You may think that the first quarter of the year is the slowest time for booking and planning events, but according to a recent survey, people in the UK will be getting ready for their next celebrations at the beginning of 2023.
Tripleseat surveyed 500 UK consumers about their 2023 event plans, and here’s a look at what venues should be preparing for:
1. Planning picks up after Christmas
All the parties and merriment around Christmas and New Year did not tire out UK customers, as they are already identifying moments to celebrate in 2023. 53% of consumers said they are planning one to two events in the first six months of 2023. And 42% of consumers said they book their event venues one to three months in advance.
When asked how much they would be spending on their events, Londoners are tied between a budget of less than £1,000 and £1,000-£5,000.
How should venues respond? The first quarter of 2023 is a good time for venues to get the proper event management tools in place. Tripleseat, a cloud-based booking and enquiry management software for restaurants, hotels, and unique/special venues, has the features you need to increase sales without increasing your workload. Tripleseat enables your venue to acquire leads that turn into bookings, manage every detail, and analyze your success with detailed reports.
2. Consumers want to celebrate in the spring
Spring is the most popular time of the year for events to occur, coinciding with notable celebrations such as Easter and the coronation of King Charles III.
The most common event types being planned include birthday parties, holiday celebrations, anniversaries, social events, and weddings. These intimate gatherings, on average — 67% — will have less than 20 guests.
Tripleseat’s CRM capabilities allow your venue to identify contacts that have previously booked with you for the spring season, pull that list, and then send them marketing emails to ask if they would like to hold this year’s event at your venue. If you’re vying for new customers, make sure to create organic and paid social media content, email newsletters, and digital ads that include a link to your event enquiry lead form to make it easy for new customers to start the booking process.
3. Venues are the top place to party
When asked where they are holding their events, 67% of people said they’re planning to book a venue instead of hosting at home. The top event venues are a pub or bar, private restaurant space, hotels, and unique venues.
Venues need to have specific amenities to host these celebrations. Brits said their top preferences are:
- Dance floor
- Outdoor space
- Bar package
- Live music/DJ
- Enough restrooms for guests
- Lounge
- Variety of seating arrangements
Venues should ensure their amenities are listed prominently on their website and venue listing profile with EventUp, the largest venue directory with more than 15,000 restaurants, hotels, and unique spaces. 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.
4. Catering is on the menu
More than ⅓ of people who responded to the survey will order catering. No matter where the event takes place, food is a pivotal component, and 74% of hosts offering food at their events choose a buffet style for guests to serve themselves. The most popular meals being served for events are a cocktail party with appetizers and dinner.
This is a perfect opportunity for venues to promote and streamline their catering services and options, including dinners, appetizer selections, office lunches, and party deliveries. Restaurants like Maggiano’s Little Italy recognized that their catering services were a growing source of revenue and adopted Tripleseat+ Direct for sales and catering management. They use the technology to generate, manage, and execute all the enquiries they receive daily across their 52 locations.
5. Consumers want technology that makes planning easy
Brits prefer to use technology to book events. 42% of Londoners prefer to book through the venue’s website, and 19% of consumers would like to use a technology platform that allows them to book everything at the same time. 50% of people say they are moderately to extremely comfortable booking an entire event online by themselves.
Technology comes into play when it comes to searching for an event venue. Almost a quarter of people search for event venues on Google. And technology often pairs with venue selection: 59% prefer recommendations from friends, family, and peers through word of mouth or social media.
Tripleseat+ Direct is the best technology available, making event booking easy for you and your customers. It gives customers a zero-touch, frictionless and easy way to book, order, and pay for on-premise events, off-premise events, and take-out or delivery catering, saving your venue time and resources.
Don’t hesitate — get the right tools in place now
Keep the momentum going from the holiday season and take it into the new year. Venues that keep on track will be the first ones booked for 2023 events, and Tripleseat can get you there. Take advantage of Tripleseat’s features to drive more bookings, increase efficiencies, and provide exceptional service.
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. Tripleseat is used by restaurants, hotels, bars and pubs, and unique venues to manage all of their events. To date, the Tripleseat platform has helped venues book over 6 million events and capture £13.5 billion in event enquiries. To learn more about Tripleseat or to schedule a demo, please visit www.tripleseat.com/restaurants-uk.
