9 Tips for Hosting Live Travel Events
byDori Saltzman/In-person cruise nights or themed travel events are a great way to drum up excitement and drive bookings. For advisors who have never done a live event before, the concept might be intimidating. It doesn’t have to be, said Marilisa De Simone, director of business development for Carnival Cruise Line at last month’s Travel Market Place East conference in Toronto.
De Simone在现场巡游之夜帮助整个加拿大的旅行顾问De Simone提供了一些有关如何举办成功现场活动的技巧。
1.不要一个人去
Whether you’re looking to promote a cruise line, overall destination, all-inclusive resort or group trip, there are sales reps from your partner suppliers that can and will help.
永远不要害怕与您的业务发展经理(BDM)或旅游代表联系。您不仅可以要求他们在活动中的存在,还可以要求营销资产,活动材料,赃物物品或奖品,有时甚至是经济帮助。您的BDM也可能对您所在地区的成本效益事件空间有想法。
Just as important, be sure to ask for a timed booking incentive that you can use at the event to make booking “now” a priority. De Simone said, one to two weeks beyond the date of the event is particularly effective.
Be sure to contact your BDM before you set a date and time for your event. Events at which BDMs or a supplier or destination representative are present are more impactful, De Simone said, so you want to make sure they’re available to be at the event. Talk to them at the start of your planning and select a date and time that works for both of you.
You don’t have to stick to just one supplier partner either. For instance, if you’re promoting Caribbean cruises with a specific cruise line, don’t be afraid to also reach out to the tourism boards of the ports of call that are located on those itineraries. They may have their own marketing assets or event goodies they can provide. They might even be able to send a representative to talk about the destination or man a booth.
2. Choose the Right Time for Your Audience
Your audience should determine what time your event is held. Though weekends are typically good for all markets, they don’t have to be your only option. For instance, if your audience is primarily a mature, retired market, afternoons are a great time to hold an event. On the other hand, if you sell mostly to families, evening events, not too far past dinner are better. Selling religious travel? Don’t do a Sunday brunch event as most of your audience will most likely be at church.
3. Venue Matters
Unless you’re lucky enough to have an office space with a large enough meeting area, you’re going to have to find a venue for your event.
德·西蒙妮说,大多数城镇都有许多经济的活动空间,包括图书馆,社区中心和宗教机构(特别是如果您出售任何类型的宗教旅行)。一些美术馆也向举办活动开放,有些仅收取名义费。
For larger events for which you might be asking for an entry fee, a restaurant’s private room, hotel conference space, or museum can be an option, but these will be more expensive.
When researching event locations, particularly those you might have to pay for, be sure to ask if they can supply audio-visual equipment (microphones, TVs, overhead projectors, etc.) or if you need to provide your own. (If you do have to source your own equipment, talk to your BDM partner as suppliers often have A/V equipment on hand specifically for live events like these.)
While keeping your budget in mind, you can also choose a venue that coincides with your event’s theme. A maritime museum can be a great location for a cruise night. A Jamaican restaurant is perfect for a live event promoting a Jamaican all-inclusive.
4.设定预算
Every event needs a budget, but you don’t have to spend a huge amount, De Simone said. Things you’ll likely need to spend money on include food and beverages, decorations, prizes, and, depending on the venue – event space.
“It’s not necessary to spend a lot of money,” she told advisors. “I’ve participated in events with travel advisors that just went to the dollar store and picked up some economical decorations and little bags of prizes that were really impactful when the guests were arriving.”
Buy snacks and soda on sale or at a bulk store. Get your decorations and prizes from a dollar store. And ask for co-op dollars from your supplier partner. They may even be able to provide all the decorations and prizes themselves.
5. Have a Theme
Having a theme isn’t necessary but it can go far in helping set the mood and build excitement. Your theme can be broad – cruise night, first-time cruisers, family travel, etc. – or you can go more specific. A few suggestions from De Simone included casino royale, dessert party, dance party, formal night, tropical paradise, and sea creatures.
