The hospitality industry is evolving at a rapid pace. From heightened guest expectations to revolutionary new-age technology, the world of travel is constantly reinventing and re-imagining itself. The group booking segment is experiencing a similar period of growth, and the potential for hoteliers to capitalize has, perhaps, never been more imminent. In fact, CWT Meetings & Travel predicts a 5-10% growth in demand for meetings and events this year. Not only that, but meetings are getting 22.7% bigger according to the AMEX Global Meetings Forecast. Between 2017 and 2018 the number of companies organizing 20 or more events per year increased by 17%.

With the right sales and catering management technology and processes in place, hoteliers can forge the way into a new and improved group booking process that sets the stage for more events and meetings, more revenue and far more satisfied guests. But, before we look to the future, we need to address the past. And by the past, we mean it’s time to take a look at your existing group booking process. Are you still adhering to a legacy model and manual process for large group bookings? Are you adequately equipped to answer the current group booking demand?

These questions will help you to determine if your hotel group sales process if broken – and don’t worry, if it is, iVvy can help you fix it.

It’s no secret – a broken groups and events system can drastically impede on a hotel’s ability to market their property and venue space to prospective groups. Especially in today’s ultra-competitive marketplace, if you can’t quickly meet changing planner demands, you’re losing revenue (and potential guest loyalty). Ultimately, if your current process for managing groups is broken, your chances for success are slim.

If you answered no to more than one question, you’re likely losing revenue. Don’t let your venue management system hold you back and it might be time to invest in a new solution. To equip your hotel with everything you need to optimize, manage, market and report on group business, click here.

About the Author

Lauren Hall is the award-winning Founder and Chief Executive Officer of iVvy. She is a passionate entrepreneur with more than 25 years of business management experience at the Executive and Board level, successfully growing multiple companies from startup to established company. With a background in programming, accounting and marketing, Lauren’s expertise spans manufacturing, retail, advertising and the technology industry in both South Africa and Australia.

She co-founded iVvy in 2009, overseeing its growth to 1,000 clients across 13 countries and its expansion to New Zealand, Asia, Europe and North America.

Ernst & Young recognized Lauren as a future global leader of industry through the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women Asia-Pacific program for 2016. Lauren also won three International Silver Stevie Awards for Entrepreneur of the Year Globally 2016, Innovator of the Year 2016 and Entrepreneur of the Year Asia Pacific 2016 and was recently named Gold Coast Business Woman of the Year 2016.

About iVvy

iVvy offers meeting planners the ability to search, compare, book and pay for function space, catering and group accommodations online, 24/7. By providing conference centers, hotels, restaurants and cruise lines with an integrated revenue management and distribution platform, iVvy equips Venue Operators with the tools they need to manage inquiries on any device, anywhere. With enhanced reporting and analytics, Venues are provided with greater visibility over their business so they can yield their meetings & event spaces to maximize revenue.

With offices in 5 countries and a global team providing support 24 hours a day, iVvy’s groundbreaking, cloud-based software offers scalable solutions that tackle core issues faced by the travel, MICE and events industry, and continues to service the world’s leading hospitality groups, major corporations, travel companies, government offices, associations, universities and nonprofits.