5 Ways to Generate Event Leads

Leads are one of the keys to success for sales and event managers, whether they work in hotels, restaurants, or unique venues. So what is the magic bullet to get more leads for your business? Unfortunately, there isn’t one. It takes a lot of hard work and a lot of different tools to generate new business.

Fortunately, you’re not on your own to figure it out. Many of us at Tripleseat have worked in hospitality and events, and we are constantly learning new tips from our customers on how they find leads. We’re sharing five tactics you can use to attract more leads for your events business.

1. Have an up-to-date website
This might seem obvious, but if your website is not up to date, you could be losing a lot of business because event planners do not spend a lot of time on an old website. It is love at first sight or they bounce. Make sure that you are super obvious that you do events. Have a large call to action button that says something like “Book your event here” on the homepage and make sure you have a Request For Proposal (RFP) lead form on your page that event planners can fill out with their preferred date, type of event, number of people, and other information. Pro tip: Don’t ask for too much information. Filling out an endless webpage of blank spaces or checkboxes will annoy your prospects and they will leave your website mid-form.

2. Use social media
Take advantage of Facebook and Instagram ads. Create a fun and informative presence, and start to build up your following. If your restaurant or hotel already has a good following, start posting every day, whether that’s photos of your event space and food or content that’s interesting and relevant to your followers. Pro tip: Use Tripleseat to add your lead form on your Facebook page to generate get leads from your social media presence.

3. Use Google AdWords
Google AdWords may seem complicated to set up, but, the good news is that it is easy to do. Take a brief tutorial on AdWords and you will be up and running in no time. AdWords work and they can drive target leads to you in a hurry. If AdWords is too intimidating, you can always use ad word experts like OneIMS to set it up and monitor your AdWords.

4. Target prospective bookings with email marketing
You probably already have your customer’s email addresses, and if you use Tripleseat you already have a customer relationship management solution that enables you to easily find and email your customers. Marketing to your current customers is the easiest way to generate new business because they’ve already built a relationship with you. Don’t wait until the holiday season to email them. Send your customers relevant information about your venue, your event space, your current event packages, deadlines, available dates, and anything else that customers need to know to book an event. Pro tip: Always include a link to your Tripleseat lead form in all your emails.

5. Pick up the phone
No one, I mean no one, likes to do cold calls. But the truth is that cold calls do work. A simple call of just checking in and telling your prospects that you are thinking of them and wanted to let them know what is new with your venue goes a long, long way. A majority of restaurants and hotels do not do cold calling so you would definitely stand out — in a good way.

BONUS: Venues by Tripleseat
As a Tripleseat customer, you are automatically added to our venue directory, Venues by Tripleseat. Our venue directly receives more than 100,000 unique visitors per month, so it’s important that you have a complete listing that includes professional photos, private dining room information, and details about your venue. Make sure you are putting your best foot forward.

Choose your tools with caution
As you go on your journey for event leads, remember that the road is full of companies making promises of delivering leads to you. There is a catch though, these companies want to charge you a commission of 10% of the booking value or a flat fee of $50 per lead. Don’t do it! You could have spent that money on AdWords, or, you know, pay yourself commission, because after all you did all the work.

If you’re a Tripleseat user, log in and start using our features to capture more event leads. Need help? Contact Tripleseat’s Support team by submitting a request online, sending an email, or calling our Help Desk at 978-716-2862 between 9 am and 5 pm EST Monday through Friday.

If you’re not a Tripleseat customer and you’re interested in learning more about Tripleseat’s features, schedule a demo at your convenience to take a closer look.