Event Guide: Top 5 Trendsetting Venue Ideas

Trends come and go all the time in the event industry. And, event professionals are always searching for the next best theme or design to impress their clients with. The same can be said for event venue owners! Rental spaces and locations are constantly changing to appeal to their clientele year after year.

Do you know what types of venues people are searching for this year? Well the results are in and we’ve got the answers!

Indoor and Outdoor Space

People are often willing to take on the weather, but not without a security shelter. Venues that win over the clients at a higher rate are those that offer both an indoor and outdoor space.

People are interested in switching scenes and locations within an event to provide a different visual appeal. These two spaces can help separate the activities and create a sense of multiple styles, rather than just one. Two separate (indoor/outdoor) spaces also helps to reassure your client that no matter the weather, the show will go on at your venue.

Style

Every client is different, so why does your venue remain the same? Offering a space that clients are free to decorate and add their own personal style to is important. Create areas in your venue that can be used for a variety of events and ceremonies. These style-free spaces give your clients the opportunity to create their dreams anywhere. People want a space that is unique to them.  

Technology Friendly

Technology plays an important role in our lives on a daily basis. Where does your venue stand on the technology spectrum? Provide your clients with Wi-Fi accessibility—it might be the best investment you make. Wi-Fi accessibility is the easiest way to bring attention to your business and venue space. Here’s how to do it:

Add your Wi-Fi password to your business’s social media page. A well-known music venue in Charlotte, NC provides people with Wi-Fi access by having them LIKE their business page on Facebook. Smart move! It increases the number of likes the business receives, allowing them to greatly increase their reach and client base.

So get techy and get your venue noticed!

Repurpose Buildings

Is there an old barn or warehouse located on your space? It’s perfect for a wedding, reunion, birthday party, etc. People love to blend and combine the old with the new. That’s why keeping and preserving old buildings at your venue site is such a great idea. A repurposed building provides a space big enough for people to gather, and also provides character and charm to the environment.

Fire Pits

I know this one idea might seem outlandish, but fire pits are the next big trend. Events are starting to be held later and later in the evening, and people enjoy relaxing around the fire after an eventful day. Venue owners are noticing this trend, and are providing areas for people to relax, roast marshmallows, and share stories. It creates a friendly and close environment that people want for their event. So get started on a do-it-yourself (DIY) project to add more warmth to your venue space.

It doesn’t take much to be a trendsetting venue! Let us know in the comment section below what trendsetting designs your venue offers.

Read More »

Historic Venues For Weddings

Do you dream of an intimate wedding where it's just your closest family and friends coming together to see you walk down an isle covered in rose petals. You can imagine every detail of your perfect day: the flowers, the bridesmaid dresses, the shoes, even the lipstick you will be wearing - making sure it won't transfer on your veil or your groom. You have planned the perfect wedding, but finding a venue to compliment your intimate affair......hasn't even been considered yet.

To really put the finishing touch on any dream wedding, you need a historic venue. One with charm and craftsmanship that just isn't done anymore. A historic venue amazes guests when they hear about the past and it just provides that special something to any intimate wedding. Now, not all historic venues are small, some are grand and reflect the glamor of years past when people believed in over dressing for all occasions and there was a tradition for everything. Take a look at some of these charming and grandiose venues that have stood the test of time.

 Fonthill Castle - Doylestown, PA.

Built between 1908-1912, Fonthill was the home of Henry Chapman Mercer. Archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramist, scholar and antiquarian, Mercer built Fonthill both as a home and as a showplace for his collection of tiles and prints. Photo courtesy of mercermuseum.org.

Houmas House - Darrow, LA

Known as the Crown Jewel of Louisiana's River Road, the Houmas House is a beautiful mansion that reflects the best parts of each period in its rich history. Construction of the Mansion was completed in 1828. It has all the charm of the sweetest southern belle combined with the beautiful Louisiana backdrop. Photo courtesy of houmashouse.com

The Little Chapel at Winthrop University - Rock Hill, SC

The Little Chapel was designed in the Federal style by architect Robert Mills - a South Carolinian famous for his design of the Washington Monument. In 1936 the chapel was given to Winthrop by the Columbia Theological Seminary, and the structure was moved to Rock Hill from Columbia, SC, where it was reconstructed brick by brick. Photos courtesy of Winthrop.edu.

