Private events are one of the most profitable revenue streams in hospitality.
Corporate outings, holiday parties, birthdays, team celebrations — when managed correctly, private events can drive consistent, high-margin revenue year-round.
At our own venue, private events grew into a seven-figure business.
But here's the truth: most venues don't miss out because demand isn't there. They miss out because the process breaks down.
Where the Money Gets Lost
Leads sit in inboxes. Follow-ups happen days later. Event details get lost. By the time a proposal goes out, the guest has already booked somewhere else.
The difference between a venue booking $200k vs $1M+ in events often comes down to three things:
- Speed: How fast do you respond to inquiries?
- Organization: Can you track every lead from first contact to booking?
- Consistency: Does every lead get the same great follow-up experience?
The Speed Advantage
Studies show that the first venue to respond to an inquiry wins the booking more than half the time. Not the best venue. Not the cheapest venue. The first venue.
When someone is planning a corporate holiday party or a birthday celebration, they're often reaching out to 3-5 venues at once. The venue that responds within hours — with helpful information, availability, and pricing — gets the conversation started on the right foot.
The Organization Advantage
Most venues manage event inquiries through a combination of email, spreadsheets, sticky notes, and memory. This works when you're doing 10 events a month. It completely breaks down at 50.
A centralized system that tracks every inquiry — where they came from, what they need, when to follow up, what was promised — is the difference between a scalable events business and a chaotic one.
The Consistency Advantage
The best sales reps follow up persistently without being annoying. They send helpful information. They remember details from previous conversations. They make the guest feel like a priority.
The problem is, most venues don't have dedicated sales reps. They have managers juggling 50 other responsibilities. Follow-ups depend on who's working that day and how busy the shift is.
Automation changes this. With the right tools, every lead gets a consistent, personalized follow-up experience — even when your team is slammed.
Capturing the Revenue You're Already Earning
That's exactly why we built Reunion — to help operators capture the revenue they're already earning interest in.
If guests are reaching out to book events at your venue, you've already done the hard part. You've built a great space, great food, and a great reputation. The only thing standing between you and those bookings is operational execution.
Speed. Organization. Consistency. Get those right, and private events become the seven-figure opportunity they should be.