Ultimate Guide to Wedding MBA for Venue Owners
Know Before You Go to Wedding MBA
Fall wedding season is here and that means that Wedding MBA is just around the corner! With the event just a few weeks away, the team over at The Venue Help Desk wants to ensure you make the most out of your experience. Here are our top 5 tips to help you and your team prepare and maximize your time at the conference:
Plan Your Schedule in Advance:
Review the conference schedule and select the sessions and speakers that align with your venue's needs and goals. There is a wide array of seminars covering general business, technology, and industry trends, but there are also specialized sessions tailored specifically for wedding venues on Tuesday and Thursday afternoon.
Print the schedule in advance (you can do that HERE) and make a personalized itinerary to avoid last-minute decisions, to know what’s next, and to ensure you end up in the right room!
Expert Tip: Copy and paste your schedule and your preferred sessions onto the calendar on your phone. It’s likely you’ll misplace your program at some point!
Get Your Badge Before the Crowds:
Don’t wait until right before the first conference session begins to pick up your name badge. Or you will certainly be late to the first venue-specific seminar, Site Seeing: Enhanced Venue Tours, presented by Shannon Tarrant, Co-Founder of Venue Help Desk at 2:00pm in the Birchwood Room.
You can pick up your badge from 10:00am - 5:00pm at the Pre-Conference Westgate Hotel on Monday, November 11th, or as early as 10:00am at the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall on Tuesday, November 12th.
Expert Tip: Venues usually also get a separate lanyard so we can find each other easily during the conference.
Explore the Exhibit Hall:
Skipping the Exhibit Hall might be tempting, however, passing up this opportunity would be a big mistake. Engage with vendors, explore innovative products, and consider how they can enhance your venue’s systems and offerings.
Need expert advice for your wedding venue? Be sure to stop by The Venue Help Desk booth during the conference! The Exhibit Hall is open on Wednesday, November 13th from 11:30am – 5:00pm and Thursday, November 14th from 9:00am – 3:00pm.
Expert Tip: Don’t hesitate to skip a session time slot that doesn’t wow you if you need more time to visit the exhibit hall.
Network with Intent:
Wedding MBA is a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow venue owners, vendors, and industry experts. Be proactive in your networking efforts by making new friends or inviting a new connection to lunch downstairs in the convention center food court.
Bring plenty of business cards to make a lasting impression and be sure to follow up with new contacts after the event.
Expert Tip: Stop by the Venue Help Desk booth to get a badge ribbon for your state so you can find other locals!
Implement What Your Learn:
Take time to review and organize the notes you've taken during the conference. Group them by themes or topics discussed. Highlight the most actionable insights, innovative ideas, or strategies that could benefit your wedding venue.
Based on the prioritized actionable items, set clear and measurable goals for your venue.
Expert Tip: Be sure to visit The Venue Help Desk Exhibit Hall booth during the conference to pick up your own copy of our post-Wedding MBA 90-Day Action Plan Worksheet!
Put Your Out-of-Office On:
Stay focused while you’re here. You’ve taken the time to travel to Vegas for the conference - don’t spend valuable time learning in your inbox.
Turn on your out-of-office message to let your current and potential clients, as well as vendor partners, know that you are attending the conference. Share that you are learning new trends and strategies and look forward to implementing improvements at your wedding venue.
Expert Tip: Looking for ideas on what to put in your OOO message? Download our Wedding MBA Out of Office Templates by filling out your info below.
See you in Las Vegas!
