Planning is one of the most important management functions in any business. A front office manager’s first step in planning should involve determine the department’s goals. Planning also includes determining the strategies and tactics the department will use to attain the objectives. The Revenue Manager indicated that the establishment has the ideal of maintaining an average of 80% occupancy during the upcoming year. Management are to make use of the market condition approach in pricing the rooms.

As the front office manager, you are to research strategies and make recommendations on how this outcome can be achieved. The information obtained are to be compiled into a  report that will be presented to the senior board of directors at their next strategic meeting. Headings that are to be used in the report are:

• The Target Market: Who the Hotel will be marketing their products to and how the hotel could reach the ideal target market.
• Technology that can be used to market the hotel.
• Promotions that the hotel can run through the year, keeping in mind the yearly calendar and events happening in the area.
• Customer satisfactory feedback.

Compiling the following.

Your hotel target market is one of the most effective ways of growing your business. If you’re interested in finding more prospects who will fall in love with your business, you’ll first need to get to know who you’re attracting and why. With this information, you’ll be well on your way to figuring out your ideal target market.

From there the sky’s the limit really! You can use your research to improve marketing, book more rooms, and get an edge on the competition. But first, let’s get on the same page about what a target market really is and why every hotel needs to have one.

In this post:

What is a hotel target market?

What is hotel target market segmentation?

What are the benefits of market segmentation?

What are some main types of hotel target market segmentation?

7 ways to identify your target market

Hotel target market definition

Before we can learn how to find better, more qualified hotel prospects, we need to explore what a hotel target market really is. You may have heard this marketing term before but not in the context of how it applies to hotel groups. Here are some industry-specific answers to the question.



What is a hotel target market?

A target market is a group of people who share similar wants and needs. They might even share similar demographics like median age, race, or income level. Target markets are often sub groups that businesses try to appeal to in marketing and sales since they are the people who are most likely to be interested in your product or service.

A hotel target market refers to the specific type of people or groups who you already to a lot of business with. Or maybe they’re a type of customer you’d like to attract more of. Either way, every hotel must align their marketing and sales efforts if they want to attract and book more of these ideal guests.

To find more prospects who will fall in love with your hotel, you first need to know who you attract and why.

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What is hotel target market segmentation?

In a nutshell, hotel market segmentation is a way of dividing potential guests into groups based on a set of shared characteristics. General marketing strategies will point to age, race, income, and general personality traits when creating these groups. For hotel marketing, segmentation is often prioritized by a particular group’s likelihood of booking.

There are some common types of hotel target market segmentation. But industry research and historical sales data are also great ways to discover target audience profiles that are unique to your business.

What are the benefits of market segmentation?

Overall, the main benefit of creating and targeting groups of prospects has to do with specificity. The more specific you can be with your market segmentation, the easier it is to find more high paying customers who will rave about your hotel. Once you know who you’re trying to reach you can focus your marketing and sales efforts on appealing to these groups.

The alternative is to engage the general public in the hopes that they’ll want to stay at your hotel at some point. And while you may get some bites from this approach it’s ultimately not a sustainable long term strategy.

Instead, it’s wiser to find a few groups with potentially high ROI because:

Marketing and sales efforts with be both more profitable and easier to measure.

You’ll be able to invest in highly valued features, deals, and upgrades you already know guests will love.

You’ll attract more guests and increase per customer revenue.

As you can tell, there is a lot to be gained from segmenting your pool of potential guests. If you’re wondering where to get started, you can begin by organizing your list into some tried and true hotel target market segmentation groups.

Target the right customer market segments with intelligent reporting

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What are some main types of hotel target market segmentation?

Unlike most other industries, hotels are defined by each of the following segmentation types. These details combine to create a great outline for your ideal target market.

If any of the following areas seem out of place compared to the others, you can easily spot the weakness and make adjustments where necessary so everything works together as one cohesive guest experience for your target audience.

Location. Is your hotel in a big city or a rural town? By the beach or land locked? Walking distance from an amusement park or a popular conference center?

Size. It doesn’t matter whether you’re a boutique bed & breakfast or part of a name brand hotel chain, as long as you understand why someone would prefer staying at a place with your max capacity.

Preferred Amenities. We all know that person who refuses to book a hotel if they don’t have a hot tub. Even if it’s in the middle of the desert. During a heat wave. Certain groups of people are going to have amenity preferences. Once you define your target market you can work to add whatever is missing.

Traveler Type. A business professional has different interests than a family of five with young children. Knowing which type of traveler your hotel currently attracts is yet another clue into who your target market is or should be.

Every hotel offers a unique combination of characteristics. So while these categories are a good starting point, you’ll need to do a little more digging to understand exactly who frequents your hotel now and who you’d like to do more business with in the future.



7 ways to identify your target market

It’s time to get your hands dirty with a little active market research. Here are some cost effective ways to uncover and define your hotel’s target market.

1. Survey your customers

Surveys help you get information straight from the horse’s mouth, so to speak. An easy way to get consumer feedback, surveys offer a glimpse into the psyche of current guests. Having this information will help you define what kinds of people or groups currently stay at your hotel. Once you have that, you can figure out what attracted them to your business in the first place just by asking.

You can automatically survey guests using SMS texting, email, or verbally by integrating it with your check out process. The key is to make it short and sweet. Anything more than five questions is overkill and easily ignored.

Popular target market survey questions include:

How did you hear about us?

What did you enjoy most about your stay?

Which of the following most influenced your decision to book with us?

Would you recommend our hotel to a friend?

What was the purpose of your most recent visit?

These and other thought provoking questions should come with a set of multiple choice answer and an “other” section with space to leave a comment. Keep track of this info and use it to further define your hotel’s personal target market or markets.

2. Enable customers to create profiles

This is one of the oldest marketing tricks in the book for good reason. Creating a fake profile of a person who is most likely to stay at your hotel is both a creative and effective tool for understanding your target market. It also presents a visual to help sales and marketing get a better idea of who they should be aiming to please. Outline who they are, what they’re like, their occupation, and anything else you deem relevant.

3. Imagine your audience’s point of view

We touched on this a little bit earlier when we mentioned traveler type. But understanding target market demographics is about more than just listing education levels and hobbies. It’s about going one step further and getting into the heads of the people you’d most like to have stay at your hotel.

For example, let’s say your hotel is fairly small and located in a popular area where travelers have many options for lodging all year round. If you’ve come to the conclusion that your target market includes traditional families with only one or two young children you now have some choices to make.

First, what personal touches will you add to your hotel to make it the obvious choice for new parents? Things like relaxing and private breast feeding stations in the lobby could be the tipping point for many potential guests who fit these demographics.

The point is to do more than just define demographics – use them to anticipate your guests’ every little need.

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4. See what online reviews say

Not all online reviews are created equally. But that doesn’t mean you can’t still uncover a few hidden gems in your Yelp or TripAdvisor ratings. Guests will often elaborate on why they were staying at your hotel, what they expected to experience, and what they loved the most about your location. It’s all there, you just need to take the time to look for it.

Add these details to your notes and check back for new reviews at regular intervals to get a better understanding of what your guests need and want.

5. Understand website visitors’ demographics and more using Google Analytics

Google Analytics is free to use and offers some incredible information. This tool can show you who visits your site, where each site visitor is located, what they click on, how long they stayed on each page, and so on.

Basically there is a lot of useful data here. It takes a little getting used to but once you get the hang of interpreting the facts and figures you’ll get a better idea of who you’re attracting to your website and whether or not they fit your most ideal target market.

6. Use Sales & CRM software to track your customer interactions

Again, when it comes to finding your hotel target market, data is your best friend. And no one knows your hotel’s history like a great sales and CRM software.

Quality programs like Social Tables offer easy-to-learn systems for capturing and assessing sales data. That data is then turned into customizable visual reports. So a hotel sales & CRM software can help you get a better idea of who your target market is but it will also let you gain visibility into every stage of your sales pipeline. Talk about a win-win!

7. Seek out opinions being shared on social media

Social media helps gather target market information the same way online reviews do. People love sharing their opinions on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Plus each website offers its own insights tools and opportunities for honest feedback. Mine your social profiles for market research gold then use your newfound knowledge to make your content even more appealing to your target market.



Main takeaways: targeted guest marketing

At the end of the day, finding your most lucrative prospects is all about having the right information and using it wisely. Here are some things to keep in mind as you discover your unique hotel target market:

Specificity is power. The more you learn about who your guests are the better you can service the needs of future guests and attract similar clientele.

You already have everything you need. The tools you already use every day can help you better understand your target audience.

Defining your hotel target markets make marketing and sales easier. Stop spinning your wheels with broad campaigns and start becoming hyper aware of who each piece of content is really for. You’ll see better results faster with this method.

No matter how you define your target market, make sure you have access to all the data you need. Be sure to check out Social Tables Group Business Manager which can provide these critical insights. The more detailed, the better. With the right information, you really can’t go wrong! After you know who to target, get started with 25 of the most powerful hotel marketing ideas to book more events.



Searching for more information about hotel target markets?

What is the target market of a hotel?

A hotel’s target market is the specific subset of all hotel customers that a particular property tries to get business from. This could be business travelers for a hotel near an airport or conference center, and families on vacation for resorts in Orlando. A target market allows a hotel to focus their sales and marketing efforts.

What is the target market for luxury hotels?

Business travelers make up the largest segment of business for luxury hotels, particularly during weekdays. Wealthy travelers make up another significant portion of this business.

What is a target market example?

An example of a target market would be a hotel near the Las Vegas airport looking to market itself to business travelers in town for events by partnering with event hosts, placing ads on search terms related to Las Vegas conferences, and offering great loyalty deals for stays during the week.

2.

