The memories of great hospitality are often created by what happens for guests but much of that is what is going on behind the scenes. Hotel and venue staff have to manage space, customer needs, catering, paperwork, settlement and running the business from the initial enquiry to final invoice. These practices will be more difficult to sustain if they are not linked together.
This is where hospitality event management software in South Africa can make a difference. The commercial and operational side of events is enhanced by a connected platform, while providing teams with enhanced visibility all along the booking process.
Hospitality and Event Operations converge
Hospitality businesses may often carry out various types of functions at once. A wedding, private gathering, or corporate event may be having a conference – each of these has their own needs.
Only knowing which room is available is not enough to properly manage these bookings. Teams have to have access to the latest booking info, client needs, proposals, contracts, operations duties and financial data. Accessing this information in one system facilitates various departments from having access to the same information.
From enquiry to event: Keeping the process connected
The entire customer journey starts before an event. To confirm a booking, an enquiry must be evaluated, checked for availability and a viable offer must be put together.
If it is confirmed, the planning for operations starts. The day before the event setup, catering services, customer requests and other activities should be organized.
These stages could be linked together by a centralised system rather than as individual processes. This provides staff with a better understanding of what has been stated with the customer and what’s still left to be done.
Better collaboration with customer
Hospitality events tend to have multiple people involved, especially weddings and larger events. It should not be the responsibility of the venue team to deal with all of this in email correspondence.
Wedding couples, wedding planners and corporate clients can actively participate in planning with the secure Customer Portal of Event Cloud Solutions. They can check and schedule seating arrangements, table set-up, menu choices, and guests requirements for an event.
As everyone is working off the same “live” information, it is easier to communicate changes and there is less risk of outdated documents or missed information.
Provide Teams with a more transparent view of operations
Teams need to know what to do and when to do it. Departments can be kept up to date with tasks through automation, while a central diary shows booking and availability.
The platform can also create professional proposals, contracts and invoices, providing consistency across customer communications.
Reporting and analytics gives managers a bigger picture of bookings and revenue. This information can help in the planning of better and more informed business decisions.
A practical solution for growing hospitality businesses
Managing multiple venues with separate processes can become challenging as a hospitality business. A cloud-based platform enables teams to access relevant information securely without the need for expensive on-site infrastructure.
Event Cloud Solutions is designed for the South African hospitality industry, including hotels, conference centres, wedding venues, unique venues, stadiums, catering businesses and hospitality groups. The platform can be customized to various workflows and also sustains the broader venue booking life cycle.
Making services easier in the behind the scenes
Customers may never see the systems that are used to manage customers, but they notice when the system is working well. Better organisation, clear communication and prepared teams.
Hospitality event management software in South Africa can facilitate these backstage tasks, providing businesses with improved booking control and management and enabling them to concentrate on providing the customer service levels they have pledged to offer.
A connected venue management platform can be a vital component in a hospitality business’ long-term growth plan, offering enhanced operational efficiency and improved collaboration with customers.
FAQ
What is Hospitality event management software in South Africa?
It’s the software that helps hospitality businesses manage event enquiries, bookings, proposals, operational planning, planning with customers, payments and reporting from one connected platform.
Can hotels use hospitality event management software?
Yes. It can be used by hotels for conferences, weddings, meetings, functions and other events along with the hotel’s venue.
Can customers participate in planning events?
Yes. For couples, and wedding planners, Customer Portal gives users the opportunity to make input on seating plans, table layouts, meal selections, dietary needs, and more.
Is events500 suitable for hospitality groups?
Yes. It has a cloud-based system that can allow various venue workflows and enable hospitality organizations to run their operations on a single platform across their properties.
