The five steps required to ensure you host remarkable events at your hotel
Events are crucial for hotels; hosting them can bring in additional revenue through venue rentals, catering services, accommodation bookings, and other related services. Well-executed events can enhance a hotel’s reputation and increase its visibility in the industry. Positive experiences shared by event attendees can lead to word-of-mouth marketing and potential future bookings.
You can also attract new guests who may not have previously considered staying at the hotel. Attendees may book accommodation or recommend the hotel to their friends and colleagues. To help you achieve these goals, we share the five steps you must take to prepare for a remarkable event.
Step 1
After defining the purpose and goal of the event, it is important to determine your objectives and desired outcomes. Start planning well in advance to ensure you have enough time to organize all the necessary details. Create a detailed checklist, including venue selection, budgeting, creating a guest list, and the arrangements for catering and decorations.
The best module to help you with this is ‘OPERA Sales & Catering’, a customer management system integrated into the hotel’s PMS, which contains a module that itemizes the tasks for each sales team member. This is a task list where staff can see the activities of every team member, including the event’s organization. You can also add new tasks for team members and witness reports.
For example, a sales manager can set their team to achieve a set number of calls and meetings. At the end of the month, they will get a report showing what each employee has done and a detailed view of their activities on each task.
Step 2
Choose the right venue and facilities; select a venue within your hotel that suits the type and size of the event. Ensure it has all the required facilities, such as audiovisual equipment, lighting, seating capacity, and enough space to accommodate your guests comfortably.
Large hotels with multiple conference rooms make organising coffee breaks, buffet tables, and banquets easier. The module’s primary task is to monitor the status of the rooms; are they busy or free? Once you know this status, the desired space can be put on the waiting list.
Step 3
Offer a variety of menus and catering options; collaborate with your hotel’s chef to create a diverse menu that caters to different dietary preferences and offers a combination of local and international cuisine. Ensure that the food and beverage service is of the highest quality.
Another module component is a detailed menu from which the customer can choose. In addition to the standard banquet menu, it is possible to add exclusive dishes that a particular customer wants. This also covers drinks, and any other items hotels can provide.
At the same time, standard meal options can be transferred from the hotel menu and added to a specific event. The module is very flexible, allowing you to change anything on the prepared menu, including the cost. When the event is created, the restaurant staff can see the number of servings required for each dish and a Banquet Event Order (BEO) document is created. It details all the event components and is given to the customer to show the degree of preparation and organization they have entrusted you with.
The BEO can be sent to the kitchen so chefs can check the number of dishes and the menu’s composition. The banquet service determines the seating arrangements and the menu assigned to each table. This document has a clear structure so employees can use it on their tablets or mobile phones.
Step 4
Engage with your guests; plan activities or entertainment during the event that keep your guests entertained and create memorable experiences. Consider live music performances, interactive workshops, or networking activities to promote interaction among attendees.
Equipment and services can also be added to the OPERA Sales & Catering, such as a microphone, stage, DJ, interpreter, or airport transfers. As with exclusive dishes, exceptional services can all be attached directly to the event.
Step 5
Prepare your staff, offer guests a personalised service, collaborate with high-quality vendors and organize training.
Learning how to use the OPERA activity module takes about thirty minutes, and it is of great benefit in large hotels where it can be difficult to communicate due to department size. You no longer waste time contacting a colleague to ask for details; with the Sales module, you look at the general program and instantly have all the details and information in front of you.
If you follow these steps, your hotel will host the best possible event and leave a lasting impression on your guests.
Maciej Woszczyk
Area Director HRS Poland
