Having a great venue or a meeting space isn’t always enough to attract planners attention. To build a stronger partnership with the planners, you need to be their hero. You need to understand their pain points at every step of the entire venue sourcing process and help them execute compelling event experiences by making every interaction with a planner quick and service-oriented. Basis on the responses recorded in our 2019 Planner Sourcing Report (Asia Edition), today’s multi-tasking planner prioritises speed, efficiency and professionalism. Below are the best practices to follow in order to attract planners’ attention and win more MICE business.
Be Prompt & Efficient
To gain planners’ attention, there’s a need to make your communication prompt and efficient. In addition to a heavier meeting load, most planners are now faced with increased attendance at events. Planners simply do not have the time to waste on inefficiency or miscommunication. In fact, 46% of the planners surveyed in Asia say that they have lost interest in a venue because of poor communication as per the Asia edition of 2019 Cvent Planner Sourcing Report. In this fast-paced world, speediness plays a crucial role. When planners feel that you value their time and respond to an RFP with all the requisite details, they immediately get impressed and tend to become your loyal patrons. This may well be rewarded with increased chances of winning the business.
Be Transparent
38% of the planners surveyed in Asia say that trustworthiness is the primary area that needs improvement. This indicates that hoteliers need to further work to earn planners’ full trust. In the Asia edition of Cvent’s 2019 Planner Sourcing Report, a third-party planner states, “Even if a venue does not provide something we want, this should be clearly stated in their RFP response. We do appreciate, however, when a venue applies lateral thinking to our needs and makes unexpected recommendations.” Hospitality professionals need to boost transparency, responsiveness, and customer service to see improvements in this area. More than half (51%) of the planners cite hidden fees and changing costs as the reason for not submitting an RFP to a venue. They prefer properties that offer transparent and competitive pricing.
Provide Memorable Experience
Planners are under pressure to create compelling, tightly managed and financially successful event experiences. The increase in the number of events doesn’t allow for a decrease in quality – or expectations. With more on the line, they expect event experiences that increasingly leverage digital channels of communication like social media, live entertainment, and creative alternatives such as pop-up events. The importance of integrating social media displays has grown steadily over the past few years, and for Asia planners, it now ranks as the most important strategy for a memorable event experience. This years’ Asia edition of Cvent’s Planner Sourcing Report noted that 61% planners cite activities held outside of the venue as one of the top three factors influencing whether to send a venue an RFP. This points to the importance planners place on creating a strong event experience. With the pressure of delivering a better attendee experience, the cost has taken a back seat. Planners are looking to collaborate with venues which can deliver an outstanding event. After all, it is all about the experience!