Technology in the hospitality industry – exploring the very latest trends

Woman in hotel room on phone and laptop

Technology is advancing at a faster pace than ever before, and this is changing both the expectations of patrons as well as the way in which the hospitality industry conducts its business. Some of the trends in industry are leading to great improvements and savings for hospitality industry companies; while some are changing how hotel developers plan their buildings, infrastructure, management structure and staffing requirements.

In this article, Aurecon’s experts look at some of the latest trends in industry.

Wi-Fi infrastructure overhauls

Nowadays, hotel guests who travel with devices such as phones, tablets and computers no longer see Wi-Fi as a perk, but as a must-have when they check in at a hotel.

Hotel guests expect to be able to connect to the internet seamlessly and without too many interruptions, leading hotels to invest in better, faster Wi-Fi infrastructure so that people can do business and use their technology devices with ease when they book their stay.

Hotels are also starting to move away from user pay models. In the past, hotels could charge exorbitant rates and guests knew they would have to pay if they wanted to go online. Installing and maintaining a hotel-wide wireless network may be coupled with costs, but many leading hotel groups have started to install high density Wi-Fi and started to offer in-building mobile phone coverage as guests have come to expect these services during their stay (not only for themselves, but also for their guests if they are hosting a conference or function at the hotel). It might not yet be financially feasible for hotels to completely abandon the user pay model, but many of them are re-thinking their current infrastructure and pricing models.

Digital conference facilities

Besides being able to offer high density Wi-Fi for conferences and meetings, hotels also need to be able to offer access to audio-visual (AV) and digital facilities for conferences. While the amount of AV and digital equipment that goes into a typical conference room is fairly minimal, staging companies are often hired for various projects in order to equip the facility as required.

A generic conference facility image

A key component in designing effective conference facilities that can accommodate this type of technology is creating easily accessible, concealed pathways in ceilings and flooring where adequate power and data connectivity can be facilitated. If a hotel has extensive conference facilities, network design becomes critical to ensure indoor mobile phone coverage, Wi-Fi connectivity, VoIP, real time location services (RTLS) and internet protocol television (IPTV) as well as all the accompanying AV and digital equipment.

Mobile communication and automation

In many airports, it’s no longer necessary to stand in a queue to check in and people are expecting the same kind of easy, technology-driven check-ins at hotels. Guests want to be able to do everything from checking in at a venue’s automated kiosk to ordering room service with a digital device instead of standing in queues and moving around the hotel premises to order food.

Thanks to digital innovation and social media, guests also expect digital interactions with the hotel to be personalised. When investing in digital apps for check-ins, room service and other customer-oriented digital interactions, hotel operators are investing in systems and technologies that can personalise the experience for guests, including a guest’s name being displayed on the welcome desk at a digital check-in station; their food preferences or past purchases being displayed in a digital room-service order system; and similar.

In addition, the ‘concierge in your pocket’ concept is fast gaining popularity due to its ability to allow operators to include useful information such as surrounding entertainment venues; medical facilities; and similar services.

Like many of the other technology trends in the hospitality industry, investing in a check-in/cocierge app requires a small initial investment and can lead to greater efficiency and savings as hotel staff are able to focus on customer service and property developers don’t have to create large static reception desks at each entrance and hotel location.

A generic near field communication image

NFC technology

Near field communication (NFC) technology is the next-generation short-range high frequency wireless communication technology that gives users the ability to exchange data between devices. Communication between NFC devices can transfer data at up to 424 kbits/second and the communication is enabled when two devices touch each other, which makes mobile payments (by touching the smart phone to a credit card) an instant, secure process. This technology is also ideal for self check-ins by guests at hotels as well as the next trend in this article: smart room keys.

Besides payments and an easier way to gain entry to hotel rooms, NFC technology can also be used to personalise a guest’s experience at a hotel or resort. For example, advertising can be targeted based on gender and age (so if a child walks by a digital sign in the lobby, the advertisement can change to promote a local theme park or the hotel’s kids club) and this technology could also be used to track loyalty points from a guest’s use of the conference facilities or room service. This opens many doors for hotels who want to offer a more personalised experience at their establishment.

Robots and infrared sensors

Some hotels are already offering more futuristic experiences, with robots delivering any items ordered through room service to a guest’s door. A boutique hotel that is nestled between Apple’s headquarters and other tech companies, called Aloft Cupertino, has a robot butler called Botlr that is able to move between the various floors of the hotel in order to take items such as toothbrushes, chargers and snacks to guests. These types of digital systems not only make it easy for hotel staff to deliver items to guests, but it also offers a forward-facing digital experience to people who stay at the hotel.

Infrared scanners are now also used to minimise disruptions relating to housekeeping (which is a common complaint from customers). Instead of hanging a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign on doors or having cleaning staff wake up traveling guests with knocks and phone calls, hotel staff can take a more innovative approach by using infrared scanners that will detect body heat within a room and tell cleaning staff that they should rather come back later if the room is currently occupied.

Smart room keys

Hotels will increasingly install smart room access systems that allow guests to unlock their doors by simply swiping their phones across a keyless pad on the door. Starwood (owner of the Sheraton, Weston and “W” hotel chains) has already upgraded 30,000 room locks across 150 hotels with this system and Hilton will be implementing a similar system at 10 of their US properties this year. In 2016, they will be deploying the smart room key technology globally. This technology will mean that guests don’t have to worry about picking up keys and front desk staff won’t have to issue new keys in the event that a guest loses their room key.

Another innovative way to offer a keyless experience is through fingerprint-activated room entry systems and retina scanning devices. Retina scanning is even more accurate and secure than fingerprint scans and hotels like the Nine Zero Hotel in Boston have already installed an iris scan system in place of key cards to control access to the hotel’s presidential suite.

Entertainment on tap

According to a Smith Micro Software trend report entitled The Future of Hotel In-Room Entertainment; people are increasingly plugging in their own devices for in-room entertainment. The hotel room’s television, radio and clock are taking a backseat as travellers use their own technology to keep themselves entertained. An earlier survey by Smith Micro Software showed that 81% of respondents wanted access to mobile video content at hotels and 55% said that mobile content availability at a hotel would influence where they choose to stay.

A generic cloud services imageCloud services

Being able to provide entertainment on tap and mobile content has led to the trend of hotels investing in cloud services. While hotels want to be able to offer digital content, they don’t necessarily want to invest in IT infrastructure and IT staff, making cloud computing the ideal solution.

Not only is the initial capital investment lower than IT infrastructure and servers, but it gives hotels the flexibility to expand and adjust their IT needs along with business growth, invest in upgrades without causing a complete IT system overhaul and it removes the administrative burden of managing an IT system in-house. Cloud computing is becoming the norm and we will continue to see hotel groups replacing their legacy IT infrastructure with cloud solutions.

Feedback on social media

Technology has infiltrated almost every aspect of our lives and hotel developers need to realise that almost any person checking in at a hotel, resort, spa or lodge, will have a smartphone in their pockets.

Many companies in the hospitality industry are already using social media to their advantage as guests check-in on location-based social media apps, tweet about their experience on Twitter and share their holiday photos with friends and followers on Instagram and Facebook. This trend will continue and hotels can expect to see even more social media engagement from guests who use these platforms to give feedback about their experience, complain and give compliments about their stay. Hotel staff are also expected to provide feedback and address and complaints or queries from guests in real-time.

From an online, reputation management perspective, this is a trend that marketers and hotel management need to manage proactively. Consumers don’t make decisions about where they’re going to travel to or book a stay in a vacuum – they turn to community-developed content and rating systems such as Trip Advisor and social media to make decisions about holiday destinations, hotels and leisure. This shift has led to many hotel and leisure groups developing active social media monitoring and communication strategies in order to stay on top of what’s being said about them online and making sure that both marketing and operational staff address feedback that has been given online.

An additional way in which operator can take full advantage of technology in this space is using it to communicate how well they are doing (in real time) with respect to their various environmental initiatives (such as real time electricity/water usage reporting, etc.)

Converged LANs to support multiple services

Converged local area networks (LANs) will also help hotels to create more intelligent buildings. A variety of computer-based building services can be automated in order to control lighting, refrigeration, air-conditioning and heating. Besides reducing energy consumption, converged LANs can also be set up to provide a smarter, more personal experience. If a guest is known to prefer his or her room temperature at 18°C with the lights dimmed to 65%, for example, this can be programmed before the guest checks in at the hotel.

Integrated, seamless experiences

A generic technology imageTechnology doesn’t mean that customer experience can only happen online and through devices, check-ins and online comments. All of these experiences need to be part of an integrated, dynamic system so that the guests’ experiences are at the forefront of the marketing and

operational team’s mind. If a guest leaves a comment about their stay when they check-out of the hotel, for example, the right people need to reply and acknowledge this type of communication. If a guest leaves a complaint about not being able to stream mobile content during their stay, then processes should be put in place to ensure the right person follows up by communicating with the guest and solving the problem at the hotel.

Marketing, management and hotel developers can no longer work in silos and these technology trends are giving them the opportunities, tools and solutions they need to create memorable experiences that can lead to positive change and growth in the industry.

3.

think we can all agree, an event with no attendees is going to flop.

You want every event you produce to be a sell out. Or at least get a respectable number of registrations through the door, in line with your targets.

But how can you attract more attendees, even if you have no money or a very minimal marketing budget to spend?

Let’s be honest, we’ve all seen the fancy billboards and glitzy adverts from large-scale, high-budget events. Without big sponsors and big bucks though you are not going to be able to compete.

It doesn’t mean it is game over though.

Instead, we have gathered 100 realistic event promotion strategies, tools and ideas you can try to boost greater attendance numbers, that will cost you very little.

