There are many things that contribute to whether a venue will be popular with formal committees and school groups from one season to the next.
Some make good changes, like refurbishing their ballrooms, which help to attract more business, while some simply increase their prices, effectively making themselves less attractive to potential customers.
The clever ones are those that make the best use of special features that no competing venue can boast. This may be location, views, special pricing packages or even value added extras that go along with the package.
Whatever it is that venues do to either attract or repel school formal organisers can easily be charted by how many bookings they receive, and how many tickets are sold to each of those events.
As HSC begins and all the formal bookings are secured for the season, we’ve got the numbers and while there are some surprises, the obvious winners this year were easy to spot.
Let’s count down the top ten with an overview of how they’ve managed to secure these coveted positions in this year’s race to the top of the formal popularity stakes.
The Sydney
Top 10 Formal Venues 2013
The Sydney
Top 10 Formal Venues 2013
positions in this year’s race to the top of the formal popularity stakes.
10/ The Amora Jamison Sydney
Some may remember this boutique hotel under the “Rydges” brand in recent years. While little has changed in terms of the boutique and arty décor or market price point since last season, this property always does well with central city location, middle-sized capacity, moderate pricing and excellent value for money overall.
9/ The Four Seasons Sydney
Sitting on the top rung of the Sydney elite 5-star hotel list with an outstanding reputation for excellence in service and quality, there’s no surprise in The Four Seasons Sydney making the top ten this year. With several event spaces seating as few as 50 or as many as 550 in absolute luxury, this hotel exudes style and elegance that attracts the more affluent school groups. Pricing is quite high in comparison to other properties, and worth every penny, however this does put it out of the reach of the vast majority of the Sydney formals market. Great if you can afford it though.
8/ The Pullman Quay Grand Sydney
This boutique, modern property is making a reasonable noise among small formal groups over the last couple of seasons. Recently acquired as part of the big Mirvac takeover by Accor Hotels, the Pullman brand was applied, along with a bit of an upgrade to the service standards, making this a very desirable place for formal groups. The one drawback is the limited capacity, being only able to accommodate 100-120 guests, however smart pricing policies have enticed smaller groups to this prestige brand without breaking the budget.
7/ Marriott Sydney Harbour
The Marriott on Pitt Street, a block from Circular Quay has been a consistent player in the formal scene for many years, and while there has been little changed in the décor or the middle-of-the-road affordable and sensible pricing,
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