At 10am AESDT on Thursday 5 November, a roundtable of event experts and savvy on-premise operators will discuss the current challenges surrounding hosting events in the lead up to Christmas, and how to ensure that functions remain a profitable arm of any pub business in the short term.
Christmas parties, corporate lunches and other group functions make November and December the busiest – and the most profitable – months of the year for venues. So how can operators pull off functions this year in line with trading restrictions, and keep them in the black? And how can COVID Safe functions be made appealing to wary customers?
The roundtable will be answering these questions in depth and sharing strategies as to how to adapt the functions arm of your business to create more revenue at a time when it is so crucial.
Speakers for the roundtable are Rob Comiskey, director of Comiskey Group; Kylie Moncur, Chief Marketing Officer of Australian Venue Co.; and Jodie McLean, director of JEM Events.
Comiskey has plenty of experience hosting functions both on a micro and macro scale, and both the Eatons Hill Hotel and Sandstone Point Hotel in Queensland’s Moreton Bay region are known for their epic events and functions at any size. The group has mastered working within COVID Safe parameters, recently hosting an event for 4500 in line with all restrictions.
Moncur has developed the marketing and sales team at AVC to include a number of specialist roles across digital marketing, events, activations, functions and sales, with the group looking at new and innovative ways to attract patrons back to their venues for a variety of occasions. Moncur has also led the way in initiatives to make the national group a leader in digital marketing innovation.
McLean brings an external perspective to the roundtable, a boutique event management agency servicing SMEs. She has over 10 years’ experience as an events and project manager – strategising, planning and executing hundreds of events and experiences. She is always looking to create new experiences, and has already pulled off a few COVID Safe events with aplomb.
The roundtable hopes to bring operators across the country some insights as to how they can pull functions responsibly, whilst still making a profit doing so.
“I am excited to be a part of the webinar and chat with Vanessa about running functions during the current climate. Our functions team have been swung what feels like every curveball but have managed to adapt, ensuring functions maintain profitability despite reduced capacities and other limitations; all whilst upholding COVID Safe practices,” stated Comiskey.
“I look forward to sharing our strategies and learning more about how the other guest speakers have dealt with the restrictions!”
Register for free attendance to the virtual event, here.
Have questions for our panel of speakers about all things functions? Send them through to Australian Hotelier Managing Editor Vanessa Cavasinni at vcavasinni@intermedia.com.au to have them answered during the event.
