At the start of a new year, it’s very common for restaurants to examine their software needs and evaluate possible tools that save time and generate revenue.
Is event management software on your list for 2023? It should be, and here are 5 reasons why you should consider it.
1. It generates more leads
Your prospects look everywhere for possible event venues — your website, search engines, Google Business listings, venue listings websites, and all social media networks. Event management software has lead forms that can be shared on every marketing platform and enables you to be in all the right places at the right times when prospects are active.
You can customise your lead form to reflect your branding and ask all the questions you need of a prospect to get started on their event. Or create multiple lead forms for different occasions, like wedding receptions, holiday parties, or corporate events, that pull in relevant information from leads. Plus, evaluate how effective your lead sources and lead forms are by using reporting tools.
You can also add your lead form link to venue listing sites such as the EventUp venue marketplace with options to upgrade to premium listings for more exposure to planners. Designed with corporate, social, and wedding event planners in mind, EventUp allows planners to browse and book the perfect venue for their event in only a few clicks.
2. Get time back in your day
Event professionals are busy, and with events and catering bookings on the rise, you have even less time to spare. Wouldn’t it be great if the customer made all the decisions and all you had to do was approve and deliver on their request?
Event management software can make it happen. There are platforms that allow customers to reserve, order, and pay for off-premise catering events, on-premise events, or takeout/delivery catering. It’s a zero-touch, frictionless way for customers to easily do business with your venue. You remain in control over every detail — you can approve or deny bookings and set limitations on the booking form.
3. Streamline communication
How many times have you written the same email over and over again to multiple clients? How many times have you sent a client a contract or function sheet, updated the paperwork a few minutes later, and had to send yet another email with the newest version of the document?
Say goodbye to those frustrations because event management software is here to save the day.
Event management software typically includes templates and features that make communicating with clients and staff easier, starting with documents. You can create templates for the documents you use most when managing events, including function sheets, contracts, invoices, menus, proposals, kitchen sheets, terms and conditions, and more. The documents can pull in billing information, menu items from your picklists, menu item categories, client names, event dates, guest counts, and other important details. The documents are updated in real-time, so every version is the current version.
We know that event professionals send the same emails and answer the same questions day after day, multiple times a day. That’s why event management software has email templates, email signatures, and merge fields to set up your replies in advance and make this process more efficient. And you can customize subject lines for discussions on a template basis with a template that sets up a default subject line with the ability to customize it when needed.
4. Keeps your staff on the same page
If keeping organised is on your professional to-do list for 2023, you’re in luck. Event management software features help your team track every detail to make sure nothing gets lost.
You can sync your event management software calendars to your desktop and mobile phone, so your schedule is accessible no matter where you are. If you have multiple calendars in your dashboard, you can add the calendars you want to your devices.
Task features take organisation to a new level. You can set up manual tasks in many event management platforms for just about anything — such as phone calls, email follow-ups, and payments — and set up a due date and reminders. The automatic task option is an organisation junkie’s dream. Create tasks that are triggered by an action for leads, events, or bookings; assign a task type; assign a due date; and select users that should be notified.
5. Report on everything
Event management software takes the guesswork out of your event and catering bookings and revenue. Event management platforms offer business intelligence built to help you make informed hospitality data decisions.
The reporting provides a comprehensive snapshot of your sales tasks, projections, and up-to-date financials. It helps you plan with forecasts, historical analysis, and market segmentation. Access in-depth reports for booking, event sales, and more to help you manage your business. Your data is displayed in customizable dashboards to quickly view and realize actionable insights on the most relevant data for your venue.
Set yourself up for success
There is a brief window between the end of the holiday season and the ramp-up to 2023 event bookings. If you start using an event management software like Tripleseat at the beginning of the year, you’ll be equipped with the tools you need to manage and grow your events and catering business for the rest of 2023.
About Tripleseat
Tripleseat is a catering and event management platform used by more than 15,000 venues each day, enabling them to streamline the planning process and increase sales. To date, the Tripleseat platform has helped venues book over 10 million events and capture £13.5 billion in event enquiries. To learn more about Tripleseat or to schedule a demo, please visit https://tripleseat.com/restaurants-uk/.
