In the world of personal events, there are 52 prime opportunities each year for sales. Weekends are the traditional domain of weddings, in particular, and also of personal celebrations like birthdays and anniversaries. If you are already filling most or all of these days with profitable events, though, how can you increase your market share and your bottom line?
Increasing staffing and adding capacity are options for some businesses, but aren’t ideal for all, and if you are already providing a premium service, increasing your rates might not be feasible. You may want to consider diversifying into weekday events.
Evaluate your market
As with any change to your business, analysis will help you determine the potential of weekday weddings and celebrations before leaping into them. Who would be attracted to the concept in your market? Do you have many couples looking for bargains or holding smaller, intimate events with flexible parameters? Do you work in a destination market with couples traveling in all week who would be good candidates? How open to new ideas is your market?
Determining the potential through honest consideration of all the factors will help you decide if weekday events are worth your marketing investment and effort.
Set up for weekday events
If you are serious about adding weekday events, you will want to form a division of your company that can give them the attention they deserve without sacrificing your weekend work. Assign a team member to take the lead during the week and work together to set up policies and procedures that address any special needs of weekday events. Include training and reinforcement in marketing principles such as avoiding the use of references to “Friday night” and “Saturday” which can be a difficult habit to break.
Special considerations for weekday events
When offering weekday weddings and events, here are some helpful hints you can share with your clients to help them during planning.
Coach clients to notify guests with save-the-date cards or messages early so they have time to book travel and request time off. If your clients are concerned their guest count will be low, this is one of the best ways to help maximize attendance.
Also, let clients know that not everyone is going to be happy with their decision to hold a weekday event. Sometimes work schedules are inflexible, for instance, and prohibit them from attending. You can never guarantee a date will work for everyone. Encourage them to choose the best dates for their needs.
Double-check every contract and agreement carefully for accurate dates. It is easy for vendors to fall into the habit of using Saturday and Sunday as a point of reference, so this is a particularly important tip that can save everyone a ton of heartache.
Finally, book accommodations early. Weekdays are sometimes peak for hotels that deal heavily in corporate meetings and conferences, which can drive rates up.
Diversifying into weekend events is a great way to jumpstart your business and increase both your opportunities and revenue. Follow these tips for your successful transition and enjoy all of the benefits of a newfound territory in need of your unique expertise.
See Emily Sullivan at Catersource on Monday morning, February 25. Click here for the full schedule of sessions.