Here is what is on the menu:

The Event Promotion Definition

The Most Effective Event Promotion Tools for Event Planners

Price vs. Outcome: A Comparison of Mainstream Event Promotion Tools

20 Creative Event Promotion Ideas

20 FREE Promotional Ideas For Events

20 Low Cost but Cool Promotional Event Ideas

20 Online Ideas to Promote Your Events

20 Offline Event Promo Ideas

The Cheat-Sheet to a Better Event Promotion Strategy

OK, we have a lot to cover. Here are 100 free and low cost ideas to help give your event registrations a boost.

What is Event Promotion?

Event promotion encompasses all the efforts made to successfully market an event. The aim of event promotion is to widen the number of people that are aware of the event and consequently to increase attendance in terms of the number of registrations or ticket sales.promototionscustomer

How To Promote an Event Successfully

Promoting your event is big business and the good news is that it doesn’t have to cost the earth. There are a lot of tools and software to help you to boost event attendance. Many of these tools offer free plans and freemium pricing which can grow with the size and requirements of your events. At the end of the day, if used correctly these platforms can pay for themselves several times over by increasing event attendance levels.

What Are the Most Effective Event Promotion Tools?

We asked 2,000 event professionals to rank the most effective event marketing tools. Here they are ranked for you:

Social media

Email marketing

Website

Registration site

Printed media

Influencer marketing

Experiential marketing

Video

Press releases

Remarketing

Social media is the clear winner followed closely by email marketing - an often times neglected tool for event marketers.

Price vs. Outcome: How Mainstream Event Promotion Tools Compare

We think you’ll agree that platforms, marketing and costs can be super confusing when trying to make the best decisions about promoting your event.

We decided to make things a little bit easier for you to analyze the best event promotion tools on the market.

In the handy table below, there is a breakdown of different platforms and marketing channels you can utilise as well as how easy you’re going to find it working with them. Plus, we look at the potential reach you can generate, as well as the downsides and options for specific targeting on each platform.

The average cost per click relates to the amount you’ll probably spend to get attendees to click through to your website, ticket page or even those that go to sign up. There are many factors to consider and obviously these are mostly averages. You may in fact find cost to be substantially lower if you the keywords you are targeting are not very competitive or if you use your own contacts with remarketing or uploading emails.

For direct mail however this gets a bit trickier to track scientifically! It’s a lot harder to track the outcome of an offline campaign. To make it easier, if attendees have to sign up, ask how they heard about the event and collect their addresses in the registration form and you’ll get a better idea of the geographical areas that converted.

Platform Avg. Cost Per Click Ease of Use Potential Reach Drawbacks Targeting Options

Email Marketing $0.17 per email Easy (especially with a well maintained list) High Limited by the quality and amount of email addresses you have on your list. Spam filters can reduce deliverability. Narrow Targeting

Facebook Ads $0.26 Setting up the ad is easy. Targeting can be tricky High You need to understand targeting, Facebook ads, your audience and quality of the ad which can all affect the outcome Adaptive. Broad and narrow targeting options.

Twitter Ads $0.50 - $4.00 Easy to set up High Targeting isn’t as good and engagement on Twitter ads is generally lower so the cost per click is higher Adaptive. Broad and narrow targeting options.

LinkedIn Ads $2.00 Easy Medium It’s more costly, but leads are often better converters. Adaptive. Broad and narrow targeting options.

AdWords $0.05-$2.32 Slightly more difficult to navigate for beginners High For beginners it can feel like a stab in the dark. Cost varies based on keyword competition. Highly targeted

Organic Social Reach For event promo campaigns $0. (although a consideration for the cost of building your audience and content should be mentioned here.) Easy. The level of effort required will depend on the competition in your niche High You’ll always be limited by social platforms because you haven’t paid. Broad targeting

Direct Mail $0.60 (cost of distribution of A5 leaflet per area with high targeting) Medium. Difficult if you’re doing the distribution yourself Medium There’s not a lot of conversion data so while some campaigns are beneficial, others aren’t. A lot of variables. Broad and Targeted. Highly targeted for local events

Now, we know the how, here is the what!

Put these 100 promotional ideas for events into action to start seeing results.

20 Creative Event Promotion Ideas

Nobody wants to attend boring events.

How you promote your events should reflect how innovative your event is. Creativity means you can save money and start to create a positive image in your attendees’ eyes.

Here are 20 creative ways to promote an event (that isn’t going to break your event budget):

Pop-Up Henna Stall

A week before your event takes place, set up a pop-up stall at a local event, in the local town center or even at the local supermarket. A Henna artist should create Henna in a unique style that incorporates your logo or represents the event theme. Hand out event details and let people know that for everyone who turns up at your event with this Henna tattoo, will get free swag or discounts.

QR Code Mystery

Incorporate a little mystery by handing out QR codes on the street that link to prizes, tickets and event information and put up QR codes on A4 posters with a cryptic message. The fact that people won’t be able to immediately guess at the content behind it will make them intrigued and more likely to scan and look.

Create a Live Spectacle

Plan a live activity that can grow and develop in a busy public place over a period of a few hours and that passers-by want to stop and watch. This could be a group of artists creating a huge structure or canvas or wood carving. Create a timelapse of progress to share online too.

Animal Ambassadors

Who can resist a cute puppy or kitten? Partner with a local rehoming shelter and encourage adoption alongside promoting your event! This works particularly well with fundraisers, particularly if this is your chosen event charity, and it has an element of sustainable event promotion too.

Create a Movie Trailer

Use last year’s event footage and testimonials to create a short video about your event to attract others. Seeing the action and including a clear call to action to buy tickets can encourage those considering purchasing a ticket to take the plunge.

Sneaky Book Signings

Get your speakers that have written books to sign copies including your event info. This idea came from Neil Gaiman who covertly signed all copies of his American Gods book at JFK airport and then told his Facebook audience what he had done. This caused all sorts of fans to run for the Delta terminal and the bookstore. If you have authors with a decent profile presenting at your event, consider doing something like this. Use social media to promote it.

Be a Podcast Star

If you have plenty of time before your event, start a podcast and begin to build a following you can promote and tap into that way. If you don’t have a lot of time, ask to guest star on an industry influencers show to reach the right audience. In return offer the influencer free tickets to attend and to give away to their fans.

Chatbots

Use AI technology to take care of anyone looking for answers on your website before they are willing to commit to tickets. Live chat on your website, Facebook messenger and text chatbots can answer and reassure potential attendees that have specific niggles holding them back from booking a ticket.

Local Graffiti

Ask local artists to create a piece of original art that also has your event information in it! Of course, make sure you get permission from the wall owner, or you can set up a temporary wall and canvas specifically for them to create their promotional art on. Offer services in kind or create an opportunity for them to sell their own prints or artwork at the event itself. The artwork could even be commissioned and made into event merchandise such as t-shirts, hoodies, bags and mugs.

Infographics

Create a fun infographic about last year’s event stats and what you’re expecting for this year! Pick a theme they will be interested in and that offers value worth sharing.

World Record Attempt

Investigate world record attempts in your event niche. If there is a current record make a serious attempt to smash it in the lead up to the official event. If there is no record, think creatively for a record attempt that will capture attention. This could even generate some TV coverage ahead of the live event which is the type of promotion you generally cannot afford.

Temporary Branded Seating

If you can’t afford a big fancy advert placement on park benches or local seating, create your own version. Temporary options such as cardboard tables and chairs can be easily printed, decorated or written on to promote your event and give potential attendees somewhere to sit at the same time. Or, if you have a little budget available, hire an oversized deckchair with the fabric custom printed to your design. You could also repurpose for your event too!

Guerilla Performances

If your event has a performance element or theme you can play on, create a preview performance on the subway or another public area. For example, for concerts have acts start playing, for themed events, dress event staff in outfits and interact with the public. Make sure signage and information makes it clear the full details of the event.

Temporary Signposts

Create signposts that lead people to your event or venue easily, they can be made from anything, including cost-effective cardboard or recycled and reclaimed materials. Just be careful not to tamper with any existing signage or confuse your guests, and remove them afterwards.

Well-Known Mascot Characters

Do you have a beloved mascot in your hometown? Or perhaps a relevant cartoon character that everyone loves? Pose for photo opportunities and have your staff dress up to hand out event details.

Host a Free or Sponsored Webinar

For business related events or those that offer some sort of expertise, a webinar can give a preview of what to expect and entice them in. If you can give them some really valuable information for free in the webinar, imagine how much more they can get at the event.

Set Up A City Photo Booth

Photo booths are one of the most popular activities at events so use it as a promo opportunity in advance instead! It doesn’t have to be complicated, just a polaroid camera, signed backdrop curtain with event dates and details and funky props to get people having fun. You can also give options to print the image for a momento to take away.

Social Promises

Get everyone working together by sharing a common goal online to encourage engagement and promotion. It could be promising a giveaway, charitable donation, free tickets or VIP access if your social post gets a certain amount of likes/shares/interaction.

Utilise Storytelling

Share personal stories from people that have attended the event in the past and what it meant for them. Storytelling often sees better results and conversions.

Animated Digital Invites

Make your digital invitations pop by using animations and cartoons that move when the attendee opens them. You could also include interactive elements that become live or animated when hovered over or clicked on.

20 FREE Promotional Ideas For Events

If your budget is gone, it can feel like there are no options left for event promotion. Don’t give up though - we have 20 ideas you can try which don’t won’t cost you anything.

Service Exchanges

A wide ranging idea that could work for anything if you can find the right hook and you’re willing to ask! For example, offer to volunteer at a local event in your area in exchange for promotional opportunities for your next event and sign a service based sponsorship agreement rather than exchanging monetary payment.

Share Behind-the-Scenes Setup

Take your audience on a journey and give them exclusive peeks behind the scenes at your event to build buzz. This could be setup photos, pre-event interviews on what to expect or even a live feed from the backstage area to grow their excitement.

