Personal approach is the best way to check a venue - our Corporate Sales Manager Rachael Buttery explains why...
Re: The story 'Venue brands no longer trustworthy' citing Jacqui Kavanagh of Trinity Conferences;Being part of a membership organisation can be reassuring for potential customers, but just glancing at a conference venue’s website and the industry bodies they are affiliated to is not enough.
The most important check any potential customer should run is to speak to the venue. Don’t be afraid to ask searching questions – these answers will reveal more than anything else.
One simple question is: ‘what is your repeat business figure?’ This will tell you a great deal about whether customers enjoy their conference experiences enough to return.
Another that Cotswold Conference Centre is often asked is ‘what is your staff turnover rate?’ A low figure will tend to mean you receive a consistent level of service and, in turn, will reassure clients who want to build a long-term relationship with a venue and its events team.
You can also ask about industry awards too, but perhaps focus more on awards won repeatedly over a number of years – which shows an ongoing commitment to excellent standards – rather than one-off successes.
As a final point, independent or family-owned venues will often provide a high level of personal service and will be used to these sorts of questions. Venues that can’t find this information or are reluctant to share it might be best to avoid.
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