Operation Reviews, Sales Plans, Business Plans, Competitor Analysis

Display UV’s Certified Member Logo

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Over 100 members of Unique Venues proudly display this logo on their own website. Show planners that you are part of an elite, professional community that has a commitment to service planners and promptly respond to their inquiries. Think of it as a badge of trust and a great way to improve your SEO traffic and exposure.

Visit UniqueVenues.com/certified-member and follow the steps. We’ll even enter your name into a drawing for a $25 Amazon gift card just for doing so. Email Michele@uniquevenues.com when your certified member logo is up!

New WebsiteThe countdown is on. We will be unveiling our new, responsive website that works on all platforms (tablets, smart phones, etc.) in January. Readers of “This Just In” e-blast will be the first to receive the insider information of when the new site is released. Stay tuned!

Planner Portfolio Grows to 50,000Our Planner Portfolio now stands at a staggering 50,000+ meeting and event planners. We have built the industry’s largest database of professional and part-time planners interested in using unique spaces. We definitely have you covered! Professional planners make up 57% of the database while part-time, specialty planners make up the remaining 43%.

Receive a copy of our Planner Portfolio right to your inbox. Email michele@uniquevenues.com to request one.

Unique Venues Consulting ServicesUnique Venues is the industry expert for venues looking to improve their conference and event business.

We offer the most proven and comprehensive Operations Reviews, Sales Plans, Business Plans and Competitor Analysis Reviews in the industry. With over 125 clients in the past 7 years, we can help you take the next step to improve your business. Learn more – email our consulting expert, Chuck Salem at chuck@uniquevenues.com to receive a brochure or to schedule an appointment to discuss your needs.

“Taking advantage of the consulting services offered by Unique Venues was one of the smartest business investments we’ve made for the Conference & Event Services office at Kean University.” – Paul DiNero, Director of Conference and Event Services Kean University Chuck Salem

1001 Menoher Blvd. Johnstown, PA 15905

a league of our own a quarterly newsletter for unique venues members

highlights of this issue:

#UVAMC......................................1

75 [Way Cool] Apps ..................2

This Just In .................................2

Social Media Packages ............2

Walking the Marketing Line .....3

UV Lead Alert .............................4

UV Announcements .................5

UVAMC Awards .........................6

UV Marketing AwardsFall 2014 Edition

Planner Portfolio Grows to 50,000

Congratulations to our very first Best of MARKETING Winners that were announced at our Annual Marketing Conference. Five “Best of Awards” were given out at our conference, the remaining 21 will be announced and covered in our first “Best of” Magazine distributed in late November. Congratulations to these professionals who strive to be the very best in their field. The strength of our industry lies within our members. You make us all look good!

Best Unique Venues Profile: Jennifer Liesener, The Carter Hall Conference Center

Best Social Media Campaign: Tami Lee, Brenau University

[Unique] Venue Professional of the Year: Jullie Wiggins, Cineplex

Best Printed Collateral: Winner: University California, Davis Campus Events & Visitor Services

Honorable Mention: Vancouver Art Gallery and Simon Fraser University.

Best Website: Mount Holyoke College and Willits - Hallowell Conference Center

Honorable Mention: Center of Science and Industry, Columbus, OH and The University of Delaware

a quarterly newsletter for unique venues membersa league of our ownFall 2014 Edition

UV’s 2014 Annual Marketing Conference

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Over 100 Unique Venues members joined our staff at UV’s 2014 Annual Marketing Conference hosted at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN. Vanderbilt pulled out all the stops for our members! Their facilities, food and beverage, technology staff and southern hospitality all came together for our best conference yet!

Jim Spellos, President of Meeting U and a self-proclaimed technology geek, opened the conference with a keynote address that left us all feeling like we’d been hit with a firehose. Let’s just say that he packed it all in and there wasn’t a member in the room that didn’t walk out of his keynote with at least a dozen new ideas.

Here are just a few highlights from Jim’s session: • You may not need to be an early adopter, but you need to have early awareness.• We use one screen’s device to look at another. Think of how you watch TV - a phone in one hand and the flat screen mounted on the wall. • Cell phones will soon be servers that will stay in our pockets, purses, etc.• Social media is a business tool. • Look at social as ROE (return on engagement), not ROI (return on investment).• If you’re not on social, it’s the equivalent of not answering your phone 3 days a week.• Fastest growing social segment is 45-54 year old baby boomers.• 95% of all FB posts are NOT answered by brands.• Pinterest drives more revenue than FB & Twitter combined.• Don’t fast forward through TV commercials. Trends can be spotted during these 30 second promotional segments. When it hits tv, it’s ‘at the curve’ and about to blow up.