Ask for Referrals

The highest converting type of promotion and most effective marketing tactic is often word of mouth or referrals so get in contact with previous attendees, industry professionals and vendors that have worked with you in the past to encourage them to share the event details with others. If you don’t ask, you don’t get. Many technology tools offer ways to freely generate invite codes and turn past attendees into ambassadors.

Link Your Events

Create recurring or linked smaller events so that you can use them to cross-promote your main event. For example, if you establish a business networking event on websites such as Meetup.com that will help to build a community for your main event.

Speak at Other Events

Offer your expertise by speaking at relevant industry specific events. Without giving a sales pitch you can tap into their pool of attendees with minimal effort and make sure they have heard about your event.

Ensure Event Branding is Consistent

Share social media collaterals such as images or videos, with those who will be marketing the event on your behalf, like industry influencers, speakers or sponsors. Make it as easy as possible for them to schedule and share content that will promote the event. Try to make the images customized for each stakeholder.

Use Image Quotes From Past Attendees

Take a quote from an attendee and overlay it on an interesting background, such as an image from the event. Note their name, job title and organization if they are happy for you to share it. These are great to share on social networks, in blog posts or as stories.

A Photo A Day

Share photos from previous events on social media each day to give a flavor of the event. Make sure you have permission and if you do, consider tagging them in the photo too, to encourage them to share it as well.

Invite Local Journalists

There is bound to be events listings in your local newspaper so submit the event details in plenty of time. Furthermore, preemptively contact journalists and invite them to attend and offer a newsworthy angle and key facts why they should cover the event.

Spend Time Making Conversation on Social

Invest some time on social media each day to get the conversation flowing without selling. Just aim to be helpful and genuine, offering solutions when you can. Try to participate in groups, forums and on popular hashtag chats online.

Comp Passes

Give sponsors, exhibitors and vendors attendee free passes so they can share them with their best clients or invite along colleagues, friends and family. Encourage the favor to be returned by asking them to share widely on social and help to spread the word.

Jump on Exclusivity

Add an exclusive element to your event, whether that’s invite only, VIP areas or secret events and details that only a select few know or are able to access. This makes attending more of a “thing” and strikes FOMO in the heart of unregistered attendees everywhere. Promote your event using exclusivity tactics, such as the first 100 tickets will each receive a VIP upgrade.

Find a Milestone

Milestone events such as a 25th anniversary are always popular because everyone wants to be part of something exciting. Figure out a way to make your event a milestone and promote it from that perspective, e.g. 10th annual AGM, 5th year at the venue, the only event that meets a certain criteria.

Ask Your Personal Network

What are friends and family for? Ask them to share, spread the word and get involved to help the promo cause. If every member of event staff did this too you would reach a very wide network for free.

Crowdfunding Campaign

If you want to raise awareness, test the water and gain support (financial and otherwise), consider launching a crowdfunding campaign. This can help your event to get noticed and offer a registration boost within a set time period (often a month).

Donate Tickets to Charity Auctions

Donate tickets or a VIP package to a charity auction or fundraiser which not only helps worthy causes but means that your event will be written or spoken about in order to explain the prizes. It gets you in front of a ton of people to promote to, while also helping others to fundraise, a win-win situation.

Segment Your Audience

Look at attendees who have attended the event in previous years but have not yet signed up for this year’s event. Reach out and contact them to let them know they are missed. If you can take the time to share a notecard with a handwritten message that could be even more effective in showing them that you care.

Give Great Deals

Probably the oldest trick in the book, but offer deals, discounts and vouchers as an early booking incentive with a clear deadline. 51% of event planners find that early bird rates are the most effective tactic to boost ticket sales. Deals tend to spread like wildfire and if people think they are getting a bargain they are more likely to share with others.

Turn on Social Sharing

This is a given but make sure you have social sharing capabilities on all of your registration software so that it is easy and prompts others to share their excitement when they got a ticket for your event.

Social Media Takeover or Challenge

Hand over the reins of your social media accounts to an alternative voice. This could be the intern or a blogger you are working with. The key thing is to present a different perspective and hopefully to encourage some of their tribe to start following and interacting more with your event account. Another great free idea is to create a challenge, such as a 30-day photo challenge on Instagram. Tap into your niche and set promote that will appeal to your audience. Furthermore, make sure that you like and converse with everyone that gets involved.

20 Low Cost Promotional Event Ideas

You definitely want to use your budget to its full potential but a small budget can achieve bigger things when it comes to event promotion ideas.

Every little helps!

If you have a little bit to invest here are 20 of the best low-cost event promotional opportunities.

Attend Networking Events

There are networking events for a reason! Take brochures, posters and business cards with you and spread news of your event strategically but as far as you can. Perfect your elevator pitch so you can explain succinctly what your event is about.

Blogger Outreach

Research bloggers, vloggers and micro-influencers that have a loyal following in your event niche and approach them to get them on board. Arm them with the chance to earn a commission on those that sign up and buy tickets through them using dedicated discount codes. Make sure you provide them with the access they need and look after them on site too, ensuring the WiFi is up to scratch so they can do what they do best.

Registration Swag

Don’t wait until attendees get to your event before you offer them free stuff! Give them a voucher when they register to exchange for swag on site at the event. This makes them more likely to come along.

Use Social Ad Credits

Just because you don’t have a budget, doesn’t mean you can’t use some of the paid ad services on social media. Many of the channels offer credits, particularly for those who are starting out so use them to promote your event! Just make sure you read a few strategy articles first so you optimize them properly and don’t waste them.

Become an Award Winner (or Giver)

Awards can be an interesting way to gain recognition so apply for relevant categories in your industry, whether it’s a local award or something more prestigious. Alternatively, consider starting your own awards ceremony if it fits your event niche. Everyone wants to be a winner.

Branded Cupcakes

Free food and treats are always a big hit. Invest in some cupcakes with the event details in sugar paper and hand them out. Colored icing and pretty sprinkles are a surefire way to get some social media pictures surfacing too.

Submit to Calendar Sites

Whether they are industry specific or local calendars that showcase events in the area, you’d be surprised how many people have email notifications linked or check event listings regularly to see what is coming up.

Grow Your Event Specific Opt-In

Take every opportunity to build your email list with people that want to hear from you for future event promotion. Make sure that your list is GDPR compliant and that your audience have confirmed that they are happy for their data to be held by you, within specific criteria, as detailed in your privacy policy.

Offer a Loyalty Program

For those that want to hear from you, consider starting a loyalty program. This could mean that the more event tickets they book the closer they get to a lifetime event discount or that on their birthday each year they get a special promotional code entitling them to a free drink at the next show they attend.

Strategic Arrangements With Other Brands

You may not have a lot of budget, but others’ might! Use this to your advantage by partnering with brands so that both sides win. This could be product placement at your event in exchange for free signage and advertising of your event to their networks or another quid pro quo.

Banners

Get vinyl banners printed and get permission to put them up in high traffic areas. These are robust and can cost next to nothing to produce. Request eyelets so you can secure them effectively in outside areas. Also invest in pull up banner stands which can be used inside to promote your event and ask the venue if it can be displayed at the venue for a month or more in the lead up to the event.

Travelling Pop-Ups

Events like to utilise pop-up stalls or shops to promote events but take things that step further by having them pop up from one day to the next! If people think it’s going to be gone tomorrow, they are more likely to act now so take your pop-up on the move. If you don’t want to travel too far, keep it within the city but still jump around.

A/B Testing

Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Check the effectiveness of your different campaigns by testing two variations with a small sample and seeing which one performs the best. Email marketing tools such as Mailchimp, make this easy for you. People have different preferences and this way you can find out which promotional approach is better so that you have better results. More click throughs can mean more ticket sales so you have one shot to get it right.

Exclusive Wearables

For loyal fans or followers, create exclusive wearable ideas like hats, t-shirts and tote bags as a reward and to turn them into a walking promo. It could be something like, for those who attended the first ever event, or registered for several years consecutively. It also incentivises people to sign up each year because they get a nice thank you in the form of free stuff.

Car Vinyls/Magnets

Take your promotion on the road without the need to rent or hire signage vehicles. You can get stickers or vinyls transfers for different parts of your car, or if you want a temporary solution, magnetic door or 3D roof signage.

Repurpose Content

Don’t constantly create new promotional content, simply come up with more interesting and exciting ways to present it. For example, turn existing blog posts into promo videos, turn videos into infographics and repurpose video interviews into blog posts. Also go back to older content to refresh it, add new ideas and up-to-date information.

Create Specific Landing Pages

Create targeted landing pages specific to the call to action that has been clicked so you can focus on the specific information that motivated the website visitor. For example, if an individual clicked specifically through to information about the event location, they want to know how easy it is to get to, and perhaps local accommodation options. If someone clicked through for more information about the content, they want detailed information about whether it is suitable for their level of expertise and what they will get out of it.

Share Your Event Playlist

Create the ultimate playlist, inspired by your event, and share it on Spotify, Amazon Music or other streaming services. Make use of the description box and get your attendees to start following the list. If you have artists performing at your event they can also promote your event and share the ticketing link from certain platforms.

Tell the Story of Your Founder

Set up an interview for the event founder to share their story (and the story of the event) on a respected source that your target audience demographic reads. The more inspirational the journey the greater the interest and this good be a great boost for ticket sales. If time is shorter find opportunities through the #journorequest hashtag on Twitter to submit a short quote in your area of expertise and list the event name instead of the organization name.

Write a Collaborative eBook

Show your expertise by joining the professionals involved in your event together and writing an insightful eBook as a prelude to the event. This could be personal and include stories or it can specifically solve a problem but, either way, use it builds a connection with attendees.