Having a theme can bring some of the experience of the actual trip to life. Formal night, for instance, gives clients a taste of formal night on a cruise. Tropical paradise or Cinco de Mayo can bring Caribbean or Mexican ports to life. An Alaska-themed event is perfect to sell group space on an Alaska cruise.
在某些情况下,您的BDM合作伙伴也许可以将品牌海报,包装或贴纸带入活动。例如,德·西蒙妮(De Simone)说,她参加了活动,他们将Thirstyfrog狂欢节品牌放在啤酒瓶上,而Guy Fieri对汉堡包的包装,以使客户有嘉年华游轮的感觉。
Themes also help you decide what decorations to choose, what food and drink to serve, what music to play, and even what outfit you wear. De Simone said she’s done quite a few Mexican-themed Zoom events to which she always wears a sombrero.
根据主题的不同,您可能还希望在活动中进行娱乐。德·西蒙妮(De Simone)说,她去过活动,他们可以安排狂欢节喜剧演员参加演出。
6. Promote, Promote, Promote
参加您的活动的人越多,您就会越来越有机会出售更多旅行。此外,参加的人越多,您的BDM参加您的活动就越值得花时间。(De Simone建议,少于20人的活动通常不值得您BDM的旅行时间或费用。)
创建不同类型的营销资产管理计划h current and former clients, as well as people new to your agency.
“You don't have to recreate the wheel,” De Simone said. “A lot of suppliers already have marketing assets like flyers. We have jpegs. We have beautiful imagery you can download for free.”
Be sure to use social media to promote your event, as well as direct marketing including email blasts and newsletters. If you’ve previously held live events, include photos and videos from past events to promote the new event.
每当您在社区中遍及社区时,都会谈论您即将举行的活动。请您的配偶和孩子也这样做。
您可能还需要与当地企业联系。要求他们向客户推广您的活动,以换取在您的活动标牌上贴上他们的名字。或为他们提供个人旅行的预订激励措施。
Don’t stop promoting after the event is over. Send an email blast or newsletter with photos and videos from the event to clients who weren’t there and offer them the same incentive. Not everyone will have been able to attend the event, but they might still be interested in the travel.
7. Collect Contact Info前事件
Always create a registration link to go with your marketing materials, De Simone said. If you don’t have the technical know-how, just use your email address and ask people to contact you to sign up for the event.
知道谁来的人很重要,原因有几个。
首先,您需要知道那里会有足够的人值得每个人的时间……以及您花的钱。如果只有五个人提前注册,那么您最好再推迟另一时间。
其次,知道有多少人来有助于计划。如果您要供应食物和饮料,您会更好地知道需要购买多少。同样,如果您打算获得门奖或糖果袋。(De Simone补充说,始终计划出现的人比注册的人数多。)
Most importantly, by requiring people to sign up ahead of time, you now have their contact information and can remind them about the event beforehand (and on the day of), and reach out to them afterwards.
8. Use Pied Pipers
As much as we like to think everybody believes everything we say, the truth is most consumers are more swayed by their peers. Having clients on hand that have already been on the cruise or itinerary you’re selling, or been to the all-inclusive or European country you’re highlighting, will go much farther than just what you or your BDM has to say.
If you’re promoting some type of escorted tour, maybe with a chef or sommelier, have them come speak as well.
“They’ll do a fantastic job of talking up the experience,” De Simone said.
9. Have Booking Forms at the Event
Your clients are more receptive to booking at a live event than at almost any other time, De Simone said. You want to get them while they’re hot. Have more booking forms on hand than you think you might need. (Have enough pens, too!)
您的预订表格应列出所有内容:您的联系信息,包括预订激励措施,所需的存款金额和付款时间表以及相关取消政策。
De Simone told advisors at the last live event she was at (her first in-person event in more than two years), about 50 of the 70 people who attended filled out booking forms on the spot.