Unique event and wedding venues are popping up everywhere as the demand for less traditional celebrations increases. With that in mind, venues are finding creative ways to showcase their space and preferred vendors.
Say bye bye to large bridal shows and hello to venue open houses. If you are a new or established venue, big or small, open house events are a great way to target prospective customers directly and fill your calendars.
Today we’re sharing a few ways you can make sure your venue open house is successful:
Make Use of Event Equipment
If you’re a savvy venue that has already invested in an inventory of tables and chairs, now is the time to set them up. Bring out those cross back chairs, Chiavari chairs and resin folding chairs.
Prepare as though you were throwing a wedding or event that day so that customers can envision each space and how they can use it.
Partner with Your Preferred Vendors
Your customers are your preferred vendors so they’ll likely participate. Besides helping to make your venue look great, they can each have a booth to highlight their services.
This can be local photographers, videographers, bakeries, florists, event planners, boutique rentals, etc!
Partner with a local caterer that will serve cocktails and hor d'oeuvres. We’ve also seen hair and makeup artists give guests mini makeovers. The more creative and memorable, the better!
Leverage Social Media
Leading up to the event and during, have your participating vendors post about the open house on their Facebook/Instagram feeds. Partner with your participating vendors to create a photo opportunity for guests where they can share their experience with a hashtag.
Encourage Early Booking
With this type of open house, customers are sure to fall in love with your event venue. Encourage prospective customers to book your venue early with an incentive for attending.
Open houses are the perfect way to attract your potential customers so have them seasonally or during engagement season for an event greater impact.
Author: Larah Winn
Larah is the creative and marketing specialist here at EventStable. She lives in the old axe factory town of Collinsville, Connecticut with her husband and dog Baya. In her free time you can find her helping her husband restore their 1860's cottage.