20 Online Ideas to Promote Your Events

The internet has a wealth of potential when it comes to event promotion but it can sometimes be tricky to figure out how to promote an event online. What will give the best results and where should you focus your efforts, particularly if you are working with limited time? Online promotion is more than knowing how to promote an event on social media (though that certainly can help!).

Long-Term SEO Impact

If you have a long lead time before the event, work on improving your SEO and answer long tail target questions your ideal audience ask and make sure the search results offers a clear answer for them. For instance, if someone asks “how do I market my healthcare business” and this is a major theme for your event, make sure you rank for it by creating content that is valued by people who are searching for that answer. Make sure you highlight your event and give a clear call to action to book tickets.

Create Your Own Community

Create an online community where people can connect before the event. Facebook or LinkedIn Groups are ideal for that. Try to create a vibrant place and reasons for like minded individuals to come together and feel at home. Whether it is providing a sense of belonging or bringing together minds that could potentially explore business opportunities together creating a digital meeting space you can offer positive reflections back to your event. Brownie points if you can get your speakers to stop by add a little something - start a discussion, make a comment, share some wisdom.

Get Blogging

Write blog posts about very specific content including “10 Reasons Why You Should Attend ____” and “What to Bring to ______.” Cover the event from a million creative angles.

Highlight Your Professionals

Create a speaker’s page that features professional pictures and credentials. Encourage teaser videos from each of the speakers talking about what they will discuss, request guest blog posts or interview those presenting. If they have books published promote a book signing or meet and greet at the event. You’ve given much thought to your speaker selection, make sure your share it.

Use Lookalike Audiences

Create a list of event attendees and upload to Facebook to help find and target lookalike audiences that may also be interested in attending your event. Facebook identifies people with similar or common qualities to increase the chances of a match. Invest a little budget in reaching these people via social media ads and it could pay off. Aim for a list of 1k people as a minimum to increase the accuracy.

Pre-Event Twitter Q&A

Build the hype and have influencers, entertainment or industry professionals that are involved in your event to interact with attendees before you arrive. Not only does this attract those that signed up to get more information, it can get the event trending and intrigues others to check out the hashtag and your event information.

Go Live

Go Live on Facebook from your site walk through. This will excite potential attendees and they’ll look forward to seeing it for themselves. Do the same thing on Live for the host city or area too.

Use Geotagging Online

Make sure you can tag the location of your event related posts so that they are easily searchable and potential attendees know exactly whether the location is suitable for them straight away without having to look.

Email Creativity

Email marketing campaigns can be effective, you just have to learn how to stand out. Make sure you have a killer email list that you keep up to date, and improve your email subject line as well as the email content offering within to improve open rates. Mass mailings are the biggest turn off, so always ensure that the content is personalized and uses first names. Don’t make the mistake of sending bulk emails to those that have already signed up to attend either.

Use GIFs, Emojis and Humor

Don’t be scared to inject a bit of personality into your social media activity and stand out from the same boring content everyone else is churning out. Share different types of content and use GIFs and emojis to get people's attention. A strong strategy is to understand the pain points of your audience and to create and share humorous insights into the worklife of your attendees.

Remarketing Reminders

Remarket to those that have visited your event website but never checked out. Set up remarketing campaigns with strong call to actions to offer a reminder to book their place. People often need more than one nudge to make a transaction so don’t be afraid to offer reminders to them.

Create a Social Filter

For snapchat or Facebook, create an event specific filter that people can use for pictures. Not only does it let them know about the event, it captures on the screen for their networks to see too!

Website Banners and Advertising

You and your sponsors have website traffic, so use it! Create custom clickable ads and banners to promote the event from multiple sources and drive traffic through to your registration page. Use tagged URLs so you know which traffic sources have been most effective for driving interest.

Event Specific Branding

For the duration of your event promotion, change your branding and information to new colors and pictures. This could be something like a new header or profile photo across your channels, or it could be an entire color shift across your brand.

Email Signature

How many people do you converse with via email per day?! They are all potential employees, customers or sharers of your event so put a non-intrusive mention and link for your event into your signature and let it do some passive promotion for you.

Target Keywords

Research the keywords that are most synonymous with your event and most valuable to you and utilize them in specifically created online content. It makes you easily searchable by improving your SEO.

Expand Your Network

Follow everyone who registers for the event. (You should be asking for social media profiles during registration.) Create a list on Twitter and share content from your attendees periodically and interact and respond to their content too. They will appreciate it and it will make them more loyal to the event if they feel valued.

Run Social Media Contests

Create a social media content which maximizes social sharing and interaction. For instance run a caption competition and let people know that the post with the most activity will have the opportunity to win a tempting prize (ideally donated by one or several of your sponsors).

Share the Caliber of Those Attending

If you are in the B2B arena, let people know the type of people that have already registered for your event. Check on the registration form if they give permission for their name, job title and organization to be listed publicly. Those considering attending will be fired up to buy a ticket when they see people they want to connect with.

Website Badges

Create badges for attendees to add to their sites once they’ve registered. Make the image pop and have it link back to your event page or mini site.

20 Offline Event Promo Ideas

We know that marketing efforts today automatically turn to the Internet when it comes to promoting your event, however offline event promotions can still be effective. Honest!

So, time to unplug and check out these offline-only event promo ideas.

Helium Balloons

Balloons are always fun and when attendees start to walk around with them, they become walking advertising! Plus, kids (and adults) are always wanting to find out where they get one so they will come and seek you out to get one for themself.

Give Staff Accessories

Your event staff should be your biggest fans so ask them to carry event swag with them wherever they go. Whether it’s t-shirts, hats or keyfobs they can always represent the event and turn every meeting into a promotional opportunity.

Flyers and Posters

Printed media can still be an effective way to reach certain audiences and communities. Explore opportunities to have inserts at a similar event your target audience enjoy and put leaflets in strategic places, such as the event venue, tourist information centers and transport hubs. Remember printed items can be made from recycled content and also interesting effects can be created to capture people's attention.

Radio

It’s unlikely you’ll get on any national radio stations but you may be surprised with the opportunities local and voluntary radio stations can bring about! Brainstorm some ideas for promotion in the lead up to the event and even on the day, encourage a mobile broadcast unit to make it to your live event.

Flash Mobs

The possibilities are endless here and you can create flash mobs that are all singing and dancing or something that is particularly event specific like special entertainers or an immersive role play experience in public. Think about the timing and location carefully for maximum promotional impact in the lead up to the event.

Paper Invites

Sometimes, the act of receiving a physical invitation can make more of a powerful statement than an email or digital option. You may not have the budget for fancy printing but if not, taking the time to hand write them could be the personal touch attendees need to sign up!

Chalk Sidewalks

Temporary and completely diverse, chalk is an excellent idea for sidewalk signage to highlight your event. Still ask permission though because even if it’s temporary, private property may still consider it vandalism!

Reverse Dirt

An alternative to the chalk idea is to reverse clean something. For example, create a stencil and use a power washer to wash away street grime within your stencil area. The image lasts longer and technically is just clean vs dirt.

Happy Mail

Direct mail can still work and be worth exploring. Publications and flyers that are sent in the post just have to reach a higher standard now in terms of the copy and the effect they offer. At least there is less competition nowadays as many companies have dropped snail mail marketing completely now to save money. It doesn’t have to be expensive though, and you could go for a different layout, or unusual size, to catch the eye and stand out from the bills.

Yarn Bombing

This is such a fun and creative idea that definitely gets people talking about it. Plan ahead and set up your yarn creation overnight so that when people wake up it has magically appeared in a prominent place that can’t be missed. Yarn bombing works best in smaller areas like the city centre or within a city block so pick somewhere that is going to make the biggest impact.

Shop Window

Many shops will allow you a free poster or ad placement inside their store which can be particularly beneficial for local events. For a truly community feel encourage shops to create their own promotion in keeping with the event theme and make it into a window spotting competition to drive residents to the town center.

Offer a Taster Session

Offer short, 15-minute taster sessions, highlighting some of what people can expect from the event. This gives people enough reassurance and leaves them hungry for more and might just be the push people need to commit to attending.

Video Projections

Use a wall outside the venue and work with your AV partner to project your advert or promotion on to it and let passers-by know what is coming up. It’s as good as a billboard and more innovative!

Outdoor Installations

Turn an existing statue, feature or landmark within the local area into an installation that relates to your event. You could dress them up into a themed character or simply decorate trees and fountains to suit your narrative. Use your creativity (and keep it tasteful).

Traditional Merch

You know the ones; old-school button badges, stickers, magnets, pens etc. You can’t go wrong with handing out freebies and when you do it in person you’re more likely to have extra time to chat and make a potential conversion.

Create a Secret Tour Collaboration

Work with your local businesses and your visitor bureau to create a (not so) secret tour around the city, concluding with your event. Those who sign up to the tour get free entry and you can include other stops along the way.

Human Billboards

Have your staff do some funky sign twirling to music on the sidewalk or dance their way up the street with their own sandwich signage to get attention!

Pop-Up Playground

Make your event synonymous with fun and excitement by having an adult play area complete with blow up ball pit and inflatables. If you don’t have the budget at all, you could exchange this for an obstacle course that they need to complete to earn free tickets.

Giant Props

Oversized objects are always fun and you could create them yourself with a little imagination. While the budget may not stretch to a giant fabricated prop you could create a cardboard house with event signage and allow people to color it in, draw or write messages on it. It could also make an appearance at the event itself if it gets a lot of interactions.

Trusty Business Cards

No matter where you go, take event specific business cards with you. You never know when you’ll find yourself in a networking opportunity and want to remind them about the event and where they can sign up! This goes for your personal business cards too.

