It’s a fact: the events industry has been lagging behind other hospitality sectors for decades when it comes to efficiency… Booking venues can take days, or even weeks, with back-and-forth with venues eating into valuable event planning time.
It’s high time this changed, and at Hire Space, we’ve been innovating to help event planners to operate in a smarter way… and the solution is finally here!
We're excited to announce that we’ve launched instant booking technology
At Hire Space, we're always on the lookout for how we can empower event bookers to become more efficient in their roles, and we think our new release - instant booking for venues - will transform how events are booked.
Instant booking will mean significant time savings for event planners, and have huge implications on cost, time, and resource for companies with large meeting and events programmes.
So how does it work and what are the main benefits?
What is instant booking?
Imagine using a hotel booking website and having to wait days to find out if your reservation’s been confirmed - unthinkable, right? Instant booking has been around for years in the tourism and accommodation industry: in an ever-growing digital world, it’s easier than ever to visit a website and book a flight or hotel room on the spot in just a few clicks.
So why should it be any different when it comes to your events? Why is it still so difficult to lock in a meeting room for an event that doesn’t even require much resource to execute? That's where Hire Space's instant booking tech comes in.
“What’s happening in meetings and events is the start of a transformation similar to that witnessed by the travel sector two decades ago. It’s a rapidly changing business environment which will be worth billions in savings.” Adam Parry, Founder of Event Industry News
How instant booking works with Hire Space
Instant booking means planners are able to browse Hire Space's instant booking venue marketplace, and see live availability for the dates, times, and locations required. Planners can then simply book the venue and pay directly, without having to send a Request For Proposal (RFP), giving them the power to book the venue they want, when they want it, in just a few clicks!
What are the benefits to planners?
Meeting and event planners using Hire Space's instant booking service can take advantage of a whole host of benefits, such as:
- Instant access to real-time availability of meeting spaces (no more wasted back-and-forth with venues seeing if their spaces are available!)
- Transparent pricing - plus exclusive Hire Space discounts (negotiated best rates and no hidden costs down the line)
- Convenient and secure online payment options (safe, trusted payment services, with no convoluted invoicing terms)
Here are just some of the ways these features are set to revolutionise your event planning:
Save time and resource on venue finding
A hangover from the pandemic, event planners are still seriously under-resourced with significantly scaled down teams. Their event calendars are jam-packed with fewer people to deliver them, resulting in stressed-out, burned-out eventprofs - and to add to this, lead times are often much shorter than pre-pandemic.
Instant booking makes this process so much easier; planners can book meeting spaces instantly at short notice, meaning more time to focus on other event logistics and operate more quickly with the limited resources available. By streamlining the time-consuming process of venue booking, we predict that this revolutionary technology will save hundreds of hours per year in an industry stretched for time.
Transparent pricing and Hire Space discounts
Instant booking allows planners to quickly and easily see availability and book a space there and then, for the price quoted, before others do! You’ll have priority availability and access to our exclusive pre-negotiated discounts, without hidden costs sneaking up later: what you see is what you pay - simple!
Plus, when you book a venue on instant booking, you pay up-front for the space and time you need through our secure payment service. No more concerns about venue payment terms or invoice delays - you can leave the legal team out of it!
Which venues will I be able to instant book?
Instant booking will be offered across 3000 global venues from our database of over 100,000, with the ability to filter by location, price, capacity, and more. We expect the number of venues available for instant booking to quadruple within the next year, with huge implications for cost savings in the £84bn UK events industry.
Browse instant-book venues now
How else does Hire Space make venue sourcing easier?
Instant booking is complemented by Hire Space 360, our managed event sourcing service for businesses. This service offers round-the-clock venue sourcing and support on events, standardised contracting and payments, and enhanced supplier negotiations.
Hire Space clients like CoachHub are eagerly anticipating the launch of instant booking, recognising it as a game-changer that will take their event planning to a whole new level.
Luke Fagg, Senior Marketing Manager at CoachHub reports: “Hire Space have saved us countless hours negotiating with suppliers as well as offering excellent logistical support. We are really looking forward to the launch of their instant booking service that I believe will take this to a whole new level.”
For more information about Hire Space 360, book in a chat with our team below!
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Find out more about how Hire Space can help streamline your event booking processes
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Author
Jessamy Cowie
Jessamy channels her passion for sustainability and cultural events into shining a spotlight on innovation and inspiration in the events world, and heading up Hire Space's sustainability committee.