Do you regret not making the trip to our free member marketing conference? Visit the members area of UniqueVenues.com/login and you can see this and all of the sessions under the Conference Archives section. Need help with your login? Call Ann McKenzie at 970.926.7676.

Curious about what our members were tweeting and instagraming while in Nashville? Visit www.tagboard.com and type in UVAMC for all of the social buzz.

UVAMC 2015 - Save the DateDon’t miss out! This is a free marketing conference just for our members! October 15-16, 2015 • Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C.

#UVAMC#UVAMC

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Jim Spellos’ 75 [Way Cool] AppsBy Mandy Volpe, UV Marketing Manager

Need help with your social media? We can do that for you! Unique Venues Social Media Marketing Plans start at $1999Engage with your customers. Get Social.Call or email Jeanne Feathers • 866.266.6857/Jeanne@uniquevenues.com

“Social media is a business tool. Not having your business on social is the equivalent of not answering your phone 3 days a week.” – Jim Spellos, Meeting U

Social Media Packages

Jim Spellos has compiled an exhaustive list of 75 of the best

apps for your smart phone or tablet. We can’t fit them all in here, but we do want to share Jim’s top 5 and let you know that the entire list is in the member area of UniqueVenues.com/login.

1. Evernote: Syncs files across all of your devices. Similar to

Dropbox, but instead of dropping files, Evernote allows you to edit and work on them and then sync them. Idea: Place templates into Evernote so that you can quickly and easily respond to RFPs within 24 hours.

2. Pocket: Formerly known as Read It Later, this cross platform app allows you to save articles across all devices so you can “read them later”. Idea: Pin relevant content that you would like to read later and then push it out onto your social media sites.

3. Square: Mobile payment service allowing your phone to act as a cash register. Idea: Use Square for check-in’s to take on-site registration payments.

4. Uber: App that connects people in need of car service with local drivers. I have used Uber a few times and the drivers are always efficient, safe, and have great stories to tell if you just take the time to ask them! Idea: Encourage guests to use Uber to check out local attractions near your venue. Uber often has discount codes and can even be cheaper than a cab ride. When giving information about local taxi service, include information on the Uber app so that people can use the new service.

5. Waze: A social GPS app to help warn motorists about traffic delays and navigation tips (friendly reminder – don’t text while driving!). Purchased by Google; integrated into Google Maps. Idea: Selfishly we love this app to predict our commute time to and from work.

A full recap of the apps are listed in the Conference Archives under the member dashboard (uniquevenues.com/login). Let us know what apps you’re using by tweeting @uniquevenues #uvamc.

This Just In Introducing our new member e-alert. We’re reserving this communication for special, must-know things from Unique Venues. Be on the lookout for these once, maybe twice, a month.

Didn’t receive the last one? Include membership@uniquevenues.com in your contacts so you can be sure to be in the know.

Jim Spellos’ 75 [Way Cool] Apps Walking the Marketing LineIn order to prepare for the Annual Marketing Conference, speaker Mark Mulder, PhD and professor at Pacific Lutheran University’s School of Business surveyed the Unique Venues network of meeting professionals to discover best practices for communicating with and exceeding expectations with planners when responding to inquiries and RFPs. Here are his findings.

Dr. Mark Mulder surveyed power, moderate, and casual planners and discovered the following:

RESPONDINGTO RFPs

• respond quickly to let planners know that you have received their RFP and that you are working on it• YES or NO, always respond• build an RFP template for quick turnaround•• provide pricing and an easy way to request availability or send an RFP

Marketing

• don’t play hide and seek with website information• make the website easy to navigate

of planners polled prefer websites loaded with images, video, pricing, and helpful planning tools

18%

7%

14%13%43%

Understanding Planners

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Lead Alert If you don’t know Shannon

Glover, you should! Shannon manages our lead department at Unique Venues. She and her team process and pre-qualify all of the sales leads that come through

UniqueVenues.com, U n i q u e V e n u e s . c a ,

social media, quarterly magazines, trade shows,

events and our toll-free planner line.

Add Shannon’s email to your contacts (Shannon@uniquevenues.com). All leads are sent by email AND fax as a back-up (unless otherwise requested by you).

Remember, hot leads have short lives. Respond quickly – 24 hours is ideal!

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850,000Searches conducted annually by

planners in UniqueVenues.com and UniqueVenues.ca.

36,000The number of planners that

receive our monthly e-newsletters (Unique Connections – USA and

Rendezvous – CANADA).

2.5Each lead is sent to an average of 2.5 venues. Chances for booking

are good with Unique Venues.

Pledge to PlannersMembers attending UV’s Annual Marketing Conference last month in Nashville stand to take the RFP pledge promising planners to respond to sales leads within 24-hours of receiving a lead from Unique Venues.

Will you join these members and take the pledge too?