The Cheat-Sheet to a Better Event Promotion Strategy: Read This and Get Started

Before you start testing out these 100 event promotion ideas, we have created a quick and easy cheat-sheet to help you to get more from your promotional strategy.

Promoting your event without a plan isn’t going to get you anywhere fast and the most effective event promotion ideas will always be those which are developed specifically with your event audience in mind. Even if time is short you need to know where your time and energy are best focused, rather than flapping and randomly trying things out.

For savvy event marketing you should always be strategic in your approach. If you are ready to develop a detailed marketing strategy you should follow this link for step by step guidance on how to create a detailed event marketing plan.

Otherwise, below we outline a quick start guide to event promotion. If you don’t start here and answer these important questions first you are unlikely to get the results you want. You have been warned!

Use this seven step checklist to select or adapt the best of the 100 ideas for your own event.

Having this knowledge will help you to perfect your event promotion action plan to promote an event on social media, online or offline and get better results every time.

Prioritize Your Objectives So You Can Stay on Track

Everyone has goals and intentions in their head when they plan an event. They also have reasons for needing to promote their event more or differently. This could be to get more ticket sales, to raise awareness with a specific target audience or even to attract more sponsors. Whatever it is, you have to figure it out. Before you spend any money (or time) understand the motivations behind your strategy.

This is the first step:

Make a list of what you want to achieve. And what your boss or client expects to achieve.

Quantify your list. For example “sell 95% of the early bird ticket allocation” and “raise an additional $10,000 in sponsorship revenue.”

Reorder the list so your most important and pressing aims are at the top of the list.

Take Stock of Your Resources to Be Realistic

Take stock of the time, money and resources you have easily available to you. This means you can take advantage of every potential opportunity and identify a plan based on reality rather than a wish list.

You might be richer than you think:

Look at your event budget. How much marketing budget is available? If there is nothing left in the pot can you reallocate funds from other areas? Trim off fat from non-essential elements. After all, nothing matters if you don’t have enough bums on seats. This figure (however miniscule or lavish it may be) will help keep you realitistic with your goals as well as what options are available to you.

Figure out what you can reuse. If you have event props or equipment from a previous event, reuse them, either to help with your event marketing strategy or for the live event! Doing this helps you save wasting money and it’s better for the environment too.

Know your timescales. How long do you have for these event marketing campaigns? There’s no point in plunging all your resources into SEO when your event is only a week away, so timing will influence the decisions you make.

Make it Measurable and Make Informed Decisions

How do you know if your strategy is working or if it needs to be tweaked? Measuring progress not only helps to keep everything on track it allows you to identify when changes need to be made, before it becomes a bigger issue. You can also make more informed decisions when it comes to allocating budget. There’s no point putting your cash into a lost cause and blowing it because it’s not actually where your audience hangs out.

Knowledge is power:

Sync analytics. There are plenty of online tools and tricks to track the progress and statistics of ads, email marketing and even direct mail (although that is harder) so utilise them.

Check frequently. Don’t let your campaign go stagnant by not adjusting according to the data. If your efforts are showing results in one particular area, allocate more resources to that and don’t waste time on those that are less effective.

Reporting. Make sure your entire event team has access to the analytical data so that they are all working towards the same goal. This is particularly applicable if you’re looking for how to promote an event offline.

Know Who You Are Talking To (or turn them off)

Think carefully about the ideal audience for your event as this will influence how you approach your event promotion strategy and the ideas which have success with your audience.

Attract your perfect attendees:

Get specific in terms of who your event is for. And who it isn’t for. Create personas for your key audience and share with your team to help them refine their marketing mindset. Find out which social media channels they are on, their job titles, interests outside of work and whether they have attended your event before.

Analyze past attendees and piece together the data you have to offer a more scientific approach to your event participants. Registration and survey data are often a good place to start.

Everything you craft needs to speak specifically to your key audience. Understand their pain points and offer them solutions to get their attention. Use the right language, otherwise you will lose credibility and they will bounce away.

Unify Your Brand to have Greater Impact

It’s important that you show a unified front to improve recognition of your event and to make promotions more effective. The last thing you want is to appear haphazard in your approach. Unifying your brand isn’t just about the design and style, it is also making sure your tone of voice is the same and shows a professional and coherent approach across all communications.

Set the right tone:

Write editorial and promotional guidelines. This is the easiest way to make sure the whole team is on the same page. Make these guidelines thorough and available to all.

Make sure your social media platforms match. Regardless of whether you have a specific branding for the event or not, make sure your social media platforms are easily recognisable. Use the same profile pictures, backgrounds, colors and engage in the same tone.

Use the same tools backend. Whether it’s scheduling, ads or simply a task manager, make sure you’re all working with the same tools so nothing gets forgotten and to create drafts for checking and sign off before publishing/sending. Provide training to your staff as necessary.

Work Your Relationships to your Advantage

Event promotion strategies are made better when you have more people in your corner, particularly when you are running low on funds. The more people on your side and talking about the event, the wider your organic and potential reach.

Use the power of your crowd to generate more registrations and marketing activity:

Ask for collaborations. Look to create strategic partnerships and collaborate with others in your industry. You may not be able to give them funds but you can work together to help each other in other ways - for instance they provide something “in kind” for your event and you return the favor for one of their projects.

Contact previous attendees. Attendees that have been to your event before are more likely to come again (if they had a good experience). Contact them and let them know about your new event and offer them an incentive to sign up and share details with their tribe, such as money back if they encourage 10 new event registrations. They are more likely to spread the news if there is something in it for them.

Spur your audience into action. This should go without saying but you have your own loyal fans for a reason so ask them for help! Even if the budget won’t stretch, still appeal to them to help you and most likely the loyal ones will. 10 loyal followers rallying to your cause are far better than 100 who are indifferent.

Listen Carefully and Refine Your Approach

The most important way to create a successful event promotion strategy hinges on your ability to understand what your audience actually wants. You can’t get them to do anything, including buying tickets, if you don’t know what they really need.

Put aside your own preconceived ideas:

Ask for feedback. Those who don’t ask, don’t get! Feedback is invaluable and if you are running a promotional campaign that isn’t seeing the results you want, don’t wonder why, ask them.

Hang out where they hang out. Join Facebook or LinkedIn groups that your audience are in, ask questions, engage and establish yourself in their circles. It helps with understanding your audience and also reaching them (don’t be overly promotional though. They can smell it a mile away. Instead just aim to help.)

Use analytics to understand the triggers and motivations which were most effective in getting people to sign up.

An effective promotional campaign can be to genuinely let your attendees make decisions about the event. Crowd source their preferred keynote speaker, which swag appeals to them most and what they want for lunch!

In Conclusion

There you have it, 100 ideas that cost next to nothing and offer lots of opportunities to promote your event. Even if you are short on budget, be smart about it and come up with more creative ways to boost your event promotion strategy. The best ideas will always be personal to your event and capture the imagination of your event audience.

4.

Excellent Customer Satisfaction Survey Examples [+ Templates]

Written by Ruchika Sharma @Sh_ruchika

Customer taking a customer satisfaction survey on their laptop

Every product or service is made for its customers. It's created to either solve their problems or fulfill their needs.

Your product or service revolves around your customers and their experiences, and every single day, you're making significant efforts to provide them with a positive experience.

This journey of providing your customers with a positive experience starts from the moment they land on your website and extends beyond the moment they become your customer. Without question, delighting them and encouraging them to become a loyal customer is a never-ending commitment. As Derek Sivers from CD Baby puts it, "Customer service is the new marketing." And that couldn't be truer.

The Importance of Customer Satisfaction Surveys

Your customers' opinions and feedback are two of the most important factors that validate important decisions within your business, catalyzing your business’s sustainability and growth.

Their opinions also shape the customer lifecycle. If you don’t know what your customers think, you have a lower chance of retaining them, delighting them, and enticing them to make future purchases.

Without question, the voice of the customer is important. So, why don't we involve them enough?

Sometimes we don't know how to.

How do you know if the customer is satisfied? Or dissatisfied? How do you decide to work on a new feature, if you don't even know whether the customer needs it or not? What do you think your customers expect from you? Did they find what they're looking for?

In this post, we'll dig into customer satisfaction survey questions and real examples that you can use to inspire your surveys.

We’ll cover:

Customer Satisfaction Survey Questions

Best Practices for Creating Customer Satisfaction Surveys

Customer Satisfaction Survey Template

Customer Satisfaction Survey Examples

Get More Customer Feedback to Grow Your Business

default_image Esther Nyamai

            HOW TO IDENTIFY TARGET MARKET

1.Look for thoughts that have been posted on social media.

The same way that internet reviews assist gather target market information, so does social media. People love to express themselves on social media sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. In addition, each website has its own set of analytical tools and possibilities for candid feedback. Use your gained information to improve your content by mining your social accounts for market research gold.

2. Track your customer contacts with sales and CRM software.

Again, data is your best friend when it comes to identifying your hotel's target demographic. No one understands your hotel's history better than a good sales and CRM system. Quality applications, such as Social Tables, provide simple mechanisms for collecting and analyzing sales data. The data is then transformed into visually customisable reports.

3. Use Google Analytics to learn more about your website visitors' demographics and other information.

Google Analytics is a free tool that provides a wealth of data. This tool can tell you who comes to your site, where they come from, what they click on, how long they spend on each page, and so on.

In general, there is a lot of good information here. It takes some getting used to, but once you do, you'll be fine.

4. Check out what people are saying about you on the internet.

Online reviews aren't all created equal. But it doesn't rule out the possibility of finding any hidden treasures in your Yelp or TripAdvisor evaluations. Guests will frequently describe why they chose to stay at your hotel, what they anticipated to see, and what they liked most about it. Everything is there if you take the time to search for it.

