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Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

  • 1.  Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 05-18-2023 09:28

    I work for a hotel, and as a venue I'd love to know planners' thoughts on venues cold calling them for business. What are your pet peeves and what do you find the most intriguing and then actually consider the venue for future events? 


    #SourcingaVenue

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    Teresa James
    Director of Sales
    Aloft Gainesville University AreaUnited States
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  • 2.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    Community MVP
    Posted 06-06-2023 08:34

    Hi Teresa,

    I would not want cold calls. 

    Now... let me put on my sales and marketing hat for you! Can you promote your hotel within the Cvent sourcing tool? We use that and find it very helpful and a huge time saver!

    I'm also thinking that if you knew a company had used a Gainseville area hotel in the past for a function... those would be worthy cold calls to make! If I had an event in Gainesville in the past, but not at your hotel, I think it would be very appropriate for you to call me, and if I was planning another event in the same area, I would take your call. 

    Hope that's helpful!



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    Lori Wildman
    Marketing Director
    DuCharme, McMillen & Associates, Inc.United States
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  • 3.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 06-06-2023 09:30

    I'm not a fan of cold calls as often my days are already booked to capacity and if I'm actually able to answer my phones, I'm likely in the process of hopping on a scheduled call or am waiting on someone to return my call to discuss something.  I'd prefer to have an email request for a 15 minute call or meeting and get an elevator pitch along with collateral (digital or brochure if you stop by in person).  Often I'm not looking for a solution at that particular time, but having something to reference when a client (I'm third-party) has a request becomes beneficial.



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    Julie-Michelle Davis, CMP
    Meetings Manager
    Amex GBT - USA
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  • 4.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 06-06-2023 14:41

    Hi Teresa,

    I personally would not want cold calls.  I would prefer an email/information on the venue - rate cards etc. I work for a large university and we have SO many rules that cold calling is pushy for us. I need to see that a hotel can give us a preferred rate, meet certain parameters etc.  I work a lot with a central reps from the larger corporate hotel chains and this has always been helpful. One POC and I can get direct contacts to hotels based on where my event is in the Metro DC area.   

    Hope that helps!



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    Lesley Irminger
    Events Manager, College of Public Health
    George Mason - Office Of University EventsUnited States
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  • 5.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 06-06-2023 19:37

    Don't call. I know people think it's more effective than email, but for me it's just an annoyance. I'm in meetings most of my day, and I don't want to be interrupted by a call I'm not expecting. 
    The other thing is that I want to know you know something about the events we hold. Does your hotel have enough breakout rooms and guest rooms to host us? Is your main room big enough? Show that you've done some homework.



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    Elena PEREZ
    Communications Coordinator
    SEIU - UHWUnited States
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  • 6.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 06-07-2023 11:57

    While I'm not a huge fan of cold calls, I understand what you're looking to achieve. As many have said here - an email with an intro, and links to check out your property would be a great start. In my role, I would look at the links and decide if a conversation is necessary and follow up on my own. I think if we are too big or won't work for your property, we've just saved each other time by not discussing it on the phone.



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    Beth Vriesen.
    Events Registration Administrator
    Associated Bank Corporation
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  • 7.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 06-12-2023 19:45

    Agreed with all the prior comments. A cold call these days is a lab unwelcome interruption (to be brutally honest). But I love what Cvent Celebrity does go highlight venues in some of the challenges. I'm not sure what that costs but it's a great way to get me to read about a venue I may not think I need to know about and either a) it applies more than I thought it would or b) I have knowledge for future programs. 



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    Stacy Wright
    Senior Manager, Meetings& Events
    Sight Sciences IncUnited States
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  • 8.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 06-13-2023 08:08

    What are your pet peeves and what do you find the most intriguing and then actually consider the venue for future events? 

    pet peeves- the hotel being flexablel and working with issue that arrise. 

    Future events- that is alway a possibility



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    Mary Ann Hall
    Event Specialist
    Federal Reserve System
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  • 9.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 06-13-2023 10:44

    I don't think we'd appreciate that as we are specific in the venues we search for, I think it'd be better to just get your place out there online or in the cvent database and we'd find you.



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    Rachel
    NJ
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  • 10.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 06-15-2023 13:49

    Teresa, 

    As a fellow Hotel sales professional that has been selling for over 20 years, I have found that cold calls are not received very well. One strategy I have used to connect with new Planners is to send them a short intro email and request a call with them sometime in the future . I try to ask for 10-15 minutes of their time and coming out of COVID I found that people do want to talk on the phone but it needs to fit within their schedule.

    Dan Sadler

    Senior Sales Manager

    Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp Quarter



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    Dan Sadler
    Senior Sales Manager
    Margaritaville Hotel San Diego Gaslamp QuarterUnited States
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  • 11.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    Posted 06-15-2023 16:09

    I am not a fan of cold calls. Generally when sourcing events we know where our attendees are looking to go year to year. If were interested in a location as a possible home for an event we will always reach out. Generally I feel like it ends up wasting everyone's time on these long calls about the benefits of this location when I know it won't work for our events because of location, size, distance from the airport, etc. 


    And if we hadn't considered the location, I would much rather receive the information in an email anyways. This way I can review everything as needed, I have all of the information in front of me clearly presented and I can do it at a time that works better so I can carefully and fully review it, rather than being thrust into a conversation I wasn't fully prepared to have.



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    Kim Tabor
    Conference Systems Manager
    GIE MediaUnited States
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  • 12.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 06-18-2023 15:16

    I think maybe my previous post didn't go through, so trying again!

    Don't call. I know people think it's more effective than email, but for me it's just an annoyance. I'm in meetings most of my day, and I don't want to be interrupted by a call I'm not expecting. 


    The other thing is that I want to know you know something about the events we hold. Does your hotel have enough breakout rooms and guest rooms to host us? Is your main room big enough? Show that you've done some homework.



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    Elena PEREZ
    Communications Coordinator
    SEIU - UHWUnited States
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  • 13.  RE: Finding the Perfect Venue vs Finding the Perfect Client

    User Group Member
    Posted 06-20-2023 11:00

    Hi, 

    It might be hard to find someone who likes cold calls but you could try other forms of communication. Maybe advertising within your network first or using the Cvent sourcing tool which has helped out some of my friends in the past! 



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    Josue Estrada Murillo
    Office Coordinator
    Boettcher FoundationUnited States
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