Working practices have drastically changed during the pandemic and many office workers are still working from home. Now that restrictions are easing, business owners are trying to encourage people to come back into the office. This presents an excellent opportunity for hospitality businesses and it’s essential that you understand how to get corporate bookings if you are to capitalise on it.
Businesses will be looking to revitalise the office atmosphere and incentivise employees by putting on work drinks and lunches. As restrictions are rolled back further, large corporate events will be able to go ahead too. Attracting MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) bookings creates a much needed source of revenue for hospitality businesses as they rebuild after what has been a difficult year for many.
With a lot of competition around, it is crucial that you know how to get corporate bookings and create marketing campaigns that are tailored to the corporate crowd. Unfortunately, many hospitality businesses struggle in this area because they have not advertised to corporate clients in the past. If you want to attract more MICE bookings, these are some of the best strategies to employ.
Advertise Large Spaces
Space is a key element for businesses when booking a corporate event. Large businesses with lots of employees need somewhere that can accommodate their team, and this is what you should focus on when trying to attract corporate customers. When creating content for your website and social media pages, take plenty of photos of the space and demonstrate how furniture can be arranged for large parties. Highlight extra facilities you have available, like free wifi, and give clear information on the number of guests you can accommodate.
If you have a large outdoor space, this is a huge asset right now. Outdoor spaces are more adaptable for large events and in the current climate, it is safer to host large numbers outside. So, make your outdoor spaces the focus of your marketing content.
Create Special Offers
Offering special discounts for corporate events is a great way to attract large parties. Package deals that offer rental of the space, food and some drinks make life much easier for businesses when trying to arrange a large event for a lot of people. In most cases, individuals attending the event will spend more while they are there, so you will bring in more than the original agreed upon price. Limited time offers create a sense of urgency and encourage more bookings in a short space of time.
Consider New Social Media Platforms
Most hospitality businesses use platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to market themselves. However, using platforms like LinkedIn can also be very effective when trying to get more MICE bookings. It’s a good place to connect with business owners and generate long term relationships that lead to regular corporate bookings.
Learning how to get corporate bookings can help your business thrive but creating marketing campaigns to do that is new territory for many hospitality venues. Here at AsOne, we can manage your digital marketing strategy and tailor it to the corporate world so you get more MICE bookings. Once you start seeing results, you can focus on providing an amazing experience so they book again in the future.
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