SALES & MARKETING
To have and to hold ,
AND TO KEEP OPTIONS OPEN
SELLING WEDDINGS HAS BEEN TRICKY SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC , BUT THEY ARE COMING BACK AND BEING FLEXIBLE WILL SAVE YOU HEADACHES AND BUSINESS .
Contributed By JULIANA SHALLCROSS
When it comes to celebrating love in the time of COVID , hotels around the world are incorporating something new into onsite weddings — flexibility .
From the number of guests , to the lengths of stay , types of venues , food and beverage presentations , and options for rebooking , hotels are offering couples more choices and less restrictions than in pre-pandemic times .
In the U . S ., smaller weddings ( between 25 and 50 guests ) and outdoor weddings have definitely become de rigueur as travel remains unpredictable . But even these trimmed-down affairs aren ’ t immune to sudden change .
MARKETING DIFFERENTLY Aside from providing COVID-safe weddings and developing wedding formats for smaller groups , hotels are marketing to guests differently , too . Social media has evolved into a key driver for hotel weddings by building brand and venue awareness . Digital marketing has also enabled hotels to have a more direct relationship with the guest .
Vassiliki Petridou , chief operating officer of Calilo Resort in Greece , which opened in 2019 , says TikTok and Instagram have empowered the guest to choose the venue first , then hire a wedding or event planner . In previous years , he says , that was reversed .
“ These digital channels have helped us a lot in brand awareness and educating our potential guests about our venues and creative productions ,” Petridou says . “ It has allowed us to engage with the customer directly .”
At the Turtle Bay Resort in Oahu , digital marketing and social engagement is producing more direct bookings , according to Robert Marusi , the resort ’ s chief commercial officer . While this was largely out of necessity , since site visits weren ’ t feasible for much of 2020 and 2021 , Marusi says the buyer has changed
114 hotelsmag . com November / December 2021