2009 PYM Town Hall Dallas: Table Two Notes
In attendance:
- CVB
- Restaurant management company
How have your consumers’ buying habits changed? How are you adapting to those needs?
Both: All consumers are watching budgets and scaling down to more affordable events, and are staying closer to home for their event venues.
Both: To respond to those needs, vendors will be packaging their services, i.e. dinner and movie, coupons.
How do you find new business? How do you grow existing business?
1: You must go back to the basics of securing business face to face.
Both: Use social networks like Facebook and Twitter. Social networking will be the thing of the future … which is now. New business will be building of relationships … we have to go back to the basics.
Both: Local business is their best market right now. The economy has limited their reach to market themselves to planners who are looking for local venues for events.
1: Suggests marketing to ladies who are looking for a short getaway. Girlfriend weekends were suggested to include a wine tasting and night’s stay with dinner, bundling the package to include as much as affordable to give visitors the feeling of “escaping.”
Both: To grow/nurture existing business, go back to the basics: Follow up and customer service is important, and use social networks, including Web sites and blog sites. Word of mouth is essential in growing either new business or existing business.
How do you turn a NO to a YES? How do you get planners to commit to booking the business?
Both: Here is a perfect opportunity for packaging to create a yes when there is added benefit to the planner for their client to receive a bargain, while staying close to home with the feeling of a “stay-cation.”
1: Suggests a bounce back card or electronic response for follow up, as in a survey on line. Other options are bundling services, coupons, added value and blog sites.
How can you develop new revenue streams to offset money lost on shrinking and/or canceled meetings?
2: Vendors may want to offer concierge incentives for recommendation of their venues. Money is a great incentive, and they use a monthly amount for each recommendation.
Both: Agree that marketing to a community driven clientele is key for this time in our economy. People are staying close to home and looking for bargains. Here, again, is the opportunity for packaging/bundling, using the social networks for leads and bookings.
1: Customer service, customer service, customer service will bring revenue streams for repeat business, and thinking “outside the box.”
