 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
August 2009 | Vol 2 Issue 7 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
The Beverly Clark Hospitality Training Newsletter provides catering professionals with the ongoing tools and resources they need to meet the challenges they face and assist them in finding solutions with not only the wedding market, but all aspects of their business, including corporate markets, social catering, sporting events such as golf and tennis tournaments and charitable events.
|
Webinar Series - #4 Preparing for the 2010 Wedding Season
Join us Online on October 21, 2009 at
11am PDT/1:00pm CDT/1:00pm EDT
(approximately a one-hour duration)
Topics will include:
Trend Alert - What's on the Horizon for 2010, Destination Weddings – This May Be Your New Market!, Making the Most of Your Advertising Dollars, Multi-Cultural Wedding Opportunities,
Planning and Participating in Bridal Events, Your Annual Wedding Marketing Plan - New Ideas!
To register or for more information >>
Please visit our Learning Center
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Tools |
|
|
 |
|
4th Quarter Revenue...The Final Push for 2009!
2009 is quickly drawing to a close - year end is in sight! Do you have your final "revenue push" strategy in place? It's not too late!
Whether you are ahead of your financial goal for 2009 or well below it, a final strategy to maximize the 4th quarter of 2009 is in order. Follow a few simple steps to creating a plan to help you close the year in grand style!
- Goal Setting – If you don't know what the goal is, how will you know if you achieve it? Take a look at your financials and set your goal for new sales between now and year-end. Make sure to take into account any year-to-date deficit you have.
- Weekly Booking Goals – Know what you need on a weekly basis in new sales in order to reach your goal for the year.
- Have a Plan - Take a look at your current marketing plan and determine if the programs and action items you have between now and year-end are enough to get you to your goal. If not, REVISE! Create "gap plans" to make up the difference.
- Upsell – create an upsell strategy for every event between now and year-end. What trends can you take advantage of in order to increase per-event revenue? (Think weddings as well as holiday events)
- Time Management – Assess your current work habits and identify where you can save time and energy and put those extra minutes into generating new revenue. Prioritize!
- Prospect...even more! Current conditions require extra effort on the prospecting front. Utilize tools such as Google Maps for free prospecting lists.
- Ask for Help – use your team to help you brainstorm new ideas or revised "best practices" that will help you finish the year strong.
The most important thing is to have a plan – leave nothing to chance. With large, monstrous goals broken down into smaller, daily and weekly goals, actions items and plans, anything is possible!
Print this article >>>
All-new, 2009 Beverly Clark Wedding Professional Certification Course -
Know the secrets to not only increasing your wedding revenue, but to creating the experiences that will leave your brides in awe!
Pricing:
$599.00 per person
Please inquire about multiple person discounts
For more info & to register, please visit >> BeverlyClarkTraining.com
"Thank you so much for this program! It was great information put into a very concise package. I felt that each lesson was so well done that I went through each one with our food and beverage team. We, as a team, learned so much from each lesson! This is also a wonderful resource that will not just be completed and put away; I will keep it near as a constant reminder/refresher.
Thank you again, Lynne, it was a pleasure taking this course and learning valuable information for current clients and future sales."
Amy Milne
Director of Catering Sales
Forest Park Golf Course
|
|
|
|
"Upgrade your knowledge continually; buyers are more sophisticated today than ever before."
- Brian Tracy
|
|
|
| Tactics |
|
 |
Destination Weddings – Are You a "Destination"?
With the special events industry taking our financial "knocks" this year, we have heard (and rightly so) a lot of buzz about weddings being the "recession proof" market to target. Absolutely correct! But let's get a little more specific about one market in particular...
We have been saying all year that brides today may be trying a skimp a little on their budgets (cutting the guest list being the first place they try to save). A survey conducted for Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine forecasted that the average budget for a traditional wedding fell 7% in the past year to $20,398 as a national average. Where is the good news here? The fact is that they are all still hosting the event, and multiple wedding related events at that. That in itself is good news. More pointedly, the same survey also revealed that the destination weddings market will grow to $16 billion this year from $13 billion in 2008, extending a streak that has seen the market boom from just $3 billion in 2001. Now that's the kind of news we like to hear!
When talking about destination weddings, most people automatically think tropical or exotic locales – Mexico, Caribbean, Europe, Hawaii, etc. Destination weddings are defined as a wedding taking place outside of a 100 mile radius from the bride & groom's home town. The "destination" does not have to be a beach or island location – just "away". In a recent Beverly Clark survey of our brides, for those stating that they were having a destination wedding (56%!), Florida, California, Arizona, New York and Georgia all made it into the top ten as to where the event would be held!
So, have you ever considered yourself a destination wedding venue? Here are a few things to think about when trying to break into this booming market:
- Do the work. Take time to speak to industry destination wedding experts to determine if your location is destination wedding friendly, and what you could do to attract and book more events
- Becoming known as a destination wedding hot spot is all in the knowledge of your sales team and the marketing of your property. Become keenly aware of all the local area cultural points of interest and things that would be attractive to out of town guests. Market your property as a destination by showcasing all that you have to offer as well as the surrounding area
- Build relationships with event planners and travel agents who specialize in destination weddings and events – they will bring you the best events!
- If brides contact you directly, also refer them to a great event planner (one that you have built a relationship with in #3, above) who can handle all aspects of the destination event that you cannot handle – guest travel, invitations, welcome amenities, event design and décor, activities, etc.
- Market (advertise) your business on a wider scale – not just to local markets. Research to determine where your "pull" market is from and advertise to specific, targeted areas.
For wedding industry vendors outside of hotels, resorts, event venues, country clubs, wineries, etc., the same theory applies. Determine if your business or service "can travel" and if you actually want to! Then, do # 1 – 5 above as well as researching what the local vendors have to offer so you see what you are competing against and why you are better. Why would a bride pay to transport you to her event when she could book local? You MUST have a great answer to this question. Trust me, the brides will be asking the same thing.
Never thought of yourself as being in the destination wedding market before? Well, maybe it's time to re-think it!
Print this article >>>
" Don't bring your need to the marketplace, bring your skill. If you don't feel well, tell your doctor, but not the marketplace. If you need money, go to the bank, but not the marketplace "
- Jim Rohn
|
|
| People in the News! |
|
 |
Congratulations to our new Beverly Clark Certified Wedding Professionals:
Kathleen Mason, Director of Catering Services, PGA National Resort & Spa
Michelle Connor, Private Event Director, The Golf Club at Cinco Ranch
Melissa Blackwell, Private Event Director, Columbia Country Club
Joe Shanks, Private Event Director, Foothills Golf Club
Randi Mahomes, Private Event Director, Hollytree Country Club
Dana Clark, Private Event Director, Hunt Valley Golf Club
Diana Van Arsdale, Private Event Director, Traditions Golf Club
Mindy Kremer, Private Event Director, Tallgrass Country Club
Tamara Edwin, Wedding Planner, Dreamy Weddings
Belinda Short, Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Eagle Golf
As well as gaining their certification, they now have the right to use a logo with their new designation on all marketing materials.
|
|
|
|
| Resources |
|
 |
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| About Us | Advertise With Us | Training | Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Contact |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