5. Enable customers to create profiles

This is one of the oldest marketing tricks in the book for good reason. Creating a fake profile of a person who is most likely to stay at your hotel is both a creative and effective tool for understanding your target market. It also presents a visual to help sales and marketing get a better idea of who they should be aiming to please. Outline who they are, what they’re like, their occupation, and anything else you deem relevant.

 

 HOW WILL THE HOTEL REACH IDEAL TARGET MARKET

1.Make Sure You're Reaching the Right People

What kind of hotel are you promoting, and who do you think your average customer is? Marketers of a Super 8 Motel off Route 9 must employ a different method from those of the Ritz Carlton on the Caribbean coastlines' sandy beaches. These individuals travel in various ways, book differently, and have different budgets.

2.During peak booking seasons, allocate more marketing budget.

Your peak booking seasons will be quite different if you own a ski resort in the Alps or a strip of beach rentals on the Cape. As a hotel marketer, you're probably well aware of your peak booking season, but when it comes to ad budgets, you can be a step behind. It only makes sense to spend a larger portion of your annual income.

3.Make Yourself Searchable on the Internet!

Let's face it: technology has surpassed us. The days of travel agencies are long gone. Travelers now have the ability to conduct their own comparative research without ever leaving their beds. If your hotel is difficult to discover online, it's no surprise that bookings are few. For possible bookings, you need to be everywhere relevant online so that people can find you.

4. Continuously market. Because travelers are distracted not just by common distractions (such as pop-up phone alerts and wailing babies), but also by the hundreds of other alternatives available to them, remarketing is a vital component of hotel marketing.

5.Provide incentives to get others to participate.

Why should I choose you over the hotel down the street – or one that is more convenient or less expensive? Your hotel must offer a compelling reason for customers to select you above the competition.

If you can't think of any apparent reasons, such as having the greatest rates or the top ratings, come up with some unique incentives and offers.

                     TECHNOLOGY THAT CAN BE USED TO MARKET THE HOTEL

1.Refurbishment of Wi-Fi infrastructure

Wi-Fi is no just a benefit for hotel customers who travel with gadgets such as phones, tablets, and computers; it is now a must-have when they check in at a hotel. Hotel visitors want to be able to connect to the internet effortlessly and without too many delays, prompting businesses to invest in better, faster Wi-Fi infrastructure.

2.Digital conference facilities

Besides being able to offer high density Wi-Fi for conferences and meetings, hotels also need to be able to offer access to audio-visual (AV) and digital facilities for conferences. While the amount of AV and digital equipment that goes into a typical conference room is fairly minimal, staging companies are often hired for various projects in order to equip the facility as required.

3.Automation and mobile communication

In many airports, there is no longer a need to line to check in, and guests demand the same level of convenience and technology at hotels. Guests want to be able to accomplish anything with a digital device, from checking in at an automated kiosk to ordering room service, rather than waiting in lines and moving about the hotel.

4.NFC stands for Near Field Communication.

NFC (near field communication) is a next-generation short-range high-frequency wireless communication technology that allows users to transfer data between devices. NFC devices can communicate at up to 424 kbits per second, and communication is triggered when two devices touch one other, allowing for mobile payments (by tapping the smart card).

5.Infrared sensors and robots

Some hotels are already providing more futuristic experiences, such as robots carrying room service orders to a guest's door. Aloft Cupertino, a boutique hotel located near Apple's headquarters and other tech businesses, features a robot butler named Botlr that can roam between the hotel's several levels in order to take products. 

                         PROMOTIONS THAT THE HOTEL CAN RUN

1. Promotions tied to specific events

Throughout the year, your location is likely to be involved in a number of major events. It's a no-brainer to take advantage of these and incorporate them in your advertising. People will be investigating these events already, so if your hotel has an offer going on in connection with them, awareness of your hotel and site traffic should rise.

2.Promotions with a theme

There should be lots of opportunities to provide specialized promotions centered on certain activities or the target demographic you cater to. These will be eye-catching and extremely relevant to visitors considering a stay in the region. If you're in a romantic location, for example, you may run sales around honeymoons or anniversaries, or adventurous bargains if you're not.

3.Promotions that change with the seasons

Most sites have a low season, during which tourism is not as busy as it is at other times of the year. Your hotel, on the other hand, does not have to suffer from vacant rooms and hallways if you find the appropriate bargains. Simply lowering the room charge isn't always the greatest strategy, as it doesn't ensure an increase in occupancy. Instead, try including more eye-catching discounts.

4.Promotions for direct bookings

Including unique promotions in your booking engine on your website will encourage customers to book directly rather than through an OTA. It will also aid in the establishment of your hotel website as your primary distribution channel, as well as the growth of profit by removing OTA commission payments. The incentive may be a discount or anything additional, like a free gift.

5.Promotion of joint ventures

In most situations, your hotel will be located in a bustling region where you aren't the only business hoping to profit from the influx of visitors. Combining with other firms will lower your promotion and marketing costs while also expanding your reach, as long as your partner keeps their end of the agreement. It may also provide you with access to a new market and allow you to grow.

                 USE THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONSTO ACQUIRE THE RIGHT CUSTOMER FEEDBACK

1.What is the length of time you've been using the product?

2.What other options did you examine before buying the product?

3.What is the frequency with which you utilize the product or service?

4.Is the product assisting you in achieving your objectives?

5.Which tool or feature of the product or service is your favorite?

6.What would you change if you had the chance?

7.Which aspects of a product do you think are the most important?

8.Which feature of the product do you prefer?

                             

default_image Anakha S Raju

Most front office managers will readily admit that they rarely have all the resources they feel are necessary. Available resources include people, money, time, materials, energy and equipment. But all these are in limited supply. An important part of a front office manager's job involves planning how to apply these limited resources and to generate maximum revenue.

At the planning stage, the front office manager shall determine the department's goals, later he shall use these goals as a guide for planning more specific and measurable objectives. Planning in front office management involves 3 main functions. They are establishing room rates, Forecasting room availability and budgeting for operation.

1) Establishing room rates

        Each hotel has different room rate categories based on roomsize, location, view, furnishing and amenities. Each category is assigned a rack rate based on the no:of pax occupying the room.

Rack Rate: It is the standard price determined by the management. Hotel design a standard rate for each category of rooms offered to the guest. These are the highest possible rate for each category of rooms.

• Corporate rates

• Package rates

• Seasonal rates

• Advance purchase rate

• Day and half rate

• Group rate

• Tour rate

• Employee rate

• Government rate

• Membership rate

• Introductory rate

• Complimentary rate

• Promotional rate

Room Tariff Fixation

1. Cost based: It is a room rent determination technique that covers the basic cost of operations at a given level of service, plus the pre-determined percentage of return on investment. Cost + fixed profit percentage= Selling price.

  

    (a) Rule of thumb: This is also known as cost rate formula. This is the oldest method of determining the room rent of the hotel. According to this approach, the room rent should be fixed at the rate of Rs. 1 for each Rs. 1000 spent on the construction and furnishing of the room, assuming that the average occupancy is 70% for the year.

    (b) Hubbart formula: Also known as bottom up approach. This is a scientific way and most recent approach, of determining the room rent, was developed by Roy Hubbart in America in the 1940s. It resolve all the problems of the rule of thumb approach. To determine the average selling price per room, the approach consider operating cost, desired profit and expected number of the rooms sold.

2. Market based: Market based pricing is setting a price based on the value of the product in the perception of the customer. In this case, the hotel works backwards as it first makes an accomodation product available at a price that a guest is willing to pay, and then it tries to cut down on the cost to achieve a reasonable rate of return on that basis.

2) Forecasting room availability

Forecasting means to say what will probably happen in the future.Thus forecasting is the prediction of future happenings based on the precise analysis of the data available for the past rather that guess work.

The most important short term planning performed by a forecasting room availability is forecasting the number of rooms available for sale to WALK IN guests on any given date. Room availability forecast or room position can be defined as number of rooms available for sale to the walk in guests. The 3 types of room positions are plus position, neutral position and minus position.

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Modern Principles Of Economics 3rd edition (Purchase / Rent)

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The hospitality industry is competitive and businesses need

The hospitality industry is competitive and businesses need to keep up with the latest hospitality trends to avoid being left behind. Additionally, keeping pace with the industry as a whole is a great way to ensure your business delivers the kind of customer experience people want and expect (Revfine, 2021).

In this assignment, you will be required to compile a academic research assignment that includes an investigation of the following aspects:

please Investigate 5 of the biggest Food and Beverage Trends that have influenced how customers experience the Hospitality Industry in 2020/2021.

It will be expected to submit evidence of these 5 major Food & Beverage that you have experienced/ witnessed or even researched in the South African Hospitality market.

Evidence can include an interview, pictures of a local restaurant's product offerings or any scientific research.

Once these 5 trends have been identified , please compile a report that describes each trend in detail.

Expert Answer

default_image Braison Sammy

Introduction

In the recent years, there has been a significant change in the food and beverage industry particularly in South Africa. The change at the societal levels and aftermath due to the COVID 19 pandemic has created new hospitality enterprise benchmarks. An interview was conducted with 10 respondents at the Reef hotel in south Africa during a study for the current trends in hospitality industry and several changes were identified which emerged as a result of the pandemic. These changes resulted to reshaping of the hospitality industry in different ways such as change in staycations, experience in digitalized guests and contactless technology, personalization among many others. This report presents some of the current trends in the food and beverage sector as well as the overall hospitality industry in South Africa.

Staycations

Universal tourism and 2020 travel restrictions due to the pandemic has led to the increase in staycations. Some tourists may be selecting to vacate closer to residents for budget or environmental purposes with the year 2021 having high number of domestic holidays in south Africa.

