Happy Hour 
5. HR Directors - they are always looking for benefits to extend to their employees
6. Prior party customers - reach back out to people who have spent money with you in  the past and invite them back in.
7. Vendors looking to promote their products : setup tasting events (they will often pay like a party customer would) that are free or low cost to customers interested in cool new products
   
   For all of these, make sure to put whatever your offer is into context.  That is, have a reason to invite people in when you do all of this. For example- we have new summer drinks, we have a new beer menu, we have a tasting from XYZ Brewer, grab some drinks before pub quiz, etc.

Direct Marketing Campaign Idea

This comes to us from Jenn in Denver. It's a really good example of how to think through reaching out to companies and other groups for events, how to stand out from the competition and how to begin a personal relationship with new prospects.

This outline is just one example.  Your will be different and may be easier or more complex depending on your situation. So, use this as a starting point to create a campaign that is customized for your needs. If you have questions or need help, just ask.

Sample Direct Marketing Outline

Budget: Denver $2,000 direct marketing budget for Q1

Identify your target market & set goal: Make a realistic goal because you will be getting out to all of these places meeting these people face to face which will take some time. My goal for Denver is between 50 and 75 businesses that have 15+ employees. Pull these businesses from a couple different areas:

• Sales force leads
• Local businesses within a square mile of the pub. Spend a couple hours driving/ walking around your pub, in & out of office buildings to help build this target list. Hair Salons, banks, architecture firms, law offices, doctors offices etc.
• Reunion planners – Great Reunions.com find the planners in your areas
• Party/ wedding planners- Google planners in your area

Once you create this list you will start off with a simple phone call: Hi my name is Jenn, I am a manager at Fadó Irish pub down the street and I am trying to find out who is in charge of putting your office parties together? Whether it is holiday parties, happy hour parties etc. Once you are connected with that person ask if there would be a good time for you to stop in to drop off some info as well as a small gift and some treats for the office. This initial phone call will help you to weed out the people who don’t want to be bothered or that aren’t worth your time. Once you define your list of contacts you can log them all into sales force and get started putting your packets of info and gifts together.

Come up with your gift: Now that you have your list narrowed down you can figure out what you have to spend per person. For example in Denver my budget is $2000, I have a list of 75 contacts in which I have roughly $25-$26 each to spend. Come up with a gift that is creative, falls within our concept and something that people would use and enjoy. I have a 3 part plan for this, below is a list of gifts (main contact at the business)

Part 1: Gift for the planner

• Wine bottles/ customized labels
• Irish coffee kits
• Irish beer trios filled with chocolates
• Coffee/ tea mugs with Irish blends
• Homemade Irish cream bottles
• Hot cocoa with Irish cream bottles
 
Provide all the right information: You want to put an informational packet/ folder together for you to give to the main planner of the business. This is part 2 of the plan. Below is a list of items you will want to include:

• Special Event menu
• Business card/ contact info
• Private events booklet
• Pub spaces with seating bookmark
• Testimonial page- You will need to put this together. Include on there the YouTube link for the video we have.
• Complimentary happy hour offer with a couple pint cards

Bundle all of this info together in a folder or packet so it looks like you are organized and actually have some good info and content to give them! This will be given to the “planner” along with the small gift.

Part 3 of this plan is to come up with a gift that the entire office can benefit from as well. During your initial phone call you will need to find out how many people are in the office on a daily basis. Below is a list of ideas you can bring in to set up in the break room, keep in mind we want this to signify Irishness as much as possible:

• Irish Cream Cupcakes- I would make these, talk to your KM because it is super inexpensive to do it yourself. I typically will do mini chocolate cupcakes with the bailey’s cream cheese frosting we use for the brownie bites on our event menu.
• Guinness cake pops
• Bread pudding mini mason jars
• Personalized Irish chocolate candy bars (make the labels and wrap dairy milk candy bars…)
   

The idea of doing something for the entire office gives you more of an opportunity to reach out to the employees as well as the planner. With each of these little gifts include your business card, and a pint card to try and bring them into the pub individually outside of an office party. Simply punch a hole in the cards and tie them onto whatever you decide to do. I like the idea of the mini mason jars with the bread pudding and whiskey sauce because you can put a lid on it that you can spray paint with chalkboard paint and write a little message on. Or if you decide to go with cookies or cupcakes take some of the brown parchment paper in the kitchen that is used for the fish n’ chips and stamp the Fadó logo all over it so people know where the treats came

This is obviously going to take you a little more time than any of us really have but I think it will be worth it in the long run. Get help from some of your servers, bartenders and other managers.

Set up a time to drop things off and meet in person: Once you have everything together you want to set up a time to take it down and meet with the planner. Be organized and have your shit together as well as a little spiel to present to the planner. Try and get them to commit to a complimentary happy party then and there. If not make sure you make a note to log into sales force to follow up a couple weeks later regarding a date for their complimentary party and a time for you to show them the pub.

Log your info & follow up: Just like everything else we want to take these initial leads and convert them into contacts as well as keep a history of what they actually bring into the pub business wise. The ultimate goal is to build relationships and get them in for their holiday parties when they actually have somewhat of a budget to spend and happy hour parties to fill our pubs on Thursday, Friday nights.