Read More »

Green Trends in the Event Industry | Part 1

Everyone talks about being “Green” and "environmentally friendly" nowadays.  You may be wondering how your business could also be more sustainable by adopting some Green Business Strategies like these:

First, reduce your carbon footprint.

How? Try to use less paper in your office, add a note to your e-mail signature that invites the reader to consider twice before printing your e-mail.  Be sure to follow what you preach, do not print web documents unless absolutely needed. Even most legal matters, like contracts, for instance, no longer require faxing or mailing the paper version; with Inspherio you can send an electronic version of your contract and your client can e-sign it online from anywhere. The best part is that Inspherio keeps all the records for you. So you don’t have to keep bulky shelves made out of wood or other labor-consuming material.

Use modern means of communication to reduce commute. Skype is a great option if you need to speak to your client and, maybe even show samples of your work. A quick meeting that lasts 20-30 minutes is usually not worth sitting in traffic for 30-40 minutes. Think of the gas and parking expenses you would save if you could eliminate most of your in-person meetings. If you are a Wedding Planner, you can make a video of the room setup to keep your bride’s mind at ease, and e-mail it to her to confirm the details. See? She did not have to drive across town! What a great service you have provided!

Stay tuned for more Trends every Wednesday.

For more ways to be "green" in your business visit our website and blog, follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook!

Read More »

How to Turn Any Feedback Into a Positive One!

Customer Service is one the most important tasks in your business regardless of whether you are a B2C (your direct customer is a final consumer: Wedding Planner, Photographer) or B2B (your direct customer is a business: Party rentals, Florist) type of business.

Click Here to read our recent blog about handling customer complaints to learn some very important information about Customer Service.

Photos is a courtesy of Pixels On Paper. http://www.pixelsonpaper.biz

Today, we would like to talk about the times when the customer feedback goes public and the word spreads around. What to do and how to do it.

• As we mentioned earlier:  act fast. The faster you address the complaint the better.
• Contact the customer directly (if possible) asking for all the details of their complaint
• Start working on rectifying the issue, try to make it as fast as possible.
•  It is extremely important that the customer is satisfied with the recovery process.
• Go the extra mile, WOW your customer by anticipating the next step of the process or go beyond the usual line of service. For example, if you are a photographer and the bride is not satisfied with the picture quality. The usual step would be to make steps to improve the quality, if any way possible, and the extra step would be to mail picture copies to the relatives and friends of her choice at no cost.
• Depending on how the word got out, try to make an announcement via the same channel... i.e.: Facebook, Twitter, Yelp.  If possible, ask your customer to pass the word along that the issue has been rectified and to recommend your service in the future.

  Visit Inspherio for more ways to improve Your Business!

   

Read More »

Wedding Decor Trends

The official start of summer is just a few days away.  While our fellow wedding planners are busy working on their next magnificent event, let’s take a moment and see what trends are out there.

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of a wedding? 

Of course, it’s a bride dressed to the latest season’s fashion. We will talk about dresses some other time.

What is the second thing?

What about wedding decorations?

There are few parallel trends this season when it comes to wedding décor. Some go with glamour, decorative lights, but the trend that stands out the most; is natural, organic weddings.

All decorations should look natural as if they were put together in a bliss by loving family members, featuring fresh flowers from the garden nearby, organic textures, such as burlap, tree bark, rocks, fruits, vegetables and, of course, candles.

Flowers have been a wedding staple since the beginning of times. So what is new this season? The trends this season is unexpected flower arrangements, whether that flowers hanging from the ceiling in place of a chandelier or centerpiece flowers submerged in water, which gives them that magnifying fresh look that any wedding decorator is striving to achieve.

Of course any wedding look takes lots or preparations and coordination. To help yourself put your next event together, stay organized with Inspherio, one of a kind, cloud based software that does most of the work for you, so you can dream and stay inspired!

Check it out at www.inspherio.com.

 

Pictures source: Pinterest.com

Read More »