Contactless technology and digitized guest experience

Apps in common are increasingly significant in the way hotel managers manage the services they give to their clients and may now regulate many guest cycle aspects and experience. This has gained a progress in 2020. Clients getting services previously are being provided with an overhaul due to increase in the use of technology like biometrics, voice control, mobile check-inn among others.

Personalization

Currents hospitality clients expect to be treated and recognized as individuals related to specific foods and beverages liked by the client. The food and beverage sector is going an extra mile to greet their clients personally while tools like Zoho and Mailchimp have created individualized marketing through email accessible to everyone, making sure that potential clients get specified information. The information gives the past habits for buying which enables food and beverage sector to tailor their promotion and products as well as providing same services to previous stays automatically.

Automation and technology

This wide sweeping class speaks to the developments in technology which have been identified to decrease time for waiting, outsourcing menial work to robots as well as use of wide information to maximize processes. For instance, al-powered chatbots have proven to be a client service asset both in responding to the questions that recur and during the process of booking to act as protective measures related to COVID 19.

Generation X and Y

The new generation has different needs and requirements as differentiated to the older generations. This difference is seen in the quality and types of foods and beverages, experience during vacations in terms of travelling among others. The new generation needs to explore new foods and new hospitality places for adventure as compared to the old generations. Other trends in the food and beverage industry in South Africa are sustainability, virtual and augmented reality, solo travelers emerged in 2020 among many others.

Conclusion

In summary, the COVID 19 pandemic has resulted to a significant change in the food and beverage sector as well as the general hospitality industry. Some of the trends observed currently in South Africa include: generation X and Y, automation and technology, sustainability among many others. The hospitality industry is an ever-changing industry which depends on the perception of the clients to drive the change for their satisfaction during vacation.

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Registering a guest and checking them into the hotel.

Internal control measures on tracking guest spending’s while at the hotel.

Check-out and account settlement.

And a checklist that are to be used by the Night Auditor in conducting Night Audits.

Expert Answer

default_image Sumit Sardesai

Answer :- Front office audit, or more commonly night audit in a hotel, is a significant part of a hotel’s accounting section. This process records, reviews, and collates all financial activities of the hotel that have taken place in one day and posts them on appropriate account heads.....

Checklist that are to be used by the Night Auditor in conducting Night Audits....

Complete Outstanding Postings: ensure all guest transactions from the day (ie: parking fees, room service or mini-bar charges, laundry, telephone or internet charges, etc.) have been correctly posted to guest accounts.

Reconcile Room Status: reconcile occupancy and housekeeping reports and verify any “no shows” to confirm actual room statuses and overall hotel occupancy rate.

Verify & Post Room Rates: reconcile guest registration records to room reports to ensure the quoted and charged room rates match, and if not, then confirm the discrepancy (ie: room reserved at standard rate, then booked with a corporate rate discount upon check-in). Post accurate room and tax charges to appropriate guest accounts.

Balance All Departments: close out and balance all revenue centre departments, such as food and beverage outlets, comparing POS software totals to transaction slips or reports within PMS.

Balance Processed Payments: tally cash on hand and run a batch close on all payments processed; reconcile all settled payments.

Run Reports: run management reports, such as hotel trial balance, and generate guest folios for following days’ check-outs....

Please research the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on:

Please research the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) on:

1. Registering a guest and checking them into the hotel.

2. Internal control measures on tracking guest spending’s while at the hotel.

3. Check-out and account settlement.

Expert Answer

 default_image Brenda edewait

                                                  GUEST REGISTRATION AND CHECK-IN PROCESS

When Guest arrives at the reception to check-in:

Great the guest.

Enquire about the Last name / First name of the guest.

Search for the reservation record and print registration card ( if the same is not pre-printed )

Present the Registration Card to guest for verifying/reconfirming preprinted details Like :

Arrival Date. Time.

Departure Date, Expected time of departure.

Room Rate.

Room Number.

Room Type.

Method of payment.

Billing instructions.

Meal Plan

Request for ID Proof for local guests and Passport and Visa details for foreigners.

WAYS OF CONTROLLING GUEST EXPENSES IN A HOTEL

All transactions in the Hotel should be recorded in the relevant books, with support documents. Management Account should be presented.

Room sales should be recorded once a guest book in. Daily monitoring of the status of rooms, and reconciling other income with the cashier report.

Use of requisition and payment vouchers. Approval and Budgetary control should be in place for expenditures.

   GUEST CHECKOUT AND ACCOUNT SETTLEMENT

guest checkout procedure

procedure at checkout includes:

 Greet guests with a smile and always try to use their names.

 Confirm guest details- name and room number- against the guest’s account. Inquire about the

guest’s stay at the hotel.

 Check departure date. If the guest is leaving earlier than expected, other departments will need to

be informed.

 Check whether late checkout charges should be applied. If the guest is leaving after 12-noon check

out time and is not a frequent guest, add the relevant late checkout charges to the account.

 Check for late charges-you can even inquire from guests. Examine current entries on a guest’s folio

and check for any mini-bar, breakfast, or telephone charges.

Give the guest folio and/or master folio for checking. (When the guest checked in, the

receptionist will have determined whether one or two folios are to be produced.) All queries must

be handled without fuss and in a pleasant helpful manner.

 Complete guest settlement of accounts (using the appropriate method).

Provide front office services upon guest departure such as receiving the guest’s key and checking if

they have used a safe deposit box which now needs to be emptied or if they have returned any

housekeeping items such as hairdryer, hand iron, charger, etc.

 Offer the assistance of the bell staff to collect the luggage.

 Inquire if the guest would like to make a future reservation or an onward reservation in another

hotel within the chain.

Update front office records. The most important records to update are the room status list

and the residents list in order that other departments can accurately know the room and

guest status.

METHODS OF GUEST ACCOUNT SETTLEMENT

Cash payment in full at check-out is the most direct way to bring a guest account balance to zero. When processing a cash payment in full, the front desk agent should mark the folio as paid.

Credit card: Even though credit card settlement brings a guest account to zero, the amount of the charter must be tracked until payment is actually received from the credit card company.

Direct Billing: Like credit card settlement, direct billing transfers a guest’s account balance from the guest ledger to the city ledger. Unlike credit card settlement, responsibility for billing and collecting direct billing lies with the hotel rather than an outside agency.

combined Settlement Methods: A guest may elect to use more than one settlement method to bring the guest folio balance to zero. For example, the guest may make partial cash payments and charge the remainder of the account balance to a credit card.

Related Book For Sale

Auditing Cases An Interactive Learning Approach 6th edition (Purchase / Rent)

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 default_image Brenda edewait

                                                  GUEST REGISTRATION AND CHECK-IN PROCESS

When Guest arrives at the reception to check-in:

Great the guest.

Enquire about the Last name / First name of the guest.

Search for the reservation record and print registration card ( if the same is not pre-printed )

Present the Registration Card to guest for verifying/reconfirming preprinted details Like :

Arrival Date. Time.

Departure Date, Expected time of departure.

Room Rate.

Room Number.

Room Type.

Method of payment.

Billing instructions.

Meal Plan

Request for ID Proof for local guests and Passport and Visa details for foreigners.

WAYS OF CONTROLLING GUEST EXPENSES IN A HOTEL

All transactions in the Hotel should be recorded in the relevant books, with support documents. Management Account should be presented.

Room sales should be recorded once a guest book in. Daily monitoring of the status of rooms, and reconciling other income with the cashier report.

Use of requisition and payment vouchers. Approval and Budgetary control should be in place for expenditures.

   GUEST CHECKOUT AND ACCOUNT SETTLEMENT

guest checkout procedure

procedure at checkout includes:

 Greet guests with a smile and always try to use their names.

 Confirm guest details- name and room number- against the guest’s account. Inquire about the guest’s stay at the hotel.

 Check departure date. If the guest is leaving earlier than expected, other departments will need to be informed.

 Check whether late checkout charges should be applied. If the guest is leaving after 12-noon check out time and is not a frequent guest, add the relevant late checkout charges to the account.

 Check for late charges-you can even inquire from guests. Examine current entries on a guest’s folio and check for any mini-bar, breakfast, or telephone charges.

Give the guest folio and/or master folio for checking. (When the guest checked in, the receptionist will have determined whether one or two folios are to be produced.) All queries must be handled without fuss and in a pleasant helpful manner.

 Complete guest settlement of accounts (using the appropriate method).

Provide front office services upon guest departure such as receiving the guest’s key and checking if they have used a safe deposit box which now needs to be emptied or if they have returned any housekeeping items such as hairdryer, hand iron, charger, etc.

 Offer the assistance of the bell staff to collect the luggage.

 Inquire if the guest would like to make a future reservation or an onward reservation in another hotel within the chain.

Update front office records. The most important records to update are the room status list and the residents list in order that other departments can accurately know the room and guest status.

METHODS OF GUEST ACCOUNT SETTLEMENT

Cash payment in full at check-out is the most direct way to bring a guest account balance to zero. When processing a cash payment in full, the front desk agent should mark the folio as paid.

Credit card: Even though credit card settlement brings a guest account to zero, the amount of the charter must be tracked until payment is actually received from the credit card company.

Direct Billing: Like credit card settlement, direct billing transfers a guest’s account balance from the guest ledger to the city ledger. Unlike credit card settlement, responsibility for billing and collecting direct billing lies with the hotel rather than an outside agency.

combined Settlement Methods: A guest may elect to use more than one settlement method to bring the guest folio balance to zero. For example, the guest may make partial cash payments and charge the remainder of the account balance to a credit card.

Related Book For Sale

Auditing Cases An Interactive Learning Approach 6th edition (Purchase / Rent)

Get help from Human Resource Management TutorsAsk questions directly from Qualified Online Human Resource Management Tutors.

Best for online homework assistance.