Following a year when so many milestone celebrations were canceled or postponed, people are craving communal events like never before. As we emerge from the travel restrictions and isolation imposed by the pandemic, hotels and resorts are preparing not just for a return of individual travelers, but an unprecedented surge in on-property event bookings. One of the biggest drivers of that business in 2021? Weddings. Honestly, after a year stuck at home, who wants a backyard wedding? While the economic downturn may translate to smaller and more budget-conscious affairs than seen in recent years, there is no question that millions of dollars in revenues will flow from fiancées desperate to create a memorable celebration. That’s great news for independent hoteliers.
To ensure that you get your share of the wedding cake, now is the time to go to market with offers and incentives. HospitalityNet.com recently posted an article that addressed the coming wedding boom, that included the following marketing tips: “During this drive, you need to implement build strategies through omni-channel communication to ensure all past, current, and future brides and grooms are aware of the campaign and have the opportunity to engage. Key methods include email newsletters, a request for proposal (RFP) page, designated landing pages, paid campaigns, hotel SEO, local SEO, and social media reach.”
The article goes on to note several strategies to remember when promoting weddings and events at your property. First, if you haven’t already, you’ll want to create wedding-focused packages that include special perks for the newlyweds. You should also update the FAQs on your website to allay common concerns about your abilities to host wedding celebrations, as well as addressing rules of social distancing and other safety issues. You may also want to create an RFP, preferably one that can be filled out online, to be sure that you can accommodate the scope of the proposed event. And, perhaps most importantly, you need to be sure that your customer service is driven by live responses. A successful event, whether it’s a wedding or an important business retreat, is built on trust. You can’t build that kind of trust through email.
Here’s to a year full of memory-making events and revenue-building promotions!
